Sonata in G minor: Andante (Op. 49 No. 1, 1st movement)

Background

The Sonata in G minor, Op. 49 No. 1, carries the number 19 among Beethoven's 32 piano sonatas, yet it is one of the earliest he wrote. It is usually dated to around 1797–98, but it stayed unpublished until 1805, when it appeared in Vienna together with its companion, the Sonata in G major, Op. 49 No. 2. By then Beethoven had already published far more ambitious sonatas, such as the "Moonlight", written in 1801, so the late opus number gives a misleading idea of the music's age.

Like its companion, it has only two movements: this Andante in G minor, then a lively Rondo in G major. The Andante is built like a small sonata-form movement. A sad, singing first theme in G minor is followed by a brighter second theme in B-flat major; after a short middle section both return in the home key. In the final bars the music turns to G major, preparing the way for the finale.

Its gentle melancholy and plain textures make it an ideal place to practise playing a melody over a quiet accompaniment.

How to practise it

The arrangement is in G minor (two flats, B and E) and 2/4 time, with 111 bars after an upbeat D. The melody starts in the right hand, circling around G:

Lean slightly into the long notes in bars 2 and 4 and let them fade, the way a singer would. The lower note under each long note is an inner voice; keep it softer than the tune.

The left hand accompanies with two-note chords in eighth notes:

Play these chords evenly and very quietly, fingers staying on the keys rather than lifting high. They should sound like a soft pulse under the song, never a series of bumps.

From bar 16 the second theme brings a new accompaniment: broken chords in sixteenth notes (A, F, C, F, then E flat, F, C, F). Practise them as blocked chords first, then let the hand rock gently from side to side. Bars 13 and 14, just before, contain quick ornamental turns in the right hand; play them slowly and in time before speeding up.

A plan:

1. Bars 1 to 12, hands separately, then together.
2. The second theme from bar 16, left hand first.
3. The middle section and the return, comparing each passage with the opening.
4. The last bars, where the music turns to G major and the right hand moves low over deep Gs in the bass.

Tempo ladder: 48, 60, 72, then the full 84. Keep it a true andante; a calm, walking pulse lets the melody breathe.

Minor keys like G minor, and the raised notes they use, are explained in the minor keys unit.