Piano Sonata No. 18 (Beethoven)

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The Piano Sonata No. 18 in E-flat major was written by Ludwig van Beethoven in 1802 and published as the third and last of his Op. 31 piano sonatas. It consists of four movements:

1. Allegro
2. Scherzo. Allegretto vivace: This scherzo is different from regular scherzoes, as it is written in 2/4 time as opposed to 3/4, and because it is in sonata form. However, its still contains many characteristics of a scherzo, including unexpected pauses and a playful nature.
3. Menuetto. Moderato e grazioso: It is surprisingly the most serious of the minuet movements, with a sweet and tender nature presented in the piece, with both the minuet and the trio presented in E flat major.
4. Presto con fuoco: A very vigorous and rolling piece, suspended by continuous, rollicking eighth notes in the bass.

The form of the sonata is unusual because it does not have a slow movement, which is instead replaced with a scherzo and followed by a minuet, before launching into the spirited finale. A playful jocularity is maintained throughout the piece, earning it the occasional nickname of The Hunt.

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 (Pathétique) | Op. 14, No. 1 | Op. 14, No. 2 | Op. 22 | Op. 26 (Funeral March) | 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 (The Hunt) | Op. 49, Nos. 1 and 2 | Op. 53 (Waldstein) | Op. 54 | Op. 57 (Appassionata) | Op. 78 | Op. 79 (Cuckoo) | Op. 81a (Les adieux) | Op. 90 | Op. 101 | Op. 106 (Hammerklavier) | Op. 109 | Op. 110 | Op. 111