Piano Sonata No. 23 (Beethoven)

Form#

The sonata consists of three movements:

I. Allegro assai#

A sonata-allegro form The total performance time of this movement is usually between and 11 minutes.

II. Andante con moto#

A set of variations in D major, on a theme remarkable for its melodic simplicity combined with the use of unusually thick voicing and a peculiar counter-melody in the bass. Its sixteen bars (repeated) consist of nothing but common chords, set in a series of four- and two-bar phrases that all end on the tonic. (see image) The four variations follow: The fourth variation ends with a deceptive cadence containing the dominant 7th chord instead of the tonic that resolves to a soft diminished seventh on B marked (pianissimo), followed by a much louder diminished seventh, marked (fortissimo), at an octave higher that serves as a transition (without pause) to the finale. The total performance time of this movement is about 6 to 8 minutes.

III. Allegro ma non troppo – Presto#

: The third movement is a sonata-allegro in near-perpetual motion. The total performance time of this movement is about 7 to 8 minutes with the repeats and about to 6 minutes without them.

External links#

• Public domain score and midi file of the 2nd movement on Mutopia
• “Program notes”, Artur Pizarro – The Beethoven Sonata Cycle, BBC Radio 3