Music Theory 4 Analysis Paper- Appassionata

L. van Beethoven: Sonata in F Minor, op. 57 “Appassionata” Mvt. III: Allegro ma non troppo- Presto B !"re #o$man %or M"si& 'heor (

Always a tireless innovator, Beethoven produced a number of works that transcended musical conventions of his time. One such work is the Finale of the Sona Sonata ta in F Mino Minor, r, op. op. 5 5.. !his !his essa essay y will will e"pl e"plor ore e the the cir circums cumsta tanc nces es of its its composition and detail its formal and stylistic innovations. #udwi #u dwi$ $ van Beetho Beethoven ven%s %s bio$r bio$raph aphy y is well well known, known, but but it warran warrants ts a brief  brief  consideration. Born in Bonn, &ermany in '(, Beethoven was tau$ht by his father and by composer )hristian &ottlob *eefe. +e moved to ienna -then the capital of  the musical world at a$e /' and pursued further studies with 0oseph +aydn, the most established and respected composer of the time. Beethoven 1uickly $ained a reputation as a virtuoso pianist and an innovative composer. By his late /(s his hearin$ be$an to deteriorate, and by the last decade of his life he was almost completely deaf. deaf. From From '2'', because of the inability to perform, he devoted himself  entirely to composin$. +e died a recluse celebrity in '2/. Beethoven%s creative life is usually divided into three periods3

)arl Perio*: Perio*: format formative ive and early early matur mature e works works.. +aydn% +aydn%s s in4uen in4uence ce is stron$ly felt, althou$h there are 4ashes of innovation, especially in piano sonatas -e.$. op. / no. ' Moonli$ht6.

Mi**le +eroi& Perio*:   Beethoven became increasin$ly dissatis7ed with the classical style and made a conscious decision to take a new way6. '  8ncludes ' From Heiligenstadt Testament 3 a famous letter re4ectin$ Beethoven%s Beethoven%s despair over his increasin$ deafness and stron$ desire to nevertheless complete his artistic destiny.

Symphonies 9:; and other lar$e:scale works< many are emotionally powerful, rhythmically a$$ressive and hint at =omanticism.

Late Perio*:  marked by Beethoven%s withdrawal from the society at lar$e, masterpieces from this period are markedly more intimate and re4ective. =enewed study of contrapuntal styles -speci7cally of 0.S. Bach contributed stron$ly to these innovative, transcendental works. Beethoven wrote 9/ piano sonatas. !he $enre was for him a laboratory in which he e"plored novel ideas in an intimate settin$ before employin$ them in lar$e:scale orchestral or chamber works. !he study of all piano sonatas thus o>ers invaluable insi$ht into Beethoven%s $rowth as a composer. Sonata op. 5 was composed durin$ '2(? and '2(5 and is one of the most si$ni7cant works from Beethoven%s middle period. !echnically one of the most challen$in$, it is also considered his most tempestuous. 8n year '2(9 Beethoven 7nally came to $rips with the irreversibility of his deterioratin$ hearin$< this Sonata clearly depicts the resultin$ an$uish and sadness, but also heroic de7ance and undiminished vitality. 8t is one of the most performed of all Beethoven%s works. +ere is the %orm &hart3 m. ':/(3 8ntroduction m. /(:53 !heme ' -F Minor m. 5:''3 !heme / -) Minor m. '':/'/3 @evelopment -!heme ' and a new theme m. /'/:/;3 !heme ' -F Minor m. /;:9(23 !heme / -F Minor m. 9(2:9;(3 )oda -resto in F Minor  !his movement is one of the most breathless of all of Beethoven%s works for piano, with near:constant perpetual motion. 8t is innovative in several other ways< here are a few3 '. 8t is a Sonata:alle$ro, instead of a more typical =ondo form. /. 8t is connected to the /nd Mvt. via a fully dim  th chord built on @b -the key of the /nd Mvt.

9. 8t has much in common with the ' st Mvt., includin$ the prominent use of  the *eapolitan si"th chord and several written:out cadenas. ?. 8t is the only known movement by any composer that instructs the combined repetition of the @evelopment and the =ecapitulation, rather than the C"position. 5. !he /nd theme is in a minor key -) Minor, rather than the usual maDor. ;. !he @evelopment section introduces a new theme. . )oda also introduces an entirely new theme -it is usually thematically dependent. 2. 8t contains both an 8ntroduction and a )oda, which is very unusual for a Finale. E. !he @evelopment section -E5 measures is almost as lon$ as the C"position -E measures. 8n conclusion, Beethoven%s iano Sonata op. 5 is ri$htfully reco$nied as one of the $reatest masterpieces from any era. 8ts virtuoso elements, darkly profound themes and rhythmic vitality have made it a favorite of performers and audiences alike. For me, it represents the improbable victory of the de7ant human spirit over the inevitable, and often cruel, fate.