Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 2 No. 1

Beethoven's Piano Sonata in F minor, op. 2, no. 1, was written in 1795 and dedicated to Joseph Haydn.

The sonata is in four movements:

1. Allegro in F minor
2. Adagio in F major
3. Menuetto - Allegro in F minor
4. Prestissimo in F minor

The first movement, in 2/2 time, is in Sonata form (typical for the first movement of a Sonata). The first theme is driven by a rising arpeggio, very similar to the opening of the first movement of Mozart's Symphony No. 25.

The second theme, in A flat major, is accompanied by eighth-note octaves in the bass (usually with dominant harmony). There are two codettas; the first consists of a series of energetic descending scales in A flat major, and the second is a lyrical passage marked con espressione. In this second codetta and in the second theme Beethoven makes interesting use of mode mixture as the right hand parts borrows from the parallel minor.

The development opens with the initial theme, but is mostly dedicated to the second theme and its eighth-note accompaniment. The retransition to the main theme uses its sixteenth-note triplet. The recapitulation repeats the material from the exposition without much change, except that it stays in F minor throughout.

There is a short coda. A tense, agitated feel is ubiquitous throughout the movement. If played at speed, where one quarter note equals 126 to 138 macrobeats per minute, this movement can be challenging to perfect.

Ludwig van Beethoven (baptized 17 December 1770 - 26 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. The crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.

Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of the Holy Roman Empire, Beethoven moved to Vienna in his early 20s, studying with Joseph Haydn and quickly gaining a reputation as a virtuoso pianist.

His hearing began to deteriorate in the late 1790s, yet he continued to compose, conduct, and perform, even after becoming completely deaf.

Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 2 No. 1 is in a Creative Commons license.