# Favorite Beethoven's slow movements



## MusicSybarite (Aug 17, 2017)

Not sure whether this thread is repeated or not. Anyway, mine are these:

Piano sonata No. 32
Piano sonata No. 29
Piano trio _Ghost_
Piano trio _Archduke_
String quartet No. 1
String quartet No. 14 (IV movement)
Piano concerto No. 5
Symphony No. 2
Symphony No. 7


----------



## Olias (Nov 18, 2010)

7th Symphony easily my favorite with the Violin Concerto close behind.


----------



## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Piano concerto: no 3 movement 2
Piano concerto : no 5 movement 2 
Triple concerto : movement 2


----------



## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Beethoven wrote a particular kind of slow movement that was unique in his time, without precedent or successors. These movements, with mysterious and rather “odd” flavors, can be found in:

- Razumovsky Quartet Op. 59 No. 3
- “Ghost” Trio Op. 70 No. 1
- Symphony No. 7

There may be another but I can’t think of it.


----------



## MatthewWeflen (Jan 24, 2019)

Symphony 3, movement 2 has to be my favorite. But there are so many wondrous ones to choose from.


----------



## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Hard to choose - 

Syms #2 and 4 rank very high, same with Violin Concerto...#6/II is in a class by itself...not exactly a "slow" mvt....

the late 4tet slow mvts are awesome, too...


----------



## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

KenOC said:


> Beethoven wrote a particular kind of slow movement that was unique in his time, without precedent or successors. These movements, with mysterious and rather "odd" flavors, can be found in:
> 
> - Razumovsky Quartet Op. 59 No. 3
> - "Ghost" Trio Op. 70 No. 1
> ...


Hopeless, joyless music.


----------



## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

My favourite slow movements for Beethoven are in his concertos, in particular piano concertos 3-5 and the violin concerto, and to a slightly less extent piano concerto 1 (not the second piano concerto, and certainly not the triple).


----------



## howlingfantods (Jul 27, 2015)

MusicSybarite said:


> Not sure whether this thread is repeated or not. Anyway, mine are these:
> 
> Piano sonata No. 32
> Piano sonata No. 29


These two plus op.132


----------



## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Beethoven made much use of theme-and-variation slow movements in his late works. These are his major hits, IMO:

Piano Sonata No. 30 Op. 109, last mvmt
Piano Sonata No. 32 Op. 111, last mvmt
Symphony No. 9 "Choral" 3rd mvmt
String Quartet No. 12 Op. 127, 2nd mvmt
String Quartet No. 14 Op. 131, 4th mvmt
String Quartet No. 15 Op. 132, 3rd mvmt (_Heiliger Dankgesang eines Genesenen an die Gottheit, in der Lydischen Tonart_)
String Quartet No. 16 Op. 135, 3rd mvmt


----------



## MusicSybarite (Aug 17, 2017)

KenOC said:


> Beethoven made much use of theme-and-variation slow movements in his late works. These are his major hits, IMO:
> 
> Piano Sonata No. 30 Op. 109, last mvmt
> Piano Sonata No. 32 Op. 111, last mvmt
> ...


I didn't know that the slow movement from the 16th SQ was theme and variations. I never realized. And let's not forget the 2nd movement from the Kreutzer Sonata.


----------



## MusicSybarite (Aug 17, 2017)

howlingfantods said:


> These two plus op.132


That movement is very special indeed. Beethoven at his most spiritual.


----------



## MusicSybarite (Aug 17, 2017)

Olias said:


> 7th Symphony easily my favorite with the Violin Concerto close behind.


It was one of the first slow movements (7th) that came to my mind. Memorable and melancholy.


----------



## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

The 7th symphony is lovely. My fave.


----------



## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

^^^ Had that played at both my parents' funerals. 

My vote would go to the Heiliger Dankgesang.

He wasn't exactly poor at spinning a decent slow movement, old Ludwig....


----------



## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)




----------



## DaveM (Jun 29, 2015)

Often forgotten is the beautiful Adagio from the 1st Piano Sonata. It particularly stands out when played more slowly as in this wonderful performance by Barenboim:


----------



## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

3 favorite Beethoven slow mvts:
Sextet for winds Op 71
Octet for Winds Op 103
Quintet for Piano & winds in Eb Op 16
wonderful stuff, beautiful writing for woodwinds


----------



## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

DaveM said:


> Often forgotten is the beautiful Adagio from the 1st Piano Sonata. It particularly stands out when played more slowly as in this wonderful performance by Barenboim:


A beautiful performance. From Beethoven's second published work, 1796, the three sonatas dedicated to Haydn. Wiki offers an interesting sidelight: "This Adagio is the earliest composition by Beethoven now in general circulation; it was adapted from the slow movement of his Piano Quartet No. 3 in C major from 1785."


----------



## jim prideaux (May 30, 2013)

4th Symphony...….for me personally it is where everything that is remarkable about LvB's music comes together......


----------



## EdwardBast (Nov 25, 2013)

Lately?:

The _Largo e mesto_ from the Piano Sonata in D, Op. 10#3

The _Cavatina_ from the String Quartet Op. 130

The second movement of the Fourth Piano Concerto.

Third movement of the Piano Sonata Op. 106.


----------



## jim prideaux (May 30, 2013)

jim prideaux said:


> 4th Symphony...….for me personally it is where everything that is remarkable about LvB's music comes together......


….and as I now listen again, this time to Bruno Walter and the Columbia S.O I find my opinion confirmed-there is so much within this one movement I find it quite remarkable......


----------



## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

jim prideaux said:


> ….and as I now listen again, this time to Bruno Walter and the Columbia S.O I find my opinion confirmed-there is so much within this one movement I find it quite remarkable......


If you can tolerate the sound, I wonder what you'll make of this


----------



## Gallus (Feb 8, 2018)

The adagio from Razumovsky 1


----------



## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

jim prideaux said:


> ….and as I now listen again, this time to Bruno Walter and the Columbia S.O I find my opinion confirmed-there is so much within this one movement I find it quite remarkable......


the slow mvts of LvB syms 2 and 4 are really superb...great writing for woodwinds...a real joy to play.


----------



## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

Heck148 said:


> the slow mvts of LvB syms 2 and 4 are really superb...great writing for woodwinds...a real joy to play.


Except amateurs like myself can not do the Fourth. GRRRR


----------



## Judith (Nov 11, 2015)

Allegretto from no 7. Always loved this one


----------



## Bluecrab (Jun 24, 2014)

Judith said:


> Allegretto from no 7. Always loved this one


I'm with you. It's my favorite movement from among all of Beethoven's symphonies.


----------



## MusicSybarite (Aug 17, 2017)

I think I should consider to include the Pastoral Symphony's 2nd movement. I can't imagine a most vivid and relaxing countryside scenery than this.


----------



## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Piano Concerto no 5
Symphony no 7
Pathétique Sonata


----------



## Littlephrase (Nov 28, 2018)

Any love for the Adagio of the second Razumovsky Quartet?


----------



## Xisten267 (Sep 2, 2018)

MusicSybarite said:


> Not sure whether this thread is repeated or not. Anyway, mine are these:
> 
> Piano sonata No. 32
> Piano sonata No. 29
> ...


My twenty favorite Beethoven slow movements at the moment are these (in chronological order):

String Quartet No. 16
String Quartet No. 14 (1st and 4th movements)
String Quartet No. 13 (Cavatina)
String Quartet No. 15
String Quartet No. 12
Symphony No. 9 "Choral"
Missa Solemnis (Sanctus & Benedictus)
Piano Sonata No. 32
Piano Sonata No. 31
Piano Sonata No. 30
Piano Sonata No. 29 "Hammerklavier"
Fidelio (Prisoners' Chorus)
Symphony No. 7
Piano Concerto No. 5 "Emperor"
Symphony No. 6 "Pastoral"
Symphony No. 5
String Quartet No. 7 "Razumovsky"
Symphony No. 3 "Eroica"
Andante Favori


----------



## Ras (Oct 6, 2017)

The first movement of the Moonlight sonata - especially the romantic interpretation by Barenboim on DG.


----------



## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Without going back through and listening to all the symphonies, I definitely like the slow movements of the 6th and 9th symphonies.


----------



## MusicSybarite (Aug 17, 2017)

The slow movement from the 9th is special indeed, but I have to confess something: I can't stand that symphony anymore!! At least can't for now. Last week I listened to it once again and I was anything but pleased. It's like you are eating lots of ice cream till the point you end up hating it. I'm terribly overfamiliar with that work. My apologies for fans of that work, but they're my impressions about it right now.


----------



## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

I love the Adagio cantabile of the Pathétique sonata. One of the most heartbreaking pieces he wrote. And I also really love the Adagio of the op.101 sonata. The Adagio of the Hammerklavier mystifies me, but I suppose it too deserves a mention.


----------

