Lou’s two month sojourn in Berlin was everything he had hoped for. The two cello sonatas were huge hits, and King Freddy Bill wanted to sponsor a whole new repertory for the cello. Beethoven left town with a box of French gold coins, the kind of gift fit for an ambassador. The King had gone so far as to offer Beethoven a lucrative full time gig in Berlin, but Lou didn’t think the audiences were as knowledgeable as Vienna.
The first movement starts with a slow introduction marked “adagio sostenuto e espressivo” (“at rest, flowing and expressive”) in G minor, a key Beethoven rarely used, and 4/4 time. It’s wonderfully moody.
At 6:15 the first subject appears in G minor, 3/4 time, and with a musical direction that Beethoven used only once in his output: “allegro molto piu tosto presto” (“very quickly, rapidly and with the pedal very close to the metal”).
At 7:07 the second subject appears in B-flat Major.
At 8:49 the exposition repeats.
At 11:23 development begins, and it’s concentrated on the first subject.
At 12:50 he recaps. The second subject appears in the correct key of G Major. A long, wild coda leads to an end in G Major.
The rondo finale in G Major is marked simply “allegro” and in 2/4 time. It’s a romp, full of good humor, contrapuntal horseplay, with the piano and cello chasing each other around a musical playground.
Beethoven: Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 5/2
Next weekend it’s two string trios.
Thanks, Publius, for this weekend’s Chamber Music of Ludwig Van Beethoven. ((HUGS))
Easy listening....