DLXXV. BEETHOVEN, Ludwig van: Sonata #9 in E Major for Piano, Op. 14, No. 1

DLXXV. BEETHOVEN, Ludwig van (1770-1827)

Sonata #9 in E Major for Piano, Op. 14, No. 1 (1798)
1. Allegro
2. Allegretto
3. Rondo -- Allegro comodo
Igor Levit, piano
(12:57)

An early work which Beethoven later transcribed for string quartet (Hess 34), raising the key a semitone to F Major.

First movement

Opens simply and quickly becomes more complex. Beethoven crashes into an F-Sharp Major chord, used as a secondary dominant to B Major:

After a whirlwind development, Beethoven returns to the opening 1/2-notes, in a beautiful bass register, before closing softly:

Second movement

A beautiful short, minuet-like movement in E Minor:

moving to C Major:

Third movement

A seriously fast-moving rondo:

Notice how with one note (A-natural), Beethoven turns the B chord into a dominant seventh to return to the tonic!

Check out the syncopation (a look forward) which precedes the final bars: