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The last sonata of Opus 31, and the last of his early sonatas, is the Piano Sonata in E-flat, Op. 31/3, the Hunt Sonata. Following this, Beethoven was to step away from the piano sonata and return to it only when he had nailed down his middle period Heroic Decade style. The key of E-flat tends to be exuberant with Beethoven, and the first movement is a surprise because of its quiet and contemplative nature. It’s in 3/4 and marked simply allegro.
At 1:20, he moves into a second subject in B-flat that has the feel of Mozart. His repeat of the exposition creates a wonderful change of mood from the exuberant back to the contemplative. His development spends much of its time in C Major, but it’s short and moves back to the first subject. The second subject now appears in E-flat. His coda is built from the first subject.

The second movement is marked as a scherzo in A-flat, but it’s in duple time (2/4) and allegretto vivace. The problem is that it’s really in sonata format, not scherzo format. What did Lou have in mind? That’s a matter for debate. His second subject is in the expected key of E-flat. He repeats the exposition. His development is based solely on the first subject. He recaps, placing his second subject in A-flat. The coda is quiet and a bit sneaky.

This sonata has no slow movement, and in third place he puts a minuet in the traditional format. It’s in E-flat, 3/4 and is marked moderato e grazioso, “moderate and gracious”. The second theme has a questioning air signaled by the C-flat in the right hand. The “trio” section is built from block chords. His coda is built from the second theme.

Now it’s time for exuberance. The finale is in 6/8 and is marked presto con fuoco, “very, very fast with fire”. It’s in sonata format and is how the sonata got its name. It’s a fox hunt set to music. The second subject is in B-flat as you would expect. The development goes through whole set of keys, and one can hear where Schubert in his last years got his inspiration for the finale his own C minor Sonata. The recap has the surprise of locating its second subject in G-flat Major, which is not what you would expect to hear at this point. His coda is built from the first subject and brings the piece to a decisive close.

Thus end the piano sonatas of Beethoven’s early period.

Beethoven: Piano Sonata in E-flat, Op. 31/3