Music as Science, the C Minor Series No. 10: The Mountain Top—Beethoven's Op. 111, Part 2

DAILY DOSE of BEETHOVEN (July 14, 2020)

Yesterday we examined the first measures of Beethoven's “Piano Sonata No. 32 in C Minor, Op. 111”, where he investigates musical space in the continuous domain.

We include the entire sonata by Mitsuko Uchida, with score, and give the appropriate times.

https://youtu.be/WGg9cE-ceso

A quick review:

1. In the first 5 measures, he examines the three possible double-lydians (or diminished 7th chords), and their relation to the dominant, tonic, and subdominant (5th, 1st, and 4th). He does this without a theme, or a key.

2. For the next 6 measures, he inverts Bach's chromatic descending scale into a rising one. There is still no theme, or key.

3. For the next 7 measures, he situates the opening dissonances on a pedal point of G, building tremendous tension, until he finally arrives at the note C in measure 18. (Example 1)

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4. The next 4 measures constitute his moving from the continuous domain to the discrete, with a theme, in c minor. (Example 2, 1:50 in this recording.)

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It's an odd theme to say the least. it's very agitated, very low, and in octaves only. Beethoven maintains Mozart's tradition of starting in octaves of C, and proceeding in octaves. We see the characteristic interval of Bach's “Musical Offering”—the “diminished 7th” in measure 20. It's the same two notes—Ab to B, except his time rising—B to Ab (as Mozart did in the third movement of his K475 Piano Sonata No. 14, and his Piano Concerto No. 24 in C Minor, K491.)

However, Measure 19 constitutes something different—three tones, C Eb B, with a “fermata” and “sforzando” on the B, which repeats in measure 20. What do those 3 notes do? They synopsize both Bach and Mozart. Play Bach's opening of the “Musical Offering”—C Eb G Ab B, then play only the first 2 notes followed by the last one. You have C Eb B! Play the opening of Mozart's “Fantasy”— C Eb F# G Ab C B, then play only the first 2 and the last one, you have again C Eb B!

The theme of Op. 111 should bring both the Bach and the Mozart to mind. Beethoven is quoting the entire process of the C Minor series, not just one work.

The movement is very agitated and proceeds relentlessly. Franz Schubert had a profound insight into it, and shortly after Beethoven's death, set a poem by Heinrich Heine, "Der Atlas", using the intervals of the main theme in a different key. Heine's poem goes as follows:

DER ATLAS

Ich unglücksel'ger Atlas! eine Welt, (I, the unfortunate Atlas, a World,)

Die ganze Welt der Schmerzen muß ich tragen,
(An entire world of pain I must bear,)

Ich trage Unerträgliches, und brechen (I bear what is unbearable)

Will mir das Herz im Leibe.
(And it will break my heart and body.)

Du stolzes Herz! du hast es ja gewollt, (You proud heart! You wanted it,)

Du wolltest glücklich seyn, unendlich glücklich
(You wanted to be happy, infinitely happy)

Oder unendlich elend, stolzes Herz, (Or infinitely miserable, proud heart,)

Und jetzo bist du elend. (And still you remain miserable.)

Here’s a video of Schubert's Der Atlas
https://youtu.be/aLH0mGjBjvA

Beethoven had had to hold up the world by himself, and now it is Schubert's turn!

The first movement of Op. 111 goes into a short fugue, which changes somewhat the intervals. Instead of C Eb B, it is G Ab D B (trill) C. (See example 3, 5:50 in this recording)

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Amazingly, Beethoven goes for 4 measures with nothing but “diminished 7th” chords. (See Example 4, 6:10-6:18 in this recording.)

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THE LAST MOVEMENT

The beautiful transcendent second movement seems to have nothing to do with the C Minor Series. But wait! A sudden loving tribute to Mozart's “Fantasy” emerges after the triple trill in this recording at 22:30 (see Example 5). Compare the bass line to both the main theme of the first movement of the Op. 111, and to the opening of the Mozart’s “Fantasy”. Then see how the bass line is in canon with the soprano. Ms. Uchida does not get it right. Nobody does.

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But we can understand Beethoven’s concept. Because Beethoven’s power to allow us to hear the beauty of the entire process as a unified one has grown!