Piano Sonata No. 5 in C minor

The Piano Sonata No. 5 in C minor, Op. 10, No. 1, by was composed by Ludwig van Beethoven. It is dedicated to Anna Margarete von Browne. The first movement of the sonata has a 3/4 meter, the second movement 2/4, and the final movement 2/2. Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 5 is a first period composition, anticipating more notable C minor works such as the Pathétique Sonata and the Fifth Symphony in its nervous energy.

Form

The sonata is divided into three movements:

1. Allegro molto e con brio in C minor
2. Adagio molto in A flat major
3. Prestissimo in C minor

First Movement

The first movement, in sonata form, opens energetically with contrasting loud and soft phrases. The theme is highly angular, comprising of rising dotted quaver arpeggios. A 24-bar modulating passage provides a quiet contrast before arriving at the second theme in E-flat, which is accompanied by an Alberti bass. In the recapitulation, the second theme is initially in F major before returning to C minor.

Second Movement

The second movement is a lyrical Adagio with many embellishments. It is in A-B-A-B or "sonatina" form (there is no development section, only a single bar of a rolled V7 chord leading back to the tonic key); an apparent third appearance of the main theme turns into a coda, which slowly fades to a final perfect cadence.

Third Movement

The third movement is a highly nervous piece in sonata form, making heavy use of a figure of five eighth notes. The short development section contains an unmistakable foreshadow of the theme from Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. The coda slows the tempo down, leading to a final outburst which fades to a quiet but agitated C major.

External links

• A lecture by András Schiff on Beethoven's piano sonata op. 10 no. 1
• Recording by Paavali Jumppanen, piano from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
• For a public domain recording of this sonata visit Musopen
• Piano Sonata No. 5: Free scores at the International Music Score Library Project.