The nickname of this sonata, "Les Adieux" (Farewell), originates from the dedication written by the composer himself on the autograph manuscript: "Das Lebewohl. Vien am 4ten May 1809 bej der Abreise S.Kaiserl. Hoheit des Verehrten Erzherzogs Rudolf." (Farewell. Vienna, May 4, 1809, on the departure of His Imperial Highness, the esteemed Archduke Rudolf). Each movement is titled, respectively, "Das Lebewohl" (The Farewell), "Die Abwesenheit" (The Absence), and "Das Wiedersehen" (The Return/Reunion).

The year 1809 was precisely when Vienna was besieged by Napoleon's army (Second Siege of Vienna), and the Archduke, who was both a good patron and a composition pupil of Beethoven, had to evacuate to the countryside. Beethoven's inscription "Lebewohl" (Farewell) suggests that this parting did not necessarily promise a reunion.

First Movement: E-flat Major, 2/4 time / 2/2 time, Sonata Form

Introduction + Exposition

The movement opens with a 16-bar introduction (Adagio). Its beginning features a motive based on a natural horn figure descending by thirds (a two-voice progression of major 3rd → perfect 5th → minor 6th), with the syllables 'Le-be-wohl' attached to each note as if they were lyrics. Following this motive, another motive, combining a chromatic descent in the bass voice with a leaping figure in the soprano voice that expands from a 4th to a 5th to a 6th, becomes the foundational motive for the entire movement.

Furthermore, the modulation from the dominant to the submediant of the parallel minor (mm. 7-8) is a characteristic feature of the entire work.

The main section (m. 17 onwards) shifts to Allegro in 2/2 time, where the principal theme is presented. Beginning with a chromatically descending bass and a motive featuring a leap of a fourth, this theme, consisting of leaping and stepwise descending figures played in octaves over wide arpeggios, is undeniably a development of the introduction's motive. The stepwise descending figure and the tonal shading created by the lowered sixth scale degree, which frequently appears from the subsequent transition (m. 29 onwards), permeate the entire work.

The subordinate theme (m. 35 onwards) is presented in the dominant key, B-flat major. It begins with a combination of stepwise ascending and descending thirds, with the lowered sixth scale degree (G-flat) and an inner-voice embellishing figure adding shading. Following a dynamic variation of the leaping figure and a motive descending by thirds, a theme combining an expanded form of the descending third motive with an embellishing figure appears (m. 50 onwards).

The codetta features a dotted-rhythm motive based on a descending figure. When the opening descending third motive reappears with longer note values, the exposition is repeated by a repeat sign.

Development + Recapitulation

The development section (m. 70 onwards) imitates the beginning of the main section of the exposition, but whereas the main section began on the subdominant (IV) of E-flat major, here it begins on the dominant (V) of C minor.

Stepwise descending figures and leaping ascending figures appear alternately, passing through B-flat minor, E-flat minor, and G-flat major before arriving at C minor. A harmonic progression with a descending soprano line is combined with a leaping bass figure, and a subdominant (IV) chord of E-flat major prepares the recapitulation.

The recapitulation (m. 110 onwards) adheres to traditional sonata form, with both the principal and subordinate themes reappearing in the tonic key of E-flat major. However, the subsequent coda is of a larger scale than the development section.

Coda

The coda (m. 162 onwards) begins by imitating the start of the main section, similar to the development. Here, however, the principal theme is presented almost entirely in C minor, and a portion of the theme is repeated in E-flat minor.

The descending third motive is treated monophonically, imitatively, as if echoing, and gradually harmonized. This gives the impression of witnessing the motive's genesis, almost as if the origin story of the work's core motive is being told retrospectively.

The descending figure continues to resound endlessly, with scale passages appearing and disappearing behind it. When the descending figure reappears as a natural horn figure (m. 227 onwards), it is also imitated like an echo, and the movement concludes with accompanying scale passages.

While it is not uncommon for motives to be persistently repeated at the conclusion of Beethoven's works, the repetition of figures here, combined with the "Farewell" title, achieves a unique expression.

Second Movement: C minor, 2/4 time

This Andante movement is marked "Die Abwesenheit" (The Absence). The leaping figure woven into the dotted-rhythm theme is none other than the leaping figure used in the first movement. While the first movement blurred the sense of tonality by lowering the sixth scale degree and composing primarily around the subdominant, this movement's "absent" tonic chord theme and the use of chromatic alterations contribute to the tonal ambiguity.

The theme finally settles on the tonic chord in measure 8, but immediately proceeds to F minor via the submediant (VI) chord.

Following monophonic scale and arpeggio passages, a theme in G major (the parallel major of the dominant) appears (m. 15 onwards), accompanied by chordal tremolo figures. The soprano voice of the fragmented chords appearing over the staccato arpeggio accompaniment traces a descending third, revealing the first movement's motive here as well (mm. 19-20).

The opening theme is recapitulated a major second lower (m. 21 onwards), followed by the second theme, which also appears a major second lower in F major (m. 31 onwards).

Finally, the opening theme appears once more, but the bass chromatically shifts (B natural → B-flat) from a harmonization suggestive of the dominant of C minor (D-B-F-A-flat) to the dominant of E-flat major (B-flat-D-F-A-flat), leading seamlessly into the third movement.

Third Movement: E-flat Major, 6/8 time, Sonata Form

Introduction + Exposition

The finale, which begins resolutely with an E-flat major dominant seventh chord, is in sonata form. A prolonged introduction of arpeggiated dominant seventh chords continues for 10 measures, finally reaching the tonic chord in the main section. The principal theme (m. 11 onwards) consists of chords marking the beat and eighth-note arpeggios. After being stated twice with ornamentation, it culminates in repeated chords and arpeggios at ff.

The subordinate theme is presented in B-flat major, the dominant of the tonic key, and immediately confirmed. After rushing through the codetta with a descending second motive and an ascending scale passage, the main section is repeated by a repeat sign.

Development + Recapitulation

First, fragments of the principal theme appear in E-flat minor, passing through the relative major, G-flat major, and then, utilizing enharmonic reinterpretation, the subordinate theme appears in B major. Furthermore, via the submediant (VI) chord of the parallel minor, the subordinate theme's motive appears in G major, which then transforms into the principal theme's motive. From C major, through the submediant (VI) chord of C minor, the music returns to E-flat major, and the principal theme appears in octaves, marking the recapitulation.

The principal theme appears with a different accompaniment figure than in the exposition, and is again confirmed only once with a different accompaniment, leading to ff repeated chords. The subordinate theme also appears in the tonic key of E-flat major. While the external form maintains that of a classical sonata, a coda, which can be considered a re-presentation of the principal theme, is placed after this.

Coda

The coda, slowing to Poco Andante, sees the principal theme recapitulated in the same form as at the beginning of the main section, which can be seen as a re-presentation of the principal theme that was significantly transformed in the recapitulation.

The arpeggiated motive of the principal theme is persistently repeated, holding on the dominant with a fermata at pp. Then, the tempo suddenly returns to the opening (Tempo I and f indications), and the piece concludes resolutely with repeated tonic chords and octave tremolos.