Beethoven: Sonata 12

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ID:24

Ludwig van Beethoven - Sonatas : Sonata 12, opus 26
Key: A-flat Major	Published: 1801
Level: 8	Period: Classical
Sonata 12 opus 26 (sheet music)

Posts in the piano forum about this piece by Beethoven:

Beethoven Sonata No. 12 Op. 26
March 23, 2009, 01:33:26 AM by iroveashe

This is a rather vague, and rather improvised explanation on Beethoven's Sonata No. 12 in A-flat major, Op. 26, 1st Movement, Andante con variazioni. This is mainly directed at Javacisnotrecognized since he asked, but I'd appreciate anyone's input into the subject.

The first part establishes the main theme, and is followed as usual by variations. The theme is rather soft and light, and after being presented it is repeated with a slight variation, which gives it a sense of progression, which is, I think, a key concept to this particular movement (and many of Beethoven's works) as a way to reach climax. The first variation is mainly composed of ascending arpeggios, which rest on a high note before releasing the tension on a lower note, after doing that twice that high note is repeated instead of being released right away. Second variation is much more vivid in contrast with the 1st one and in my opinion more 'attractive'. Contrasting again is the 3rd variation, which is quite dark and mysterious. Fourth variation is more sporadic, with different parts broken down, melody on one side, bass on the other and some seemingly random chords here and there, giving it a sense of instability and spontaneity. Here, on the lasts variations is where the magic of this movement occurs; it is, again, contrasting with the previous variation. For starters it's evenly covered with notes, like a surface, always following the structure of the first main theme very harmonically but it's just that for now, the melody is not entirely distinguishable, then we start hearing the melody with a different approach, very clear and cantabile, with arpeggios as background to achieve that sense of progression, evolution and climax I first mentioned. That variation was the climax of the movement, had the variations be placed differently we wouldn't get to this part with the same feeling, and as we enter the last variation we can clearly hear from the very first bar of it that Beethoven is saying goodbye and closing the movement. That transition between the 2 last variations always leaves breathless.