The Piano Sonata No. 21 in C major, Opus 53, by Ludwig van Beethoven is commonly known as the Waldstein or the Waldstein sonata. It is considered to be one of Beethoven's greatest piano sonatas, as well as one of the three particularly notable sonatas of his middle period (the other two being the Appassionata sonata, Opus 57, and Les Adieux, Opus 81a). The sonata was completed in the summer of 1804. The work has a scope that surpasses Beethoven's previous piano sonatas, and notably is one of his most technically challenging compositions. It is a key work early in his 'Heroic' decade (1803-1812) and set the stage for piano compositions in the grand manner both in Beethoven's later work and all future composers. A one octave music scale in C major. ... Opus is a Latin word which means work (in the sense of a work of art). Some composers musical pieces are identified by opus numbers which generally run either in order of composition or in order of publication. ... 1820 portrait by Joseph Karl Stieler Beethoven redirects here. ... A grand piano, with the lid up. ... Sonata (From Latin and Italian sonare, to sound), in music, literally means a piece played as opposed to cantata (Latin cantare, to sing), a piece sung. ... 1820 portrait by Joseph Karl Stieler Beethoven redirects here. ... Ludwig van Beethovens Piano Sonata No. ... Ludwig van Beethovens Piano Sonata No. ... 1804 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

The Waldstein receives its name from its dedication to Count Ferdinand von Waldstein. Like the Archduke Trio (one of many pieces dedicated to Archduke Rudolf), this one bears Waldstein's name though there are other works dedicated to him. The Archduke Trio is a piece of music by Ludwig van Beethoven, his Opus 97. ... Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria (21 August 1858 _ 30 January 1889) was the son and heir of Emperor Franz Josef of Austria and Elisabeth of Austria. ...

Movements

The Waldstein has three movements: In music, a movement is a large division of a larger composition or musical form. ...

1. Allegro con brio
2. Introduzione. Adagio molto - attacca
3. Rondo. Allegretto moderato

The substantial movements of the work are the first and third, each taking about 11 minutes to perform. In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for time) is the speed or pace of a given piece. ... 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. ...

First Movement: Allegro con brio

The sonata opens with repeated chords, played pianissimo. This initial straightforward, but anxious rhythm is devoid of melody for two bars. It then swiftly ascends upward and follows with a three-note descent in the middle register and a four-note descent in the upper. More of this teasing rhythm rumbles forward, until 45 seconds later where the notes seem to almost stumble over themselves. In music, dynamics refers to the volume or loudness of the sound or note, in particular to the range from soft (quiet) to loud. ...

The second subject group, marked dolce, is a sweet chordal theme in E major. Though not unprecedented (the first movement of the Op. 31 No. 1 sonata also has a second group in the mediant), this was the first major work in which Beethoven had chosen to modulate elsewhere than the customary fifth up for the second group, an idea to which he would return later (in the Hammerklavier Sonata, for example). Dolce ( sweet in Italian) may refer to: Dolce, a musical term indicates that the performer should sing or play sweetly. ... E major is a major scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F#, G#, A, B, C#, D# and E. Its key signature consists of four sharps. ... Ludwig van Beethovens Piano Sonata No. ... For mediant in mathematics, see Mediant (mathematics) In music, the mediant is the third degree of the diatonic scale. ... Ludwig van Beethovens Piano Sonata No. ...

For the recapitulation, Beethoven transposes the second subject into A major, which quickly changes into A minor and then back to C major again. The movement ends in a heady coda. A major is a major scale based on A, consisting of the pitches A, B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G♯, and A. Its key signature consists of three sharps. ... A minor (abbreviated Am) is a minor scale based on A, consisting of the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, G and A (natural minor scale - the harmonic minor scale contains a G♯ instead of a G natural). ...

Second Movement: Introduzione. Adagio molto - attacca

The second movement is a short Adagio set in jutting 6/8 time as an introduction to the third movement. At once halting, angular, and tranquil, the music gradually gets more agitated before calming down to segue into the Rondo. This movement replaced an earlier, longer middle movement, which was later published separately as the Andante Favori, WoO 57. 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 Andante Favori is a work for piano solo by Ludwig van Beethoven. ... The word Woo may have a number of meanings: Courtship. ...

Third Movement: Rondo. Allegretto moderato

The Rondo begins with a sweet and consoling tune played pianissimo, which soon comes back fortissimo, over daringly fast scales in the left hand and a continuous trill on the dominant in the right. Beethoven then introduces the second theme - a series of broken chords in triplets - but soon interrupts it with a turbulent section in A minor that foreshadows the central episode. In music, dynamics refers to the volume or loudness of the sound or note, in particular to the range from soft (quiet) to loud. ... In music, a scale is a set of musical notes that provides material for part or all of a musical work. ... In music, the dominant is the fifth degree of the scale. ... A minor (abbreviated Am) is a minor scale based on A, consisting of the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, G and A (natural minor scale - the harmonic minor scale contains a G♯ instead of a G natural). ...

Soon the music returns to C major, and the sweet theme is repeated before being followed by a beautiful series of staccato octaves that mark the start of the central episode, one of the few cases of where such melodic change is seen, a theme repeated in larger works like the Emperor Piano Concerto. Soon the octaves are accompanied by swirling triplets in first the left and then right hands; the music grows more tense and runs into a series of angular chords, which transitions into a more quiet section, which returns after much drama to the C major theme, now played in a triumphant fortissimo. Ludwig van Beethovens Piano Concerto No. ... In music, dynamics refers to the volume or loudness of the sound or note, in particular to the range from soft (quiet) to loud. ...

The second theme reappears, followed by another long line of beautiful dance-like music which is perfectly characteristic of Beethoven. Another series of fortissimo chords is struck, ushering in a short, delicate pianissimo section, and the movement seems to die away, but then unexpectantly segues into the Prestissimo coda, a wondrous section that plays with the various themes of the movement and more before ending in a triumphant rush of sound. In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for time) is the speed or pace of a given piece. ... Coda sign Coda (Italian for tail; from the Latin cauda), in music, is a passage which brings a movement or a separate piece to a conclusion through prolongation. ...

Piano Sonatas by Ludwig van Beethoven

Op. 2, No. 1 | Op. 2, No. 2 | Op. 2, No. 3 | Op. 7 | Op. 10, No. 1 | Op. 10 No. 2 | Op. 10 No. 3 | Op. 13 (Pathétique) | Op. 14, No. 1 | Op. 14, No. 2 | Op. 22 | Op. 26 (Funeral March) | Op. 27, No. 1 (Quasi una fantasia) | Op. 27, No. 2 (Quasi una fantasia — Moonlight) | Op. 28 (Pastoral) | Op. 31, No. 1 | Op. 31, No. 2 (Tempest) | Op. 31, No. 3 (The Hunt) | Op. 49, Nos. 1 and 2 | Op. 53 (Waldstein) | Op. 54 | Op. 57 (Appassionata) | Op. 78 (A Thérèse) | Op. 79 (Cuckoo) | Op. 81a (Les adieux) | Op. 90 | Op. 101 | Op. 106 (Hammerklavier) | Op. 109 | Op. 110 | Op. 111

1820 portrait by Joseph Karl Stieler Beethoven redirects here. ... Download high resolution version (662x826, 99 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Beethovens Piano Sonata in F minor, op. ... Beethovens piano sonata in A major, Op. ... Beethovens Piano Sonata No. ... Piano Sonata No. ... Ludwig van Beethovens opus 10 no. ... Ludwig van Beethovens Piano Sonata no. ... The Piano Sonata no. ... Ludwig van Beethovens Piano Sonata No. ... The Piano Sonata No. ... Beethovens piano sonata in G major, Op. ... Beethovens piano sonata in B-flat major, op. ... Ludwig van Beethoven composed his Piano Sonata No. ... Ludwig van Beethovens piano sonata in E-flat major, Op. ... The Piano Sonata No. ... Ludwig van Beethovens fifteenth sonata of Op. ... Ludwig van Beethovens Piano Sonata No. ... Piano Sonata No. ... The Piano Sonata No. ... Are sonatas writen by Beethoven (c. ... Ludwig van Beethovens Piano Sonata No. ... Ludwig van Beethovens Piano Sonata No. ... The Piano Sonata No. ... The Piano Sonata No. ... Ludwig van Beethovens Piano Sonata No. ... Ludwig van Beethovens opus 90 is the Piano Sonata No. ... Ludwig van Beethovens Piano Sonata No. ... Ludwig van Beethovens Piano Sonata No. ... Opus 109 is the first of the last Beethoven Sonatas (Opus 109-111). ... The Piano Sonata in A flat major, Op. ... The Piano Sonata No. ...

External links

• A performance of the work by pianist Michael Hawley
• Analysis of Beethoven's Waldstein Sonata on All About Ludwig van Beethoven