Sonata No. 1 (4th Movement: Prestissimo)
Sonata · in F minor · Op. 2, No. 1
Ludwig van Beethoven 1770–1827
F minor
Key
Sonata
Form
Prestissimo
Tempo
Op. 2, No. 1
Catalogue
Listen
Finding a recording…
Difficulty
Our estimate Advanced
—No community ratings yet0 votes
Sign in to add your rating.
Themes & character
Stormy finale·Triplet turbulence·Uncompromising ending·Composed 1795
At a glance
- Catalogue
- Op. 2, No. 1
- Key
- F minor
- Tempo / character
- Prestissimo
- Form
- Sonata
About the piece
The finale of Beethoven's first published sonata, marked prestissimo, as fast as possible. Churning triplet figuration drives almost without pause from beginning to end.
It refuses the cheerful resolution that convention expected of a closing movement, ending instead in the same F minor turbulence it began with. That willingness to let a work finish unconsoled is one of the clearest early signs of the composer Beethoven was becoming.
The composer
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.
Comments
Sign in to join the conversation.
Loading…