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Piano Sonata No. 19, Op. 49 No. 1, I. Andante

Ludwig van Beethoven · Level 5, estimated · With Maestro

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The short answer

A sonata sketched years before publication. Piano Sonata No. 19, Op. 49 No. 1, I. Andante is a sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven. PlayPiano puts it at Level 5, an estimate.

On this page
  • sonata
  • melancholic
  • voicing

Also known as Piano Sonata No. 19, Op. 49 No. 1: I. Andante; Sonata No. 19 (1st Movement: Andante).

History

The Op. 49 sonatas were sketched in 1795 and 1796. Beethoven-Haus considers the first sonata probably complete in 1798. The pair reached print in Vienna in 1805 through the Bureau des Arts et d'Industrie. This movement shares the sonata's early writing history and later publication.

Sources

What to listen for

  1. A quiet beginning

    A short pickup leads into four connected melody notes. Keep the opening soft and shape the small rise and fall as one gesture.

  2. Attack, then soften

    The longer chords are marked forte-piano. Hear the immediate contrast between their initial emphasis and softer continuation, rather than sustaining the whole chord loudly.

  3. Listen below the held melody

    When the melody holds a longer note, the lower part continues moving in eighth notes. Keep that motion gentle and let it support the melody without covering it.

  4. The line becomes more active

    The melody moves through rising and falling eighth-note gestures, then a dotted figure with a brief thirty-second-note decoration. Keep the underlying two-beat pulse steady.

How to practise it

Keep the singing upper contour distinct from the lower paired motion.

  1. Practise the upper pickup through the first held pair.
  2. Practise the lower entry and paired contour alone.
  3. Connect the stated opening gestures at a comfortable tempo, keeping their distinct releases.

How hard is it

Level 5, estimated

The intermediate target concerns a coherent first movement with singing continuity, controlled accompaniment and clear contrasts. Slow pace does not remove the need for balance.

About this piece

Interpretive sketch of Ludwig van Beethoven, an illustration and not a verified likeness
An illustration, not a portrait
Collection
Sonata journeys
Licence
Public Domain
Source
mutopiaproject.org

More by Ludwig van Beethoven

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  3. Appassionata Sonata, Op. 57, III. Allegro, PrestoLevel 10, estimatedWith Maestro

With Maestro

Play it, slow it down, hear where you land

Keep the singing upper contour distinct from the lower paired motion.

Practise it in PlayPiano