Piano Sonata No. 4 (Beethoven)
1796 composition by Ludwig van Beethoven
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Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 4, in E♭ major, Op. 7, sometimes nicknamed the Grand Sonata, was written in November 1796 and dedicated to his student Babette, the Countess Keglević.[1][2] The sonata was composed during Beethoven's visit to the Keglevich Palace.[3] Beethoven named it Great Sonata, because it was published alone, which was unusual for the time.[citation needed]
| Piano Sonata No. 4 | |
|---|---|
| Grand Sonata | |
| by Ludwig van Beethoven | |
.jpg) Beethoven in 1796; designed by G. Stainhauser; engraving by Johann Josef Neidl, executed for the publisher Artaria | |
| Key | E♭ major |
| Opus | 7 |
| Style | Classical period |
| Form | Piano sonata |
| Composed | 1796 |
| Dedication | Babette, Countess of Keglević |
| Published | 1796, Vienna |
| Publisher | Artaria |
| Duration | 28 minutes |
| Movements | 4 |
Along with the Hammerklavier Sonata, it is one of the longest piano sonatas that Beethoven composed.[4][1] A typical performance lasts about 28 minutes.
Structure
The sonata is laid out in four movements:
I. Allegro molto e con brio
The first movement is in sonata form.[5]
II. Largo con gran espressione
The second movement is in ternary form.[5]
III. Allegro
The third movement is in scherzo and trio form.[5]
IV. Rondo: Poco allegretto e grazioso
The fourth movement is in rondo form.[5] This movement of the sonata in particular was featured in the documentary Note by Note: The Making of Steinway L1037.