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Piano Sonata No.18, Op.31 No.3

Sonata · in E♭ major · Op. 31 No. 3

Ludwig van Beethoven 1770–1827
E♭ major
Key
Sonata
Form
Allegro
Tempo
Op. 31 No. 3
Catalogue
Score
First page of Piano Sonata No.18, Op.31 No.3

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Themes & character
The Hunt·No slow movement·Four movements·Composed 1802

At a glance

Catalogue
Op. 31 No. 3
Key
E♭ major
Tempo / character
Allegro
Form
Sonata

Movements

I
AllegroE♭ major

Opens with a hesitant, questioning phrase rather than a firm statement.

II
Scherzo: Allegretto vivaceA♭ major

A witty, staccato scherzo in duple rather than the usual triple time.

III
Menuetto: Moderato e graziosoE♭ major

A graceful minuet, standing in for the absent slow movement.

IV
Presto con fuocoE♭ major

A galloping finale whose horn-call rhythm gave the sonata its nickname.

About the piece

Composed in 1802, this is the last of Beethoven's piano sonatas in four movements and the only one containing both a scherzo and a minuet while omitting a true slow movement altogether. The nickname The Hunt, attached by someone other than Beethoven, comes from the galloping rhythm of the finale, which recalls a hunting horn call. The whole sonata is unusually good humored, opening not with a confident theme but with a phrase that seems to be asking a question.

The composer

Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
1770–1827

Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer, conductor, and pianist. Regarded as one of the greatest composers in the history of Western music, he was mentored during the Classical period, and his musical style was a key driver of the transition to Romantic music, and the expansion of instrumental forms such as the symphony, the piano sonata and the string quartet. His compositions have attracted extraordinary casual and scholarly interest, and remain among the most performed in the world.

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