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Ludwig van Beethoven Sonata No. 3 in A Major for Violoncello and Fortepiano
opus 69
by
Bronwyn Banerdt
May 9, 2011
Content & Form Dr. Kendall Briggs The Juilliard School
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 3 6 8 12 14 18 20 24 25 27 29
CONCLUSION BIBLIOGRAPHY
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INTRODUCTION
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Beethoven's 5 Sonatas for Violoncello and Fortepiano are among the bestloved pieces for cello and piano. The two opus 5 sonatas are the oldest known sonatas for cello and piano with a written-out piano part, making them pivotal works in the history of the cello. The Sonata in A Major, opus 69 is arguably the first major classical work for cello and piano in which the two instruments are given equal importance as solo voices. In fact, the opus 5 sonatas are titled Sonatas for Fortepiano and Violoncello, indicating the cello's subservient role. Indeed not since the time of the Italianate baroque sonatas written by composers such as Boccherini and his contemporaries had the combination of these instruments been explored in any significant way by a major composer. Thus the A Major Sonata represents a significant step forward in the development of the cello as a solo instrument. To this day it remains a favorite among cellists because of its flowing lyricism, conversational nature, and its wide range of register, variety of characters, and depth of emotion.
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HISTORY
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Beethoven composed the Sonata No. 3 in A Major for Violoncello and Fortepiano, opus 69 in Vienna between the years 1807 and 1808. This compositional period, known as his middle or Heroic period, is generally understood to begin in 1802 following the writing of the Heiligenstadt Testament, a posthumously discovered document in which Beethoven expresses his despair over his advancing deafness and a strong sense of martyrdom to his art form in a great unburdening cry of grief at his deafness and solitudemingled with apology, self-justification, self-pity, pathos, pride, hints of suicide, and presentiments of death (Kerman 91). Common themes of this compositional period include growth and transcendence, taking a psychological journey on which something must be overcome in order to conclude in triumph. It was also during this period that Beethoven began to execute the sonata form in a large scale, laying down thematic elements that permeate not only individual movements but entire works. Evolving themes, transitions between widely separated passages, actual thematic recurrences from one movement to another, and last but not least, the involvement of extra-musical ideas by means of a literary text, a programme, or (as in Eroica) just a few tantalizing titles (Kerman and Tyson 105). Although not specifically programmatic, the opus 69 cello sonata is a perfect example of this compositional technique, as will be demonstrated later in this paper, as well as the increase in lyricism that also typifies his works of this era. The first performance of the sonata took place in Vienna on March 5, 1809, played by cellist Nikolaus Kraft and pianist Baroness Dorothea von Ertmann at an Akademie held for the benefit of the cellist. Although the inscription is not present in the earliest editions, the work was dedicated to Baron Ignaz von Gleichenstein, a cellist and close friend of Beethovens who assisted the composer with many personal and financial manners. Financial problems plagued Beethoven in the early 1800s, due in great part to his tumultuous relationships with his patrons. He lost his sponsorship from Prince Lichnowsky in 1806 and entertained an offer to become the Kapellmeister in the city of Kassell. He wrote in 1808, The thought that I shall certainly have to leave Vienna and become a wanderer haunts me persistently (Anderson 193). Tumult encapsulated many areas of Beethovens life in the early 1800s. A romantic relationship spanning several years with the Countess Josephine Deym came to an unhappy end in 1807. War was another event that profoundly affected Beethovens state of mind as Napoleons armies approached Vienna. The serenity and lyricim of this sonata is astounding under these circumstances.
It might be thought that Beethoven had conceived it in one of his rare moments of felicity. Instead we read these words in the manuscript: Inter lacrimas et luctum (In the midst of tears and sorrow. (Scherman 694)
The Sonata in A Major was first published by Breitkopf & Hrtel in 1809, in an edition riddled with errors and inconsistencies (including the incorrect
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designation of the work as Beethovens opus 59 instead of opus 69), many of which remain unresolved to this day. Despite the fact that Beethoven consistently requested for his publishers to send him advance copies of his works for the purposes of proofreading, these requests were rarely granted, much to his extreme consternation. In the case of opus 69, Beethoven sent extensive lists of corrections to Breitkopf & Hrtel for future printings and even proposed publishing the list in the newspaper or for purchase by customers who had already bought the sonata. He wrote to the publisher:
Here is a goodly serving of printers errors, which, since I never in my life trouble myself any longer about things I have already written, were pointed out to me by a good friend This again confirms what I have experienced before, that works published from my own manuscript are the most correctly engraved ones. (Lockwood 32)
However the list was never released to the public, and second editions show only some of the corrections offered by the composer. Of the autograph manuscript, only the first movement is extant, although extensive sketches for all the movements survive. Sketches for opus 69 intermingle with several other works he was working on concurrently, most notably the Violin Sonata in G Major, opus 96 and Leonore Overture No. 1. Other works published between 1808 and 1809 include the 5th and 6th Symphonies, String Quartet, opus 74, and Fortepiano Sonatas, opus 78, 79, and 81a.
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HARMONIC LAYOUT
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Overall Form Ludwig van Beethovens Sonata in A Major for Violoncello and Fortepiano, opus 69 consists of three movements in Sonata form:
I
A
II
a
III
e-A
This sonata is very simple in its harmonic structure and form, adhering quite strictly to the conventions of the time. The Tonic key of A is presented fully in the opening measures, and Beethoven never strays far from this key for the duration of the work. The tonality of the second movement demonstrates flexibility between the major and minor modes, but fundamentally reinforces the Tonic key of A. The introduction of the third movement is in the Dominant key of E Major, which can only lead back to the inevitable and triumphant conclusion in A Major. The following pages show a graphic representation of the harmonic layout and phrase structure of each individual movement, followed by explanation and discussion.
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EXPOSITION
THEME: PHRASE: KEY: MM: 1 A
1
I 2 A
7
II 4 A
18
III 3 E
51
3 A
13
5 a e
25
6 e
29
1 E
38
2 E
46
4 E
59
1 E
65
2 E
71
E E A A/f# E
79 89e
RECAPITULATION
THEME: PHRASE: KEY: MM: 1 2 I 3 a 4 a A 1 A 2 A II 3 A 4 A 1 A 2 A III 3 4
A A
152 158
A A D
164 168
Harmonically and thematically, Exposition Phrases 3 & 4 are exact repetitions of Phrases 1 and 2 , respectively. They do not repeat in the Recapitulation. Instead of modulating to the Dominant (E), as in Exposition Phrase 5 , Recapitulation Phrase 3 stays in the Tonic (A). Exposition Phrase 6 is 6 bars long; Recapitulation Phrase 4 is 8 bars long, featuring one more elaboration upon the same motive. Theme area III Phrase 4 modulates up a Perfect Fourth both times, bringing the Exposition back to Tonic (A) in the Exposition and moving the Recapitulation into the Sub-dominant (D) for the first time in the piece.
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DEVELOPMENT
D RM Rm T T T D D D
KEY: MM:
A
93
f#
93
e
113
G
120
b
122
f# c#
123 125
f#
140
D
144
A
148
CODA
PHRASE: KEY: 1 D a
232
2 a
3 A
4 A E A
259
5 A
MM:
240
253
280
Exposition Phrase 1 is extended from 6 bars to 8 bars in Coda Phrase 1 . Coda Phrase 3 is Exposition Phrase 1 with the Response in Tonic (A) for the first time. Coda Phrase 4 consists of two 2-bar phraselets that explore the Response to Theme I. Coda Phrase 5 is the final statement of Theme I with NO foray into Dominant (E).
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Key Relationships in the Coda The Coda of Mvmt I begins with an eight-bar phrase in D Major following the surprising but proportionate modulation at the end of the Recapitulation. After searching for resolution in this key, we return to a, the minor Tonic mode, in m. 236. We sequence back to A Major, and from there to the end it is Tonic A to Dominant E back to a resounding Tonic A, our inevitable destination.
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A B A B A coda
MM:
1 109 197 305 393 505
A
THEME: PHRASE: 1 2 KEY: I 3 4 5 1 2 e e II 3 4 a a D G C
49
III 1 2 3 4 5 C a a a a
I (recap) 1 2 a C a
a a C C C a a a
1 8 17
a C C e
MM:
21 25
31 35
39
57
62 67
71
74
82
99
B
PHRASE: KEY: MM: 1 A
109
2 A
125
3 E
141
4 A
153
5 A
161
6 A
177
CODA
THEME I KEY: a MM: 501-519
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EXPOSITION
THEME: PHRASE: KEY: 1 A (D) (A)
19
I 2 A (D) (A)
27
II 3 A E B
34
III 2 E 1 E A/a
71
1 E
MM:
46
61
RECAPITULATION
THEME: PHRASE: KEY: 1 A (D) (A)
112
I 2 A (D) (A)
120
II 3 A E
127
III 2 A 1 A A
167
1 A
MM:
142
159
Exposition Phrase 3 is 12 bars; Exposition Phrase 3 is extended to 15 bars. Exposition & Recapitulation Theme II Phrases 3 are the same for 6 bars, then elaborated upon in the Recapitulation.
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INTRODUCTION
PHRASE: KEY: 1 E 2 E B E
5
3 E A
9
4 A
MM:
14
DEVELOPMENT
R R D M m T R R R R
KEY: MM:
a
77
d
79
g
80
G
81
g
82
C
87
F
92
C
96
c
104
A
108
CODA
THEME: PHRASE: KEY:
I
1 A
III
2 A
I
3 A D A D
187
I
4 A
I
5 A
MM:
173
181
195
207
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MOTIVES
It should be abundantly clear by this point that the innovation in this sonata does not lie in the realm of harmony. It is Beethovens use of motivic material through the sonata that is unprecedented and remarkable. Three main motives form the basis for nearly every theme and phrase in the piece: Motive A
A:
Motive B
A:
Motive C
A:
4 3
These motives are first introduced by the cello alone in m. 1, signifying their importance for the duration of the piece by the simplicity with which they are first stated; Beethoven does not wish to distract from them with polyphony. In his monumental essay regarding the autograph and other original source material for this sonata, Lewis Lockwood writes:
With one stroke, this opening phrase (mm 1-12) establishes certain conditions that bear significantly on the remainder of the movement: it presents the primary motivic material for the movement as components of a self-contained linear segment first associated with the Vcl alone in low register, and it immediately establishes a balanced, complementary relationship between the two instruments for which even a crude outline shows a symmetrical partitioning of the first twenty-four measures, divided into two larger phrases. (Lockwood 68)
Lockwood also remarks upon the significance of the fact that the greatest number of revisions made to the sonata in the manuscript are in the relationships of the piano and cello parts to one another in matters of range and voicing, not in reworking of motivic elements. This tells us that this motivic material is the fundamental basis for the entire sonata. The next few pages attempt to graphically illustrate the use of all motives and themes throughout the sonata and demonstrate their relationships with these basic motives.
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MVMT I THEMES
Mvmt I Theme I: mm. 1-6
A:
4 3 4 2
7 5
A:
A:
4 3
This Cadential Motive connects the material from the Exposition to the Development. Mvmt I Cadenza Motive: m. 24
This short cadenza appears twice: once in the piano in m. 12 and once in the cello in m. 12. This creates balance not only between Phrases 1 and 2 and Phrases 3 and 4 but also between the cello and piano as separate but equal voices.
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Mvmt I Theme I - Second Statement appears in the minor mode: mm. 25-26
a:
1*
E:
1 3
- -
E:
(7) 6
3 G#:7
4 3
E: 5
6 5 4
Banerdt 22 The final Exposition Theme is drawn from the Cadential Motive of m. 11. Compare Motives A + B in Mvmt I Motives A + B in Transition to Development: mm. 89-90
B: 7
[ #4
5] 6
A:
C#: f#:
1 5
5 2
6 3
One reason many analysts may mistakenly define this as C# Major is that one could then apply the same scale degrees as Theme I. However, part of the complexity of this passage is how Beethoven transposes the motives up a Perfect Fifth while maintaining the same relationships. Compare Motive C in Development and Exposition Motive C in Exposition: m. 3
A: 3
Motive C in Development: m. 27
c#: 5
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Theme II
A:
Theme I Response
A:
A:
A:
4 2 6 7
Theme I Response leads to a Half-Cadence; only by modifying the Final Response by starting on scale degree 3 and inverting it is Beethoven able to finally resolve the Mvmt I home to the Tonic for which it has been searching.
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MVMT II THEMES
A
Mvmt II A Theme I: mm. 1-4
a:
3 2
Mvmt II Theme I is closely related to Mvmt I Theme I. Beethoven leaps up a Perfect Fourth instead of a Perfect Fifth (Motive A) in this movement, but continues with Motive B, an ascending Major Second. Mvmt II A Theme II: mm. 31-34
B
Mvmt II B Theme I: mm. 1-4
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2 3 5 4 3 4 3 2 #1 2
17675
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Compare Theme I from Mvmts I & III Mvmt I Theme I: mm. 1-4
[ I V
vi ]
2 3 5 4 3 4 3 2 #1 2
17675
[ I
vi ]
Compare Mvmt III Theme I with its Final Resolution & Mvmt I Theme I Mvmt III Theme I
A:
A:
Mvmt I Theme I
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A:
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CONCLUSION
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Ludwig van Beethoven's Sonata in A Major for Violoncello and Fortepiano, opus 69 is one of the most significant works for cello and piano. Beethoven adheres strictly to the formal and harmonic conventions of the time. The entire work is anchored around the Tonic key of A Major, with departures into the minor mode, a minor, its Relative keys, C Major and f# minor, and the Dominant key of E. The relationship between Tonic and Dominant is explored in exquisite detail both harmonically and melodically. The motivic material that will form the basis of nearly every theme in the entire piece is introduced in the first twelve bars of the piece, then re-imagined throughout each movement of the sonata, creating a unifying thread through both the harmonic and melodic aspects of the piece that seizes the listener with the desire to arrive at the long-awaited resolution. The equality of the voices and the rich lyricism typical of Beethoven's Middle Period make the Sonata in A Major a pillar of the cello repertoire.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Banerdt 31 BIBLIGRAPHY Agmon, Eytan. The First Movement of Beethovens Cello Sonata, Op. 69: The Opening Solo as a Structural and Motivic Source. The Journal of Musicology Vol. 16 No. 3, New Perspectives on Beethoven Sources and Style (1998). Anderson, Emily, trans. and ed. The Letters of Beethoven. Vol. 3 Letter no. 170. London: MacMillan, 1961. Badura-Skode, Paul. A Tie Is a Tie: Reflections on Beethovens Pairs of Tied Notes. Early Music 16 No. 1 (1988). Crawford, Judith Lee Crawford. Beethovens Five Cello Sonatas. Diss. San Jose State U, 1995. Hepokoski, James. Beyond the Sonata Principle. Journal of the American Musicological Society Vol. 55 No. 1 (2002). Kerman, Joseph, and Alan Tyson. The New Grove Beethoven. New York: Norton, 1988. Kerman, Joseph. The Beethoven Quartets. New York: Norton, 1979. Lockwood, Lewis. Beethoven: Studies in the Creative Process. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1992. Scherman, Thomas K. and Louis Biancoll, eds. The Beethoven Companion. Garden City: Doubleday, 1972.