DAILY DOSE OF BEETHOVEN (June 15, 2020)
At the beginning of his October 1802 Heiligenstadt testament, Beethoven stated:
"O you men who think or say that I am malevolent, stubborn, or misanthropic, how greatly do you wrong me. You do not know the secret cause which makes me seem that way to you. From childhood on, my heart and soul have been full of the tender feeling of goodwill, and I was even inclined to accomplish great things. But, think that for six years now I have been hopelessly afflicted, made worse by senseless physicians, from year to year deceived with hopes of improvement, finally compelled to face the prospect of a lasting malady (whose cure will take years or, perhaps, be impossible). Though born with a fiery, active temperament, even susceptible to the diversions of society, I was soon compelled to isolate myself, to live life alone…"
The composer, then 31 years old, had been advised to go to the town of Heiligenstadt by his doctor and surgeon Johan Adam Schmidt, in May of 1802. Schmidt treated Beethoven from 1801–1809, until Dr. Schmidt's death. Beethoven dedicated his Op. 38 piano/violin/cello trio to Schmidt. It was a form of “last will and testament”--a most intimate look into the inner life of the composer.
Our interest here is to note that the sonata No. 7, Op. 10, No. 3 in D major, written in 1798, occurred in the period when Beethoven began to experience acute hearing loss. A much overlooked work, it is one of his greatest sonatas. It is part of a set of three works that represents another distinct step in the development of Beethoven’s approach to the sonata form. The first two movements—the first in D major, and the second in D minor—could not be more contrasting.
From the opening of the first movement, we are introduced to its four-note motive, which we will hear throughout (measures 1–4). The interested listener can compare Beethoven’s approach here to the opening of his first Piano Sonata in F minor, Op. 2, No. 1. The first four measures, played staccato, are followed by a legato passage of six measures, in direct contrast to what has been stated at the outset. Irony—though not necessarily mere humor—weaves through the first 20 measures; the opening notes are all played in unison, like a fanfare, and then the exact same notes are played (measures 16–20) in a rhythmically broken pattern, with a sudden return to unison in loud double octaves (measures 21–22). The first “idea” is then halted in its tracks.
A new “theme” is introduced in the key of B minor, with a four-note figure in the bass echoing the use of the four tones at the beginning of the piece. There is a modulation to the “dominant key” of A major and to a theme often played wrong on many recordings and by many artists, as pointed out by pianist Andras Schiff (measures 53–65). Wrongly played, the four-note section, involving a grace-note, quarter note, and two eighth notes, is played (exactly like the beginning) four-part figure—which misses the entire point, and indicates a lack of clear thinking on the part of the player.
The second movement in D minor prefigures the emotional exploration that we will see explode in Beethoven’s very next Sonata No. 8 in C minor, the Pathetique, a study of Bach’s Musical Offering and Mozart’s 'Fantasy in C minor', as well as the “funeral march” section of Sonata No. 12 in A-flat major, Op. 26.
The fourth movement, with its opening question (measures 1–2, repeated in measures 4–6) and its “enigmatic” ending, adumbrate the world of investigation that the Op. 10, No. 3 was intended to open for Beethoven’s most devoted listeners, a new compositional method that would advance the musical dialogue of classical music to a new level entirely.
Beethoven’s compositional experiments in this regard were not only NOT diminished in the face of his horrifying realization of his impending deafness. He, in fact, became ever more productive and ever more committed to rendering the very meaning of his life as synonymous with his daily musical creativity. Toward the end of the Heiligenstadt Testament, Beethoven stated:
"Perhaps I shall get better, perhaps not; I am ready. Forced to become a philosopher already in my 28th year, oh it is not easy, and for the artist much more difficult than for anyone else. Divine One, thou seest my inmost soul, thou knowest that therein dwells the love of mankind and the desire to do good."
Due to content restrictions, we can not share Andras Schiff’s version. Instead, we share with you a recording that was made on May 18, 2013, when our foundation present at a concert at Carnegie Hall, featuring concert pianist Tian Jiang, who performed an exemplary version of this piece. The concert was titled: “Properly Tuned Masterpieces”. Here are the tracks:
1st movement: https://soundcloud.com/user-385773006/beethoven-piano-sonata-no-7-op-10-no-3-in-d-major-1st-movement
2nd movement: https://soundcloud.com/user-216951281/beethoven-piano-sonata-no-7-op-10-no-3-in-d-major-2nd-movement
3rd movement: https://soundcloud.com/user-216951281/beethoven-piano-sonata-no-7-op-10-no-3-in-d-major-3rd-movement
4th movement: https://soundcloud.com/user-216951281/beethoven-piano-sonata-no-7-op-10-no-3-in-d-major-4th-movement