Michelangeli - Beethoven,Sonata No.12 Op.26 - I Andante...

Andante con variazioni.


Ludwig van Beethoven composed his Piano Sonata No. 12 in A flat major, Op. 26 in 1800--1801, around the same time as he completed his First Symphony. He dedicated the sonata to Prince Karl von Lichnowsky, who had been his patron since 1792.

Consisting of four movements, the sonata takes around 20 minutes to perform. 1. Andante con variazioni
2. Scherzo, allegro molto
3. Maestoso andante, marcia funebre sulla morte d'un eroe
4. Allegro

The structure of the sonata is unconventional in that the piece opens with a relatively slow movement in the format of theme and variations. In contrast, the remaining movements of the sonata proceed according to classical principles in fast-slow-fast alternation. The third movement of this sonata incorporates a funeral march, clearly anticipating the watershed of the Eroica Symphony that Beethoven wrote the following year. One can only speculate upon the identity of the hero to whom Beethoven's funeral marches were addressed.

In Schubert's Impromptu in A-flat major, Op. 142 No. 2, the main theme is strikingly similar to the theme in the first movement of Beethoven's sonata. The four-bar phrases that open these pieces are almost identical in most musical aspects: key, harmony, voicing, register, and basic as well as harmonic rhythm. Another, less immediate connection, exists with the main theme, also in A-flat major, of the Adagio movement in Schubert's piano sonata in C minor, D. 958. Indeed, Schubert may have borrowed these themes from Beethoven, as he often did in his compositions.

This sonata was greatly admired by Chopin, who repeated its basic sequence of scherzo, funeral march with trio, and animated, resolving finale, in his own piano sonata in B-flat minor[1]. His first movement, however, is also animated and in sonata form, unlike Beethoven's Andante con variazioni.

This particular piece was used widely in the 2007 film Joshua and was learned and played by 12 year old Jacob Kogan who stars as a 9 year old boy who exhibits very unusual evil traits after his sister is born, then proceeds to tear the family apart. No soundtrack has been made available for this film.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• andante
• con
• variazioni
• arturo
• benedetti
• flat
• live
• recital
• variation
• piano

[adsfiipop]

that noise at the beginning shocked me!

i thought my pc was gonna blow..

*traumatised for life by classical music..*

[bourbakis]

Pls fix the beginning loud buzz noise! I had earphone one and it seriously hurt my ears.

[patrick5087]

its been what 4 years now, i dont think its going to be fixed at all....

[eunhyowoo]

WHAT THE HELL. PLEASE TAKE THIS OFF OF YOUTUBE.

[quarknugget]

Scumbag Stravinskij0

Uploads one of the few professional Beethoven Op. 26 performance videos.

Refuses to fix ungodly noise at beginning.

[awergsergs]

almost a lightsaber

[ondesmart]

Motherf*ckrrr that noise took 5 years of my life!! In my headphones, in the dark, high volume, after watching Red Dragon!

[Natashahoneypot]

sort the loud noise out please

[1GunKnight]

son of a bitch.

[freelistic]

D:

[F1R1NMAHLAZAH]

I think beethoven wrote the sound at the beginning as part of the sonata but nobody else wants to acknowledge beethoven's cry for attention

[themusicman149]

holy SHIT that hurt!