CDLIX. BEETHOVEN, Ludwig van (1770-1827)
Fantasia in G Minor, Op. 77 (1809)
Alexander Panfilov, piano
(9:10)
1809 was a terrible year.
Napoleon invaded Vienna; all his friends had deserted the city; he was unable to retreat to the country, where has more comfortable.
Nevertheless, the year brought us the Fifth piano concerto ("Emperor"), the Harp Quartet [Post CCXVIII] and three great piano sonatas (Op. 78, 79 & 81) ...
And this!
Rarely performed, but an important "minor" work, this Fantasia follows the example of Mozart [see Post XL] by drifting through key centers at will, and being limited only by the composer's extraordinary imagination.
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The loud descending scales would wake up Rip Van Winkle.
But sotfly comes the immediately following poco adagio, with its lilting three-against-two ... we are in G Minor for just a few bars. At the blue arrow, the key putatively changes to A-Flat Major, a rise of a semitone.
Before the ears can adjust, Beethoven begins a short siciliano in B-Flat Major, a sudden break for more musical cartwheels -- landing on an allegro in D Minor.
Notice how each section becomes lengthier with the change of key.
On this single page, LvB moves from A-Flat Major to D Major to B Minor:
Finally, we reach the distant key of B Major in a flowing melody with triplet accompaniment, which quickly turns into musical hiccups:
After more pyrotechnics, Beethoven briefly lands on C Major before sliding down a semitone to B Major.
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