Allegro: Rapidly

Agitated and tense running passages and fervent, prayerful melodies alternate without interruption. This musical character and structure resemble those found in No. 10, "The Barn Owl Has Not Flown Away," from On an Overgrown Path by the later composer Janáček (1854–1928), who was born in Moravia (part of present-day Czech Republic). In the Moravian region, there is a folk belief that "an owl stays in the dwelling of a dying person, and if it cannot be driven away, the person will not survive," and the arpeggios are the hand movements used to drive away the owl. Beethoven's secretary, Anton Schindler, was from Moravia, and Beethoven may have been aware of this folk belief. Regardless, the opening arpeggiated motif, which seems to drive away the death-bringing owl, is significant. The middle section is cantabile ("singing"), where beautiful memories of happier times are recalled; however, as the opening motif interrupts and a rift appears, the music is drawn back to reality.