There is nothing so laid-back about Beethoven’s E flat major Sonata. The use of repeated notes as a feature in three of the four movements gives the music a momentum of its own, as well as a unifying feel. The opening Allegro molto e con brio is one of Beethoven’s broadest sonata structures, yet also one of his most virtuosic. Its mood-changes are perfectly placed and its themes make memorable use of the 6/8 time particularly when he affects to ignore the bar line in the coda.
The slow movement provides a change of mood, in key (C major) as much as in texture, with, after the swift, action-filled Allegro, a dramatic use of silence.
The third movement is not designated as a minuet, but with its trio in the unusual key of E flat minor it performs very much the same function as the traditional dance-music interlude.
The finale is one of Beethoven’s most songful – an unusual characteristic for a rondo, admittedly, but the composer provides plenty of contrast, particularly in the stormy episodes, while ending the work in a shimmering pianissimo.
Here is Grigory Sokolov to play this music for your enjoyment:
