Richibi’s Weblog

 

       “Beethoven“ (1987) 

 

            Andy Warhol

 

                ______

                

Beethoven’s piano sonatas are divided in

three sections, Early, Middle and Late,

indeed, the last of his Early sonatas is

his 15th, the “Pastorale”, see my

November / Month of the Sonata – 14

 

the early ones are all still highly influenced 

by his illustrious predecessors, Mozart and

and Haydn, and derive, however

idiosyncratically, from the Classical Era,

though there are notable differences, his 

addition of a fourth movement, for instance,

instead of the standard three, an upstart

strutting his stuff, asserting his potent 

individuality

 

with the Middle sonatas, Beethoven is well

on his way to defining the Romantic Period, 

nearly single-handedly, the works are bold, 

expansive, lush, powerful, a story is told, 

movements are chapters in a book, a book 

of metaphysical dimensions

 

with the Late sonatas, Beethoven will leave 

the planet, deliver musical revelations

 

compositional issues apply, which I won’t 

get into, for being abstruse, but you can 

already hear in his Middle sonatas the

powerful voice of a musical prophet

 

here’s his Piano Sonata no 21, in C major,

the “Waldstein”, dedicated to his friend

and patron, Count von Waldstein, hence

the name, it straddles the Classical and 

Romantic Periods, at home in the salons

of the nobles, but dazzling as well for the 

new audiences that are flocking to the 

flourishing concert halls

 

and we’re only at the start of his Middle

Period

 

stay tuned

 

 

R ! chard