RTV repertoire catalog

Beethoven - Sonata No. 3 - Op. 2, No. 3 - Third Movement

ID 4072 · Beethoven, Ludwig van · Piano · Level 7 · Points 95000

Public Domain · Download listed · Match: filters

The third movement of Beethoven’s Sonata No. 3 is a quick Scherzo and Trio, followed by a short coda. The Scherzo is built from brief, playful figures that pass between the hands, with rests, sudden accents, and changing registers. The Trio replaces that fragmented conversation with flowing broken chords. After the Scherzo returns, the coda gradually reduces the activity to a quiet ending. Measures 1–16 introduce the Scherzo’s compact figure. The right hand begins, and the left hand answers with a related idea, sometimes reaching into the treble register. Short slurs and rests separate the gestures. The texture grows more forceful as both hands take part, but it continues to sound like a sequence of quick exchanges rather than a long melody over a fixed accompaniment. Around measures 20–35, fragments of the opening idea continue over changing harmonies. Stronger chords and accents interrupt the lighter passages. A quieter stretch leads back toward the opening character around measure 40, after which the music builds again through rising figures and brighter chords. The Scherzo’s second repeated section closes at measure 64. The Trio restarts its printed measure numbering at 1. Its opening uses rising and falling broken chords in the right hand above low left-hand octaves and chords. A first and second ending mark the repeat of the opening phrase. Around Trio measures 10–20, the broken-chord patterns continue through changing harmonies, with occasional stronger accents and shifts in register. Around Trio measures 25–35, the same flowing texture expands upward. The closing gesture drops into the bass before the instruction to return to the Scherzo and then proceed to the coda. The coda resumes the Scherzo’s numbering, with measure 65 clearly marked near its opening. After a few accented gestures, long right-hand chords sit above a repeated low accompaniment. The dynamics diminish, and the last measures close softly in the lower register. Interesting fact: The printed instruction at the end of the Trio specifically calls for the Scherzo to return before the separate coda. The coda is not played directly after the Trio. How to earn points for this piece: Download or purchase the sheet music. Practice the piece carefully. Watch the video example to make sure you are accurate. Record yourself on video and upload it to YouTube. Perfection is not required. A few minor mistakes are okay. Submit a link to your video here for evaluation. We will watch your performance and give you feedback. If you need more practice, we will let you know what to work on and provide additional practice suggestions. You may also submit your video publicly so other users can evaluate it. If your performance is approved, your video will be accepted and you can collect your points.