RTV repertoire catalog

Beethoven - Sonata No. 11 - Op. 22 - Fourth Movement

ID 4097 · Beethoven, Ludwig van · Piano · Level 8 · Points 203750

Public Domain · Download listed · Match: filters

The finale of Beethoven's Sonata No. 11, Op. 22, is a Rondo marked Allegretto. A graceful right-hand tune over repeated left-hand figures returns several times, with changes in decoration and texture. Between these returns, the music moves through chordal exchanges, quick runs, and a more forceful minor-key episode. The movement combines the recognizable shape of its recurring theme with passages in which the hands trade ideas and travel across the keyboard. Opening theme: A short upbeat leads into a melody with sustained notes and small curling figures. Repeated notes and broken intervals in the left hand provide a steady background. The right hand later adds lower notes beneath its melody, making the texture more layered. Brief accents, trills, and answering gestures lead away from the theme rather than letting it settle into an immediate ending. First contrasting episode: Chords and short rising figures pass between the hands. Some melodic notes lie within the right-hand texture, underneath higher notes. The music grows louder and moves into quick rising and falling runs, with broad bass support and occasional pedal markings. Short figures then answer one another across the registers. A descending run prepares a return of the opening tune and its regular accompaniment. Central minor-key episode: The writing becomes more insistent, with rapidly repeated groups in the right hand and accented chords below. Both hands participate in short exchanges, sometimes echoing a figure in a different register. Strong accents interrupt the running motion. The music then thins out, becomes quieter, and uses small figures to lead back toward the principal theme. Later returns: The melody reappears with a more decorated accompaniment and additional notes around the tune. Earlier chordal exchanges and sweeping runs also return. Near the later statement of the theme, quick ornaments and small changes of register make familiar phrases sound less like an exact repetition. The recurring melody remains recognizable through these changes. Closing section: The final page introduces repeated accents and a more active left-hand line beneath upper chords. Running bass figures and fuller chords build the intensity. A brief quiet passage marked tranquillo interrupts this drive before the last animated gesture and emphatic closing chords. Interesting fact: The finale's printed heading combines “Rondo,” identifying the returning-theme design, with “Allegretto,” its tempo indication. 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.