Piano Sonata No. 18 (Beethoven)
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The Piano Sonata No. 18 in E-flat major was written by Ludwig van Beethoven in 1802 and published as the third and last of his Op. 31 piano sonatas. It consists of four movements:
- Allegro
- Scherzo. Allegretto vivace: This scherzo is different from regular scherzoes, as it is written in 2/4 time as opposed to 3/4, and because it is in sonata form. However, its still contains many characteristics of a scherzo, including unexpected pauses and a playful nature.
- Menuetto. Moderato e grazioso: It is surprisingly the most serious of the minuet movements, with a sweet and tender nature presented in the piece, with both the minuet and the trio presented in E flat major.
- Presto con fuoco: A very vigorous and rolling piece, suspended by continuous, rollicking eighth notes in the bass.
The form of the sonata is unusual because it does not have a slow movement, which is instead replaced with a scherzo and followed by a minuet, before launching into the spirited finale. A playful jocularity is maintained throughout the piece, earning it the occasional nickname of The Hunt.
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