Piano Sonata No. 13 (Beethoven) - Movements

Movements

The Op. 27 No. 1 sonata is laid out in four movements:

1. Andante – Allegro – Andante in ternary form (ABA); in E-flat major, middle section in C major.
2. Allegro molto e vivace in C minor.
3. Adagio con espressione in A-flat major.
4. Allegro vivace in E-flat major

The first movement, unusually for Beethoven, is not in sonata form but in ternary form. The tempo is slow, interrupted by fast medial section.

The second movement is a scherzo and like the first movement is in ternary form (the norm for scherzi). The main theme consists of mostly quarter notes in parallel octaves. When it returns following the trio section, the left hand plays staccato and the notes of the right hand part (still legato) are offset half a beat later. The movement includes a brief coda and concludes abruptly on the chord C major, a Picardy third.

The third movement is slow in tempo and features a lyrical, noble theme, set against an eighth note accompaniment (in a later appearance, 16ths). The movement does not conclude in its tonic key, but instead reaches a final cadenza that leads directly to the finale. The movement is brief and thus might be heard by some listeners as an introduction to the final movement rather than as an independent movement.

The finale is the most extended movement of the work; as Charles Rosen notes, "With this movement, Beethoven began an experiment, to which he continued to return and develop through the years, of displacing some of the weight of the work from the opening movement to the finale". The work is in fast tempo and in sonata rondo form. In the coda section, the main theme of the slow movement briefly returns, followed by a brief cadenza. There follows a short final section, marked Presto, based on a tightly compressed version of the main theme.

A typical performance of the work lasts 15 minutes.