Beethoven's Logic 6

[John Ruggero]

There are several interesting notational features in the first edition of the first movement of Beethoven’s Piano Sonata op. 14 no 2:

op 14 no 2.1 ex 1.jpeg (123.17 KiB) Viewed 2406 times

1. At the arrow, the engraver used a small size stem and flag and a low tie to avoid running the tie through the stem. To my knowledge, no later edition has followed this very sensible solution. Here is Schenker’s edition:

op 14 no 2.1 ex 2 .jpeg (42.12 KiB) Viewed 2406 times

I have followed the original edition:

op 14 no 2.1 ex 3 .jpeg (10.99 KiB) Viewed 2406 times

Why Beethoven uses the seemingly redundant flag might have to do with the fact that the left hand imitates the descending triad right hand motive in a retrograde diminution:

op 14 no 2.1 ex 4 .jpeg (17.09 KiB) Viewed 2406 times

Perhaps Beethoven wanted three voices clearly seen in the left hand because he thought also of the right hand motive as three voices chiming in one after the other. In any case, he uses this notation throughout the movement despite its problematic nature for the engraver.

2. The movement starts off with centered beaming (see example 1) but this breaks off immediately.

When the idea returns at the beginning of the development, normal beaming at e suddenly gives way to centered beaming at f:

op 14 no 2 ex 5 .jpeg (68.71 KiB) Viewed 2406 times

The idea returns at g in the middle of the development without centered beaming:

op 14 no 2 ex 6.jpeg (73.05 KiB) Viewed 2406 times

At the recapitulation centered beaming is used consistently throughout the opening idea:

op 14 no 2.1 ex 7.jpeg (181.32 KiB) Viewed 2406 times

I think that progressive correction is at work here. Beethoven instinctively starts off with centered beaming, because it fits the structure of the theme in an ideal way (see below.) But then he immediately reconsiders his decision. Content with the revision, he starts off with normal beaming at e, but his instincts suddenly rebel, and he reverts to his original conception, which he then continues from this point onward with the exception of g, where it was impossible because of the register. He expected the engravers to incorporate the correction consistently, but as usual, they don’t.

The following analysis (which is based on an example in Schenker’s Der Freie Satz) shows the main melody as large up-stemmed notes. The remaining notes are “inner voices” that have been parked above the main voice, a remarkable feature. These secondary voices are shown as small down-stemmed notes. Comparing this analysis with the “final beaming” of the theme in the previous example shows why the centered beaming is so effective:

op 14 no 2.1 ex 8.jpeg (43.51 KiB) Viewed 2406 times

3. Beethoven’s use of slurs to show the overholding of notes receives confirmation in the following example. Clearly c should be played like d and what follows d. He would have liked to use the simpler notation at d etc., but this was impossible because of the tied half notes.

op 14 no 2 ex 9.jpeg (67.8 KiB) Viewed 2406 times

When this section recurs in the recapitulation it lies too low to stay on the upper staff,

op 14 no 2 ex 10.jpeg (194.29 KiB) Viewed 2406 times

continued in next post

[John Ruggero]

yet Beethoven does not yield to a solution to be found in most later editions:
Ex 11

op 14 no 1.1 ex 11.jpeg (149.55 KiB) Viewed 2405 times

The modernization is tempting, but after trying the original format, I became convinced that it is far more visually expressive of the register changes and retained it.