Ludwig van Beethoven's fifteenth sonata of Op.28 is named Pastoral or Pastorale, named by Beethoven's publisher at the time, A. Cranz. Nowhere as near as famous as its predecessor, the Piano Sonata No.14 or Moonlight Sonata, it though is admired for its simplicity and ease Beethoven portrays in this is work. It is roughly 25 minutes long to play the whole work. Jump to: navigation, search Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptized 17 December 1770; died 26 March 1827) was a German composer of classical music, who predominantly lived in Vienna, Austria. ... Ludwig van Beethovens opus 27 no. ...

Published in 1801, it is dedicated to the Count Joseph von Sonnenfels. This sonata was written at a time where Beethoven alarm at his worsening deafness increased. Yet nevertheless, Beethoven paints a serene image with this sonata.

It is speculative whether the title 'pastoral' means in the sense of countryside, nature and the 6th symphony pastoral sense, or in the sense of calm, simplicity and lightness. Beethoven's publishers had a tendency to name his sonatas without any consultation from Beethoven himself. Titians The Pastoral Concert Pastoral refers to the lifestyle of shepherds. ... Ludwig van Beethovens Symphony No. ...

Structure

The whole sonata is in D-Major, and follows the typical four-movement form of the classical sonata.

1. Allegro
2. Andante
3. Scherzo et Trio - Allegro vivace
4. Rondo - Allegro non troppo

The first movement, Allegro, begins in the tonic major with a repititious and monotone bass line. On top is the simple primary theme of the movement. It is a very simple, and quiet. Eventually, the work introduces a second, more tense melody in F sharp minor, which builds into a set of constant quaver passage, on which a rather simple, yet elegant melody is laid on top of. The second section of the work runs through various minor keys, in which a more dramatic and angst filled development is introduced. It recapitulates back into the sweet melodies of the easy-going themes of the beginning. Allegro is: a direction in musical notation indicating that the music is to be played fast and lively. ...

The Andante movement is more folorn and subdued. It is played in D Minor. The primary feature is the staccato semiquavers of the bass, giving the sense of a march. There is a slight diversion with a gentle, rather playful set of semiquaver triplets. It then returns to the sombre tune with graceful harmonisation and variations of the primary melody. There is a quiet, solitude to it, but never menacing or overemotional. This section was a personal favourite of Beethoven's.

The scherzo et trio is rather playful, and maybe humourous. The tune sounds joyous and rather cheerful, is not a little bit condescending. The trio simply repeats a simple melody eight times over! It gives the trio a light diversion, as the melody is played in many different ways. This movement is quick and sweet. A scherzo (plural scherzi) is a name given to a piece of music or a movement from a larger piece such as a symphony. ...

The final movement is a lilting rondo, and is probably the most accurate to the sense of the word 'pastoral'. It is sways and moves. Some critics attribute to the repeating bass line as a bagpipe, others to a dancing gigue. Beethoven employs various amusing, interesting and very adventurous episodes, all with different moods, rhtyhms and harmonic texture. The finale, played slightly more faster than the allegro, can be termed as the only 'virtuoso' passage in the whole sonata. The exciting, brilliant ending rounds up what is generally a calm sonata. Rondo, and its French equivalent rondeau, is a word that has been used in music in a number of ways, most often in reference to a musical form, but also in reference to a character-type that is distinct from the form. ... The gigue or giga is a lively baroque dance in a compound metre such as 6/4, 3/8 or 12/16. ... Jump to: navigation, search A virtuoso (from the Latin virtus meaning: skill, manliness, excellence) is an individual who possesses outstanding mechanical ability at operating a musical instrument. ...

It is the last time that Beethoven ever used the traditional sonata form. Beethoven personally felt disatisfied with the work, and pledged to take on a new path and direction. Sonata form refers to both the standard layout of an entire musical composition and more specifically to the standardized form of the first movement. ...

Sources and links

[1] - Good informative site with plenty of detail on this sonata, as well as other sonatas.