Three Piano Sonatas, WoO 47 (Beethoven)

Beethoven at age 13
Beethoven at age 13

The Three Early Piano Sonatas, WoO 47, "Kurfürstensonaten" were composed by Ludwig van Beethoven in 1782 and 1783, when he was twelve and thirteen years old. The sonatas show a certain level of precocity and serve as a precursor to the masterworks he later produced. They are dedicated to the Elector (Kurfürst) Maximilian Frederick.[1]

Overview

Like Mozart's, Beethoven's musical talent was recognized at a young age,[2] and these three sonatas give an early glimpse of the composer's abilities, as well as his boldness. Beethoven was writing in a form usually attempted by older, more mature composers, as the sonata was a cornerstone of Classical piano literature.

The sonatas

No. 1 in E♭ major

  1. Allegro cantabile
  2. Andante
  3. Rondo vivace

No. 2 in F minor

  1. Larghetto maestoso – Allegro assai
  2. Andante
  3. Presto

No. 3 in D major

  1. Allegro
  2. Menuetto – Sostenuto
  3. Scherzando: Allegretto, ma non troppo

See also

References

  1. ↑ Thayer 1921, pp. 71–74.
  2. ↑ Thayer 1921, p. 59.

Sources

  • Song, Moo Kyoung (2002). The Evolution of Sonata-Form Design in Ludwig van Beethoven's Early Piano Sonatas, WoO 47 to Opus 22 (PDF) (Ph. D). Austin: University of Texas.
  • Thayer, A. W. (1921). Krehbiel, Henry Edward, ed. The Life of Ludwig Van Beethoven, Vol 1. The Beethoven Association. OCLC 422583.
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