Beethoven Sonatas 29 and 30

Beethovenslastthreesonatasweresketchedandcomposedatthesametime,ashehad donewithothergroupsofsonatas,butunlikethoseothergroups,publishedseparately. Perhapshediditbecauseeachrepresentsauniqueformalstatement;perhapsthree operainsteadofonebroughtinmoremoney.Whatinterestsushere,sincetwoare beingperformedtogether,aretheaestheticsimilarities. Intheselastsonatas,Beethoven,likeMozartbeforehim,andSchubertafterwards, obsessivelydevelopedhistechniqueofcounterpoint.Inop.109sopening,themain themeisafourpartchoralharmonydisintegratedintoindividualcomponents;inthe secondmovementthebassandtrebleareinvertible;thethird,asetofvariations,withall thehomophonicsimplicityofthetheme,featurespointillistictwopartharmony,canons, andafughetta.Opus110holdsthefamouslastmovementfugueanditssubsequent inversionanddiminution. AnotherapparentobsessioniswiththemusicofBach.Thedescriptionofop.109s variationscouldjustaseasilyapplytoBachsGoldbergVariations,andtherearemore similarities:bothsetsendwitharepetitionofthetheme;bothalternatestrictandfree canonicimitation;thelastvariationinop.109isalongcontinuousdoubletrillwithhints ofthemelodysparklingabove,justasinGoldbergVariation#27.Thereareother instanceswhichwillcomeuplater. Bothop.109and110beginwithoutwardlyserene,aurallybeautifulmusic,followedby violent(andforop.110,humorous)middlemovements,andthenvariedlastmovements thataretwiceaslongastheprevioustwocombined.Opus109beginswithaveryshort movement,wherethetwoprincipalthemesaresetapartbydrasticchangesoftempo, meterandharmony(diatonictochromatic).Thelastcalmchordisinterruptedalmost immediatelybyawild,furiousscherzotarantella,followedbythevariationsdiscussed above. AClassicalconventionisbrokenhere.Traditionwouldhavethesecondmovementbe boththeslowmovement,andifinaminorkey,therelativeminortoEmajor(c#minor). Insteadtheslowmovementisthelast,andthescherzoisineminor,thetonicminor (BeethovendidasimilarbutlessdramaticthinginhisSonataop.90).Thisunusual choicecreatestheeffectofshatteringthepreviousatmosphere;evenifthethemesand dynamicswerethesame,playingthisscherzoinc#minorwouldpresentanew atmosphere,onealmostlogicaltowhatprecededit,ratherthentheirrationalrejection thatthiskeychangerepresents.Theconnectionbetweenthe2 ndand3rdmovementsthus becomesasignificant,transformativesilenceratherthanjustaconventionalpause.E minornotonlyends,butdissipates,andthevariationthemecomesasanemergence fromtheclouds,oftendernessfromfury.

 Ifop.109sopeningeloquentyjuxtaposesdiatonicandchromaticharmony,op.110s doesthesamewithmajorandminor.Iwasamazedtogobackanddiscovertheonly minorharmoniesintheentiremovementareshadowsofthemurkydevelopment section,andasinglefminorchordattheendoftherecapitulation,which,evencoming inasequence,itisstillheardassignificant.Oneofthemostconventionalaspectsof Westernharmonyiselevatedtoatotallydifferentplane.Thedevelopmentsection soundsasthoughenteringanothermysterious,darkandominousworld;thereturnof themainthemeinthetonicisthelightattheendofthatparticulartunnel. Isitahintofdeath,butsubsequentsurvival?Ifso,theutterlyuniquefinaleisthefull experienceofdeathwithsubsequentresurrection.Thefloatinggraveintroductionis followedbyanoperaticrecitativo(notnewforBeethoven)thatreachesitshighpointon asuspendedA,repeatedtwentyseventimes,strangelynotatedlikethis: HerethedeafBeethovenintonessonoritiesofabygoneera:ontheclavichordsofthe18th century,avibratoeffect(inGerman,Bebung)waspossiblebyashakeofthefinger.On the19thcenturysmodernfortepianos,itwasimpossibletodobutpossibletoimagine. AfterthisaKlagenderGesang,songofsuffering,isheardinaflatminor.Themelodyis aquotationfromBachsSt.JohnPassion,anariacalled,Esistvollbrachtitis fulfilled,meaningtheCrucifixion.Whetherornotthemusicreferstodeathinthe religioussenseisunknown,buttheallusionhelpsustounderstandmaterialwhichwill comelater.Thesongofsufferingclosesdarklybutentersseamlesslyintoanorganlike fugueonathemeinfourthsthatrecallstheopeningmovement.Thefuguebuildstoa climaxwhichdissolvesintoatransposition,intogminor,oftheoriginalKlangender Gesang,thistimemarkedErmattetklagend,anexhaustedsorrow,andPerdendole forze,losinglife;themusiccorrespondinglyiswritteninhaltingfractures. Theendofthisariaisfunerealwithitsaddedsilences:butaPicardythirdandthe subsequentrepeatedGmajorchord(10timesrepeated)actaselectricityflowingonce againthroughtheveins,andwehavereachedthepoeticresurrection:indeed,the inversionofthefuguewhichfollowsismarkedNachundnachwiederauflebend, graduallyreturningtolife.Thegatheringenergyfromthefirstfuguefinallyreachesa climax,asthepieceendsinanecstatic,virtuosicperoration. NathanCarterette www.nathancarterette.com