Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas
Ludwig van Beethoven (16 December 1770 – 26 March 1827) was a German pianist and composer of the transitional period between the late Classical and early Romantic eras. He is often regarded as one of the most brilliant, prolific and influential composers of all time.

Beethoven is widely regarded as a master of musical construction, sometimes sketching the architecture of a movement before he had decided upon the subject matter. He was one of the first composers to systematically and consistently use interlocking thematic devices Read Full BioLudwig van Beethoven (16 December 1770 – 26 March 1827) was a German pianist and composer of the transitional period between the late Classical and early Romantic eras. He is often regarded as one of the most brilliant, prolific and influential composers of all time.

Beethoven is widely regarded as a master of musical construction, sometimes sketching the architecture of a movement before he had decided upon the subject matter. He was one of the first composers to systematically and consistently use interlocking thematic devices, or 'germ-motives', to achieve unity between movements in long compositions. (Some insight into the meaning of the germ-motive device is given at the end of this bio.) Equally remarkable was his use of source-motives', which recurred in many different compositions and lent some unity to his life’s work. He made innovations in almost every form of music he touched. For example, he diversified even the well-crystallised form of the rondo, making it more elastic and spacious, which brought it closer to sonata form. He was mostly inspired by the natural course of nature, and liked to write songs describing nature.

Beethoven composed in a great variety of genres, including symphonies, concerti, piano sonatas, other instrumental sonatas (including for violin), string quartets and other chamber music, masses, lieder, and one opera.

Beethoven's compositional career is usually divided into Early, Middle, and Late periods:

In the Early (Classical) period, he is seen as emulating his great predecessors Haydn and Mozart, while concurrently exploring new directions and gradually expanding the scope and ambition of his work. Some important pieces from the Early period are the first and second symphonies, the first six string quartets, the first three piano concertos, and the first twenty piano sonatas, including the famous "Pathétique" and "Moonlight" sonatas.

The Middle (Heroic) period began shortly after Beethoven's personal crisis centering around his encroaching deafness. The period is noted for large-scale works expressing heroism and struggle; these include many of the most famous works of classical music. Middle period works include six symphonies (numbers 3 to 8), the fourth and fifth piano concertos, the triple concerto and violin concerto, five string quartets (numbers 7 to 11), the next seven piano sonatas (including the "Waldstein" and the "Appassionata"), and Beethoven's only opera, Fidelio.

Beethoven's Late (Romantic) period began around 1816. The Late-period works are characterised by intellectual depth, intense and highly personal expression, and formal innovation (for example, the Op. 131 string quartet has seven linked movements, and the Ninth Symphony adds choral forces to the orchestra in the last movement). Works of this period also include the Missa Solemnis, the last five string quartets, and the last five piano sonatas.

Deconstructing the sonata form, both in the overall schema (movements, tempos) and in the micro-form, Beethoven began to use germinal ideas propelling the whole melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic progression. In the first quartet of the group (E flat major, Op.127 – February 1825), the Adagio has five variations (in this case, a source-theme becomes the backbone of the tempo). That same year, in July, Quartet in A minor, Op.132, features a first movement with the traditional two themes, but without contrast; they display and disseminate sub-sections and ‘germs’ in a circular frame, interlocking with each other. Beethoven's germ-motive is like a Bach choral, summoning the other voices around itself.

The last quartet, Op. 135 in F major, was composed in a downplayed form, going back to a more traditional four-tempo structure. But internally one finds the same frozen micro-structure: the first movement is harmonically ambiguous, whereas the scherzo sounds like Bartók, and in the finale, the canon ‘Es muss sein’ plays a joyful role. A terrible grave comes in afterward, to dissolve into a soft pizzicato: adieu music, adieu life . It was never heard by the now deaf Beethoven, and he died shortly afterward.
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Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor Op. 2 No.1: I. Allegro
Ludwig van Beethoven Lyrics


We have lyrics for these tracks by Ludwig van Beethoven:

9th Symphony Freude, schöner Götterfunken, Tochter aus Elysium, wir bet…
Moonlight Sonata Camper Van Beethoven Camper Van Beethoven We Love You All…
Presto Freude, schöner Götterfunken, Tochter aus Elysium, wir bet…
String Quartet in A major Kimi no te de kirisaite Omoi hi no kioku wo Kanashimi no…
String Quartet in A major Op. 18 No. 5: III. Andante cantabile Kimi no te de kirisaite Omoi hi no kioku wo Kanashimi no…
Symphony No. 2 in D Major I saw you standing on the corner You looked so big…

The lyrics can frequently be found in the comments below or by filtering for lyric videos.
Most interesting comments from YouTube:

46 x100tokk

Sonata Op.2 No.1 Beethoven
Kovacevich
-I. 00:01 "Allegro"
-II. 03:05 "Adagio"
-III. 07:20 "Allegretto"
-IV. 10:15 "Prestissimo:
Lewis
-I. 14:55 "Allegro"
-II. 19:22"Adagio"
-III. 24:00"Allegretto"
-IV. 27:32 "Prestissimo"
Buchbinder
-I. 32:44 "Allegro"
-II. 36:14 "Adagio"
-III. 41:44 "Allegretto"
-IV. 44:40 "Prestissimo:



Elaine Blackhurst

Grödingen & Languages
You are essentially correct though one of the main differences between Beethoven and Mozart is the much more modern keyboard technique* Beethoven was using compared to Mozart.

The difference is less obvious with Haydn who lived long enough to write his later works adopting some of these techniques, particularly during his two long visits to England; the piano sonata in E flat Hob. XVI:52 illustrates this point most obviously.

The other reason for the difference is that Beethoven was writing for rather bigger, more powerful instruments than those with which Mozart was familiar - Haydn too discovered Broadwood, and Longman & Broderip pianos in London, and duly wrote much bigger sounding music for them.

Mozart did not live long enough to hear these much more powerful instruments, and he owned a Viennese Walter instrument which was very different from those encountered by Haydn in London, then Beethoven later.

It’s also worth pointing out that adding Beethoven on to the c.1750 - 1800 ‘Classical’ period as is often done in text-books is not helpful; almost everything he wrote is clearly at the dawn of a new ‘post-Classical’ age - my preferred term.

Beethoven’s shadow is cast forward over the 19th century, not back to that of the 18th century world of Mozart and Haydn.

If you add these points to your comment, along with Beethoven’s clear desire to make a mark in Vienna with something very new, including a four movement structure which Mozart never used - and Haydn only very rarely, you’re absolutely right: this is a strikingly original and new sounding sonata that is clearly something at the start of the new 19th century age, not something tagged on to the old 18th.

* That of Cramer, Dussek, Clementi, Hummel, et al, and of course Beethoven himself; we are in a new world, signs of which are clearly evident in both the Opus 1 piano trios, and Opus 2 piano sonatas.



All comments from YouTube:

46 x100tokk

Sonata Op.2 No.1 Beethoven
Kovacevich
-I. 00:01 "Allegro"
-II. 03:05 "Adagio"
-III. 07:20 "Allegretto"
-IV. 10:15 "Prestissimo:
Lewis
-I. 14:55 "Allegro"
-II. 19:22"Adagio"
-III. 24:00"Allegretto"
-IV. 27:32 "Prestissimo"
Buchbinder
-I. 32:44 "Allegro"
-II. 36:14 "Adagio"
-III. 41:44 "Allegretto"
-IV. 44:40 "Prestissimo:

Redfish playz

Guys....... Allegro sounds kinda like Mozart Symphony 25

Jing Gong

Thanks!

João Guilherme

I was going to say that Kovacevich was playing too fast...
But notice it's a 2/2 in allegro
The quarter notes are worth an eighth note in 4/4....

Elaine Blackhurst

@Myro Van Loon
Beethoven learned a huge amount from Haydn as you say; there is more of Haydn in Beethoven’s DNA than any other composer as can be heard in things like thematic working and integration, motivic development, tonal experimentation, cyclic integration, and a whole lot more.

My point was that this was not learned from Haydn during the formal lessons, nor by completing hundreds of dry, academic, counterpoint exercises from the manual by Fux, many of which were not corrected by Haydn.

You’re quite right, Beethoven knew many of Haydn’s works and used them as a source for ideas, with which he then did his own thing; he copied out a number of Haydn’s works including parts of Symphony 99 in order to study contrapuntal development techniques, and the whole of the much earlier string quartet Opus 20 No 1.
(Beethoven copied out Mozart’s string quartet K464 as well - he found it a useful way of learning from his two great predecessors).

Myro Van Loon

@Elaine Blackhurst Beethoven also had to copy works by haydn and mozart as a way of learning how to end phrases and such. He himself also used it as a way of teaching his own students. That's why there is a lot of haydn influence in his early period music, like humour and sarcasm. He does still always stays himself though with his renewing sound, like in the development of the 1st movement.

14 More Replies...

Jonathan Paquette

I want to personally thank you for posting all the Sonatas. It was really insightful to always hear more than interpretation, to understand how many different interprets see the music. I made me rethink how I play and listen to music.

Thank you.

Francisco Walker

I always admired Beethoven (along with Bach, Mozart, Chopin and dozen more) BUT I never realized how unparalleled genius he is; thanks for posting...this is a GOLD MINE of Music

Benjamin Lester

@Francisco Walker dab

Tricen Osborne

@Benjamin Lester you know nothing of mozart if that opinion is legit

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