BEETHOVEN'S PIANO SONATA OP.31, NO.3 IN E-FLAT MAJOR

by Hui-tzu Lin

Ludwig van Beethoven composed Piano Sonata in E flat Major Op.31 No.3 in 1802 during his second period. " I am by no means satisfied with my works hitherto, and I intend to make a fresh start from today," said Beethoven, according to Carl Czerny's account, to his friend Wenzel Krumpholz. the violin-teacher. Czerny believes that the remark was made shortly before the appearance of Op.31; "in which," he says, "one can trace the partial fulfillment of his new resolution." It is to be believed that the scherzo and finale of the E flat major sonata mark the beginnings of the new phrase. This new development is psychologically easy to understand. From the moment that Beethoven consciously set the poetic idea in the foreground, he had come to regard virtuosity merely as the necessary medium of a new type of musical expression.

This sonata,Op.31, No.3, is Beethoven's most bright and cheerful piano sonata. Unusually, there is no dedication. Op.31 No.1 and 2 were first published in 1803 in an edition called Repertoire des clavecinistes. A subsequent edition corrected by Beethoven then appeared, as ,ODeux Sonatesp.31, Edition tres correcte. This was published by Simrock, but still giving only the first two sonatas. This sonata, No.3, first appeared on its own without an opus number, Edition Nageli, in 1804. In 1805, Cappi brought out all three sonatas in one volume. It is notable that this sonata, Op.31 No.3, with the exception of Op.106, is the last of the piano sonatas to contain four movements, and is the last one to include a formal minuet. Moreover, in all of the four movements not one of them goes at a slow pace. The absence of a slow movement helps to emphasize the light but deeply happy mood of the whole sonata.These four movements are Allegro, Scherzo, Minuet, and Presto.

Allegro
Scherzo
Minuet
Presto

In conclusion, this sonata, Op. 31 No.3, shows a great deal sense of humor. So much stress has been laid on the near-divine quality of Beethoven that we tend to feel something almost sacrilegious in treating him as a human being. Yet he was the greater man for being able to laugh as well as weep. This sonata certainly represents his good sense of happiness and humor.

Bibliography
Hopkins, Antony. Talking About music: Symphonies, Concertos, and Sonatas.London: Pan Books, 1977.
Matthews, Denis. Beethoven Piano Sonata. London: British Broadcasting Corporation,1967.
Schonberg, Harold C. The Great Pianists From Mozart to the Present. Schuster: New York, 1987.
Wilkinson, Charles W.. Well-Know Piano Solos: How to Play Them. Philadelphia:Theo. Presser Co., 1915.

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