Piano Sonata No. 26 (Beethoven)
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Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 26 in E flat major, opus 81a, known as the Les Adieux, is considered one of the three great piano sonatas of his middle period (the other two being the Waldstein sonata, opus 53 and Appassionata sonata, Opus 57). It was written during the years 1809 and 1810.
The title Les Adieux might imply it is of a programmatic nature. The French attack on Vienna, led by Napoléon Bonaparte in 1809, forced Beethoven's patron, Archduke Rudolph, to leave the city. Yet, there is some uncertainty about this nature of the piece — or at least, about the degree to which Beethoven wished this programmatic nature would be known. He titled the three movements "Lebewohl," "Abwesenheit," and "Wiedersehen," and reportedly regarded the French "Adieux" as a poor translation of the feeling of the German "Lebewohl" (Kolodin, 1975).
On the first 1811 publication, a dedication was added reading "On the departure of his Imperial Highness, for the Archduke Rudolph in admiration".
An average performance of the piece lasts about 16 minutes.
[edit] Form
The sonata has three movements:
- Das Lebewohl (Les Adieux - The Farewell); Adagio - Allegro
- Abwesenheit (L'Absence - The Absence); Andante espressivo (In gehender Bewegung, doch mit viel Ausdruck)
- Das Wiedersehen (Le Retour - The Return); Vivacissimamente (Im lebhaftesten Zeitmaße)
The sonata opens in a 2/4 time Adagio with a short, simple motif of three notes, over which are written the three syllables Le-be-wohl ('Fare-thee-well'). This motif is the basis upon which both the first and the second subject groups are drawn. As soon as the introduction is over and the exposition begins, the time signature changes to split C and the score is marked Allegro.
The Andante espressivo might be misunderstood as an introduction to the ending Vivacissimamente, but a closer look finds the beauty and depth in this movement. The movement is 2/4 time throughout and is naturally junctured to the finale.
The finale, also in sonata form, starts joyfully on the dominant, B flat, in 6/8 time. After the startling introduction, the first subject shows up in the right hand and is immediately transferred to the left hand, which is repeated twice with an elaboration of the arrangement in the right hand. Before the second subject group arrives, there's one remarkable bridge passage, introducing a phrase that goes from G flat major to F major, first through distinctive forte arpeggios, then in a more delicate, fine piano arrangement.
[edit] References
- Kolodin, Irving (1975). The Interior Beethoven. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 0-394-46626-6.
| Piano Sonatas by Ludwig van Beethoven |
|---|
| Op. 2 No. 1 | Op. 2 No. 2 | Op. 2 No. 3 | Op. 7 | Op. 10 No. 1 | Op. 10 No. 2 | Op. 10 No. 3 | Op. 13 (Pathetique) | Op. 14 No. 1 | Op. 14 No. 2 | Op. 22 | Op. 26 | Op. 27 No. 1 (Quasi una fantasia) | Op. 27 No. 2 (Quasi una fantasia — Moonlight) | Op. 28 (Pastoral) | Op. 31 No. 1 | Op. 31 No. 2 (Tempest) | Op. 31 No. 3 | Op. 49 Nos. 1 and 2 | Op. 53 (Waldstein) | Op. 54 | Op. 57 (Appassionata) | Op. 78 | Op. 79 | Op. 81a (Les adieux) | Op. 90 | Op. 101 | Op. 106 (Hammerklavier) | Op. 109 | Op. 110 | Op. 111 |
