Piano Sonata No. 10 (Beethoven)

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Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 10 in G major, Op. 14 No. 2, was written around 1798–1799. It’s an early work dedicated to Baroness Josefa von Braun and typically lasts about 15 minutes. While not as famous as some of his other early sonatas, critic Donald Francis Tovey called it an “exquisite little work.”

The sonata has three movements:

1) First movement — legato mood with a short, sixteenth-note idea and light arpeggios in the bass. That opening idea recurs and is developed through many harmonic twists and changing keys. Around bars 70–80, the main theme becomes highly chromatic. Fast, high-up note passages keep the tempo lively. It ends with a coda where Beethoven makes the rhythm more expressive, followed by a quiet, quick turn in the right hand.

2) Second movement — a Theme with Three Variations on a disjunct, chordal theme. It’s marked “La prima parte senza replica” (first part without repeats). It seems to end quietly, but abruptly finishes with a loud fortissimo C major chord.

3) Third movement — opens with an ascending, hesitant three-note motif that creates rhythmic ambiguity. In 3/8 time, it is a Scherzo in rondo form. The main theme changes many times and ends quietly on the lowest notes heard on pianos of Beethoven’s era. The movement uses silences, rhythmic surprises, and unusual shifts, showing the lingering influence of Haydn on Beethoven’s early style.