PlayPiano

sonata

Appassionata Sonata, Op. 57, III. Allegro, Presto

Ludwig van Beethoven · Level 10, estimated · With Maestro

Practise it in PlayPiano

The short answer

Appassionata was not Beethoven's title. Appassionata Sonata, Op. 57, III. Allegro, Presto is a sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven. PlayPiano puts it at Level 10, an estimate.

On this page
  • sonata
  • grand
  • stormy
  • block chords

Also known as Appassionata Sonata, Op. 57: III. Allegro: Presto; Sonata No. 23 “Appassionata” (3rd Movement: Allegro, ma non troppo - Presto).

History

Beethoven-Haus places the parent sonata between 1804 and the first half of 1806, with publication in 1807 and a dedication to Count Franz Brunsvik de Korompa. The name Appassionata was not supplied by Beethoven. The institutional account first reports it in an 1838 four-hand arrangement published by Cranz in Hamburg.

Sources

What to listen for

  1. A forceful repeated sound

    The movement begins with a forceful chord held through a dotted rhythm and repeated at the end of the bar. Keep the arrival controlled and the shorter attack rhythmically clear.

  2. The opening insists

    The same dotted gesture repeats. Hear its insistence as part of one opening statement rather than adding an extra accent to every chord tone.

  3. Shorter attacks increase the energy

    The rhythm becomes a sequence of dotted-eighth and sixteenth attacks. Preserve their unequal lengths and steady underlying pulse instead of rushing the short notes.

  4. A sudden quieter descent

    After a chord and a brief rest, a much quieter quick line descends. Make the dynamic contrast clear and connect the short notes into one flowing gesture.

How to practise it

Keep the repeated paired-note rhythm clear before the run begins.

  1. Practise the repeated pair rhythm on one comfortable shape.
  2. Practise the long-short pattern change separately before joining the later run.
  3. Connect the stated opening gestures at a comfortable tempo, keeping their distinct releases.

How hard is it

Level 10, estimated

A complete fast sonata finale demands sustained coordination and control over a large span; its7250 decoded notes document extent, not a difficulty formula.

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

  1. Minuet in E-flat major, WoO 82Level 4, estimatedWith Maestro
  2. Für Elise (Bagatelle in A minor), WoO 59Level 5, estimatedOpen to everyone

With Maestro

Play it, slow it down, hear where you land

Keep the repeated paired-note rhythm clear before the run begins.

Practise it in PlayPiano