The finale of Beethoven’s Sonata No. 17, Op. 31, No. 2, is an Allegretto in D minor and three-eight time. Nearly continuous sixteenth notes give the movement its persistent motion. A short rising figure passes between the hands, often above a sustained middle note or a low bass. Accents, changes of register, and broader upper phrases vary the recurring pattern. After a long development and return, the coda recalls the opening idea before a descending run brings a soft ending.

Opening pattern: The right hand begins with a brief rising figure that leads into the repeat sign. The left hand enters with a broken chord while the upper phrase settles onto a longer note. This exchange continues through small changes of harmony and register. The bass sometimes holds a note while other fingers move above it, creating more than one layer within the accompaniment. Short crescendos, accents, and detached upper notes interrupt the connected phrases. The opening figure also appears in the lower voice while the other hand provides the running notes.

Contrasting theme and exposition repeat: A more sustained upper idea enters above a busy left-hand pattern. Accented notes give the melody a broader shape while the bass continues its sixteenth notes. The hands gradually occupy a wider range, and several phrases increase in volume before relaxing. A closing idea brings back the shorter rising gesture over repeated accompaniment. The texture then becomes denser, with continuous movement in both hands. A brief right-hand transition leads to the repeat of the opening section.

Development and return: The middle section takes the opening figure through changing harmonies and exchanges it between upper and lower voices. The pattern is sometimes turned downward, and the bass becomes melodic while the right hand continues the accompaniment. Repeated accents and wider jumps increase the intensity. The music eventually contracts to a single right-hand line over rests. That line gradually softens and reconnects with the opening theme. The return includes familiar contrasting and closing ideas, expanded through new register changes and stronger two-hand passages.

Coda and last page: The coda begins with a quieter recollection of the short opening figure. Repeated gestures build, subside, and briefly slow before a forceful return of the main pattern. The final page alternates connected phrases with sudden accents and quick descending scales. The last phrase keeps the running accompaniment moving beneath upper notes, then descends through both hands to a quiet low ending.

Interesting fact: An editorial note on the first page warns against turning the written three-eight rhythm into a six-sixteen pattern, illustrating the difference with two small notation examples.