Piano Sonata No. 32 (Opus 111 Beethoven)
Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111, is the last of Ludwig van Beethoven's piano sonatas. It was dedicated to his friend, pupil, patron, and protector, Archduke Rudolf (who, by the way, received fourteen other dedications from Beethoven). [[1]]
This sonata was probably composed in 1821 and 1822, when Beethoven was 50 and 51.
The three piano sonatas, Opus nos. 109, 110, and 111, “form a set as coherent as any of his previous groups of three works, and … contain many subtle links ….” [2]
The sonata Opus 111 has only two movements:
1. Maestoso – Allegro con brio ed appassionato (C-minor, 4/4 time signature)
2. Adagio molto semplice e cantabile (C-major, 9⁄16 [initial] time signature)
“[T]he first movement is perhaps surprisingly conventional, echoing the mood of several other C minor works. … The second movement, by contrast, possesses an extraordinary visionary quality, transcending all previous piano music and even challenging the limits of the notational system in which it was written.” [3]
The metrical scheme of the second movement is highly innovative. Because a three-beat rhythm plays a significant role in the movement, Beethoven uses unusual time signatures of 9/16, 6/16, and 12/32 to mark various passages. In fact, according to Cooper, “no modern time signature is capable of indicating a bar consisting of three beats each of which divides into four sub-beats which in turn divide into three.” [4]
Among the many astonishing aspects of the second movement is the simplicity of its theme:
From these three notes, Beethoven builds a lovely and monumental structure of twenty minutes’ duration.