Between 1795 and 1797, Beethoven composed two short and fairy easy piano sonatas. But they were not published until 1805, and are now numbered as Piano Sonatas Nos. 19 and 20, despite being composed prior to Piano Sonatas 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18.
Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas Nos. 19 and 20 both have just two movements and usually clock in between 7 to 9 minutes each. Charles Rosen says they’re “for the inexperienced pianist, and they must have circulated privately among Beethoven’s friends for the benefit of their children.”
Despite its short length and technical simplicity, Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 19 is particularly lovely, beginning with the haunting opening melody of the first movement Andante, which dominates the movement even when it wants to burst into more agitated moods.
Charles Rosen says of the first movement of Piano Sonata No. 19: “Young pianists who start their experience of Beethoven with this movement can learn a great deal about his handling of rhythmic continuity and his economy of motivic form.”
#Beethoven250 Day 83
Piano Sonata No. 19 in G Minor (Opus 49, No. 1), 1797
This sensitive performance by pianist Yuchang Wu (@ChrisYuchongWu) searches out and finds the inner beauty in this piano sonata.