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Home > Beethoven, Ludwig van > Sonate für Klavier Nr.24 Fis-Dur

Beethoven, Ludwig van : Sonate für Klavier Nr.24 Fis-Dur Op.78

Work Overview

Music ID : 431
Composition Year:1809 
Publication Year:1809
First Publisher:Breitkopf und Härtel
Instrumentation:Piano Solo 
Genre:sonata
Total Playing Time:10 min 00 sec
Copyright:Public Domain

Commentary (2)

Author : Ozaki, Koichi

Last Updated: January 1, 2010
[Open]
Note: This article is automatically translated from the original Japanese text. The author of the original work did not supervise this translation.

Musical Analysis

The beauty of the mere four-bar introduction at the beginning imbues it with an unparalleled emotional depth among his piano works. It is a mid-period work retaining an intimate atmosphere with its two-movement structure. Although the "Emperor" Concerto was published in the same year, Beethoven's chamber music from this period marks the end of the prolific orchestral period, represented by works like the "Fate" and "Pastoral" symphonies until mid-1808, and is situated between the subsequent publications of his Symphonies Nos. 7 and 8. This was also a period when he was dedicated to studying thematic development, and the three piano sonatas following this work are sometimes colloquially classified as the "Cantabile Period." The delicate treatment of the first theme heard in the development section of the first movement, and the development in the second movement, which seems to combine sonata and rondo forms, are captivating. Although its scale is less than half that of the preceding movement, it is permeated by a delicate lightness, making it pleasant. It reveals a different facet from the heroic grandeur typically associated with the "Middle Beethoven" period.

Dedication

Therese von Brunswick, to whom the work was dedicated, was a woman with whom Beethoven likely fostered a lifelong friendship. A portrait sent by her was kept by Beethoven until his death, never shown to anyone, and was later discovered among his belongings along with letters addressed to the "Immortal Beloved," leading to her long being considered the "Immortal Beloved" herself. At the time this work was dedicated, they were engaged, and "a feeling of life surging richly" (Romain Rolland) dominated them both.

Writer: Ozaki, Koichi

Author : Maruyama, Yoko

Last Updated: February 19, 2025
[Open]
Note: This article is automatically translated from the original Japanese text. The author of the original work did not supervise this translation.

Letters, seemingly love letters, penned by Beethoven but ultimately left unsent, were preserved for posterity with an unknown addressee, sparking scholarly debate over the identity of the recipient, the so-called "Immortal Beloved." One of the candidates was Countess Therese von Brunswick. A daughter from a Hungarian noble family, she received piano lessons from Beethoven along with her sister, Josephine. (Incidentally, Therese was later excluded from the "Immortal Beloved" candidates, with Josephine remaining a strong contender; however, Antonie Brentano, another prominent candidate, is now widely considered to be the person in question).

Therese was indeed a woman of high musical talent, to the extent that she performed a piano concerto by Antonio Rosetti publicly at the age of six. Later, in 1828, Therese, a woman of great talent, established the first kindergarten in Hungary. Beethoven's Piano Sonata Op. 78 was composed in 1809 and dedicated to Therese in 1810, which is why her name has become the common title for the work.

Positioned between the "Waldstein" and "Appassionata" sonatas, which are prime examples of his middle period's dramatic style, and the "Les Adieux" sonata, which often draws biographical attention, Op. 78 is a smaller work, structured in two movements. However, this does not mean it should be valued less than the surrounding works. During his middle period, alongside large-scale compositions, Beethoven also wrote pieces that, despite their concise length, demonstrated ingenious compositional techniques, such as the String Quartet "Serioso" Op. 95. Op. 78 should rather be understood as belonging to this category. Given that it is the only one of Beethoven's piano works to be written in F-sharp major, a key with six sharps, it is clear that simplicity was not a primary consideration from the outset. As noted in the commentary for each movement, Op. 78 is a work that aims to stimulate the listener's thought processes rather than present a clear structure. By comparing the two movements, one can discern that these two movements, which might initially sound as if they flow freely, are connected in various ways.

Writer: Maruyama, Yoko

Movements (2)

1.Satz Adagio cantabile-Allegro ma non troppo

Total Performance Time: 7 min 00 sec 

2.Satz Allegro vivace

Total Performance Time: 3 min 00 sec 

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