U UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI Date: April 15, 2009 I, Wei-Ya Lai , hereby submit this original work as part of the requirements for the degree of: Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance It is entitled: Beethoven's Late Style in His Last Five Piano Sonatas Wei-Ya Lai Student Signature: This work and its defense approved by: Committee Chair: Dr. David C. Berry Prof. James Tocco Dr. Jeongwon Joe Approval of the electronic document: I have reviewed the Thesis/Dissertation in its final electronic format and certify that it is an accurate copy of the document reviewed and approved by the committee. Committee Chair signature: Dr. David C. Berry Beethoven’s Late Style in His Last Five Piano Sonatas A doctoral document submitted to the Division of Graduate Studies and Research of the University of Cincinnati In partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS In the Division of Keyboard Studies of the College-Conservatory of Music March, 2009 by Wei-Ya Lai B.M. Oberlin College 2003 M.M. Manhattan School of Music 2005 Committee Chair: David Carson Berry, Ph.D. Abstract This document intends to explore Ludwig van Beethoven‘s last five piano sonatas (Opp. 101, 106, 109, 110, and 111) focusing on their innovative and experimental elements, and perceived difficulty. Through detailed historical study and theoretical analysis, this paper will discuss the common traits that reach across all five sonatas as well as their correlations with similar characteristics in the composer‘s other late works. Although each chapter will deal with a singular subject, such as key relationships, sonata form, variation, and fugato technique, other compositional aspects often taken for granted—e.g., lyricism, trills, modal harmony, improvisations, the use of the extreme range of the keyboard, and German markings—will also be considered. The document will conclude with a discussion of how Beethoven‘s thirty-two piano sonatas, particularly the last five, influenced the development of nineteenth-century keyboard composition. iii Copyright © 2009 by Wei-Ya Lai All rights reserved ‘ iv Acknowledgements I would like to express my gratitude for help and kind support rendered by the following members during the completion of my document: Dr. David Berry, Professor James Tocco and Dr. Jeongwon Joe. I would like to thank Dr. David Berry for his invaluable guidance and suggestions for the document. His consistent generosity and contribution of theoretical and historical knowledge made this project possible. I also want to express my gratitude to my major teacher and mentor Professor James Tocco for his excellent teaching and musicianship, constant support, and encouragement throughout my master and doctoral studies. Much appreciation goes to Dr. Jeongwon Joe for her comments and encouragement in this document and during the years of the doctoral program. I am grateful to all my teachers for guiding my studies and giving knowledge to enhance my inner inspirations. Finally, I want to thank my parents, Yung-Tian Lai and Hsiu-Jung Lin, for their unconditional love and faith in me. v Table of Contents Page Abstract iii Acknowledgements v Table of Contents vi List of Score Excerpts vii Chapters: I: Introduction 1 II: Fugue 14 III: Sonata 37 IV: Key Relationships 50 V: Variation 63 VI: Aspects of Character 79 VII: Musical Influence 107 VIII: Final Thoughts 129 Bibliography 132 vi List of Score Excerpts Number Page 2.1 Beethoven: Op. 101, Finale, mm. 91–98 30 2.2 Beethoven: Op. 101, Finale, mm. 1–4 30 2.3 Beethoven: Op. 101, Finale, mm. 129–134 30 2.4 Beethoven: Op. 101, Finale, mm. 176–182 31 2.5 Beethoven: Op. 106, Mvt. I, mm. 137–142 31 2.6 Beethoven‘s Sketch Book Vol. II for a finale in a sonata 31 2.7 Beethoven: Op. 111, Mvt. I, mm. 19–21 32 2.8 Beethoven: Op. 111, Mvt. I, mm. 29–32 32 2.9 Beethoven: Op. 111, Mvt. I, mm. 35–37 32 2.10 Beethoven: Op. 111, Mvt. I, mm. 39–40 33 2.11 Beethoven: Op. 111, Mvt. I, mm. 43–44 33 2.12 Beethoven: Op. 111, Mvt. I, mm. 76–81 33 2.13 Beethoven‘s sketch-books between 1819 and 1822, vol. 1, 78 34 2.14 Beethoven: Op. 109, Mvt. III, Var. 5, mm. 1–4 34 2.15 Beethoven‘s sketches for the fugal subject (Op. 106, Finale) 34 2.16 Beethoven: Op. 106, Finale, fugal subject, mm. 6–11 35 2.17 Beethoven: Op. 106, Finale, mm. 294–300 35 2.18 Beethoven: Op. 106, Finale, mm. 143–148 35 2.19 Beethoven: Op. 110, Finale, mm. 152–160 36 2.20 Beethoven: Op. 110, Finale, mm. 170–174 36 3.1 Beethoven: Op. 109, Mvt. I, mm. 1–13 47 vii 3.2 Beethoven: Op. 130, Mvt. I, mm. 1–16 48 3.3 Beethoven: Op. 111, Mvt. I, mm. 17–24 48 3.4 Beethoven: Op. 111, Mvt. II, mm. 1–8 49 4.1 Beethoven: Op. 106, Mvt. I, mm. 35–38 60 4.2 Beethoven: Op. 106, Mvt. I, mm. 124–130 60 4.3 Beethoven: Op. 106, Mvt. I, mm. 197–201 60 4.4 Haydn: Hob. XVI: 52, Mvt. I, mm. 67–71 61 4.5 Beethoven: Op. 110, Mvt. II, mm. 39–48 61 4.6 Beethoven: Op. 57, Mvt. I, mm. 257–261 62 4.7 Beethoven: Op. 111, Mvt. I, mm. 150–158 62 5.1 Beethoven: Op. 14/2, Mvt. II, mm. 13–20 74 5.2 Beethoven: Op. 26, Mvt. I, mm. 20–26 74 5.3 Beethoven: Op. 57, Mvt. II, mm. 1–16 74 5.4 Beethoven: Op. 109, Mvt. III, mm. 1–16 75 5.5 Beethoven: Op. 111, Mvt. II, mm. 1–8 75 5.6 Beethoven: Op. 109, Mvt. III, Var. 1, mm. 1–6 76 5.7 Beethoven: Op. 109, Mvt. III, Var. 2, mm. 25–28 76 5.8 Beethoven: Op. 109, Mvt. III, Var. 3, mm. 1–4 76 5.9 Beethoven: Op. 109, Mvt. III, Var. 3, mm. 9–12 76 5.10 Beethoven: Op. 109, Mvt. III, Var. 4, mm. 1–2 76 5.11 Beethoven: Op. 109, Mvt. III, Var. 5, mm. 1–4 77 5.12 Beethoven: Op. 111, Mvt. II, Rhythmic Contraction 77 5.13 Beethoven: Op. 111, Mvt. II, Var. 6, mm. 14–16 77 viii 5.14 Beethoven: Op. 111, Mvt. II, Var. 4, mm. 26–31 77 5.15 Beethoven: Op. 120, Var. 32 mm. 162–167 and Var. 33 mm. 1–2 78 6.1 Mozart: K. 397, mm. 1–5 101 6.2 Beethoven: Op. 2 No. 3, Mvt. I, mm. 221–227 101 6.3 Beethoven: Op. 2 No. 3, Mvt. I, mm. 231 101 6.4 Beethoven: Op. 73, Mvt. I, mm. 141–147 102 6.5 Beethoven: Op. 101, Mvt. III, mm. 33–41 102 6.6 Beethoven: Op. 102, No. 1, Mvt. II, mm. 7–12 103 6.7 Beethoven: Op. 106, Mvt. IV, mm. 11–14 103 6.8 Beethoven: Op. 111, Mvt. I, mm. 16–18 104 6.9 Beethoven: Op. 132, Mvt III, mm. 31–34 104 6.10 Beethoven: Op. 106, Mvt. IV, mm 118–125 104 6.11 Beethoven: Op. 133, mm. 404–412 105 6.12 Beethoven: Op. 109, Mvt. I, mm. 45–50 105 6.13 Beethoven: Op. 109, Mvt. III, Final Variation, mm. 32–34 105 6.14 Beethoven: Op. 111, Mvt. II, mm. 118–119 106 7.1 Beethoven: Op. 101, Mvt. I, mm. 1–4 124 7.2 Mendelssohn: Op. 6, Mvt. I, mm. 1–3 124 7.3 Beethoven: Op. 101, Mvt. III, mm. 1–2 124 7.4 Mendelssohn: Op. 6, Mvt. III, mm. 1 124 7.5 Beethoven: Op. 106, Mvt. I, mm. 1–2 125 7.6 Mendelssohn: Op. 106, Mvt. I, mm. 1–2 125 7.7 Brahms: Op. 1, Mvt. I, mm. 1–4 125 ix 7.8 Brahms: Op. 68, Mvt. IV, mm. 61–73 125 7.9 Beethoven: Op. 125, Mvt. IV, mm. 92–103 125 7.10 Schumann: Op. 14, Mvt. III, mm. 1–4 126 7.11 Schumann: Op. 14, Mvt. I, mm. 1–2 126 7.12 Schumann: Op. 14, Mvt. II, mm. 1–2 126 7.13 Schumann: Op. 14, Mvt. IV, mm. 1–2 126 7.14 Brahms: Op. 2, Mvt. II, mm. 1–2 127 7.15 Brahms: Op. 2, Mvt. III, mm. 1–2 127 7.16 Brahms: Op. 2, Mvt. I, mm. 1–2 127 7.17 Brahms: Op. 2, Mvt. IV, mm. 1–2 127 7.18 Brahms: Op. 5, Mvt. II, mm. 1–2 128 7.19 Brahms: Op. 5, Mvt. IV, mm. 1–2 128 7.20 Brahms: Op. 5, Mvt. I, mm. 89–91 128 7.21 Brahms: Op. 5, Mvt. II, mm. 144–146 128 x Chapter 1: Introduction The Three Periods In the field of musicology, Johann Aloys Schlosser is often nothing more than a curious footnote. He is said to have been born in Bohemia in 1790, to have worked at a Vienna publishing firm in the 1820s, and to have been an admirer of Ludwig van Beethoven, a composer who by that time was larger than life not only in the Austrian capital, but throughout Europe. On 26 March 1827, Beethoven passed away, and funerals were held for him in several cities. A few months later, to capitalize on the public‘s thirst for knowledge, the little-known Schlosser published the first biography of Beethoven, cobbled together from a series of interviews and newspaper clippings.