The first movement in regular "Sonata Form" is in six-eight time, in happy mood. The joyous rhythm is occasionally emphasised by sforzando syncopations. The subjects are all very taking, and there are some striking modulations in the development.
The Largo is full of religious calm. There is a striking interrupted cadence at bar 19, and one of those majestic march-like movements for the second subject, which on its return at the end, appears as a tenor melody. The movement is full of rich colouring. The tones of the flutes and other wood-wind instruments, may be imitated in parts also the song of birds.
The first part of the Allegro, which takes the place of the Minuet movement, is much more extended than usual. In place of the Trio, we have a movement in the tonic minor of low broken chords, full of that brooding sadness to which Schumann and Brahms in later days became so prone. This is linked up, however, to the return of the first joyous theme to which it forms an effective foil. The final Rondo in E flat is real Mozart, and Mozart at his best. Play the first subject through, sixteen bars in length. Still the bridge passage which follows is real Beethoven. He seems fairly obsessed with his little figure, unable to let it alone, repeating it no less than thirteen times in succession. There is a virile second subject. The middle episode is stormy and difficult to play unless one divines intuitively the right action. There is a remarkable enharmonic change on the last page but one, where the tonality is moved up a semitone from B flat to B natural (a device of which the composer is fond), returning seven bars later on by the chameleon-like "diminished seventh" chord. Reference is made in the Coda to the rhythm of the stormy middle episode which is here turned to good use in the brilliant peroration.
5th Sonata, Opus 10, No. 1, in C minor.
Allegro molto e con brio—Adagio molto—Prestissimo.
This Sonata is dedicated to the Countess von Brovne, and appeared for the first time on September 26, 1798. It is in three movements—the slow movement in A flat major. There is no Minuet or Scherzo, the Finale instead being instilled with the spirit of the Scherzo.
The first movement is the usual development form, the first subject being composed in Beethoven's usual manner of two figures here, (a) upward flight, (b) soft chords. It ends with a decided perfect cadence, the bridge subject entering after a bar's silence. It is noteworthy that the second subject on its return appears in F major, before settling down finally into C minor. This first movement, although in the minor, breathes a happy contented spirit, which deepens into seriousness in the Adagio. This opens with a beautiful 16 bar phrase. We then pass straight into the second subject, a florid one in a lighter vein of thought, closing in E major. A sprinkled dominant seventh takes the place of the development section, and the whole is then repeated. For the Coda, the first subject has passed into that serene happy atmosphere which only Beethoven's spirit seems to have penetrated. The Finale is again cast into development form, and is typical of the way Beethoven expands his movements from the smallest idea. There is a beautiful hymn-like second subject. Characteristically enough, just before finishing this bubbling movement joyfully, the composer falls into a deep reverie, but only to brush it aside almost impatiently by returning to the original idea.
6th Sonata, Opus 10, No. 2, in F major.
Allegro—Allegretto—Presto.