The second movement of Beethoven’s Sonata No. 15, Op. 28, is an Andante in D minor. Its central sound is a sustained, chordal melody over a detached left-hand pattern. The steady bass gives the opening a measured, almost processional character, while the upper voices connect across it. A brighter major-key section changes the rhythm and texture before an increasingly ornamented return of the minor material.

Opening minor section: The right hand begins with held chord tones and a melody at the top. Beneath it, the left hand moves in short sixteenth notes marked sempre staccato. Slurs and ties in the upper part contrast directly with this detached accompaniment. The melody moves through small rises and falls, with occasional accents and crescendos. Two repeated strains, with alternate endings, extend this opening section. In the second strain, the upper line becomes more active while the bass continues its regular pattern.

Brighter contrasting section: The key signature changes to D major and the score adds Poco animato. Short repeated chords alternate with quick triplet gestures. Rests make the phrases more broken and conversational than the opening melody. The left hand often answers or supports the right-hand gesture with compact chords, rather than maintaining the earlier uninterrupted bass pattern. This section also contains printed repeats and different endings.

Ornamented return: The original minor-key material returns in full notation. Its familiar held notes and staccato accompaniment are followed by much more elaborate right-hand divisions. Rapid runs, repeated figures, and small ornamental groups decorate the melodic line. At points, the hands exchange the moving figure, and a sustained upper note remains audible above the activity. The bass pattern still connects these varied passages to the opening.

Closing section: The coda briefly slows into chordal phrases separated by pauses. The short repeated-chord gesture from the contrasting section reappears in a darker setting, followed by a descending run. The closing lines return to the opening tempo, reduce the dynamics, and settle into a very quiet final chord.

Interesting fact: The score places the instruction sempre staccato beneath the opening bass while giving the upper melody slurs and ties, so two different articulations are present at the same time.