# Interpreting tied notes



## Aurelian (Sep 9, 2011)

In Beethoven's_ Grosse Fuge _I have long been puzzled by the quarter beats written as 2 tied eighth notes.

Recently I happened to see in his 31st Piano Sonata eighth notes written as 2 tied 16th notes.

How do you interpret these?


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## Larkenfield (Jun 5, 2017)

Here you can watch the score and hear how the tied notes are articulated:


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## pokeefe0001 (Jan 15, 2017)

Normally that is done when the tie crosses the midpoint of the measure indicating "I know there's usually a stronger beat here but don't take one". That is obviously not the case here since no beat is crossed where Beethoven uses the ties. That obviously does not apply here. 

Tied notes are also sometimes used when a dynamics mark or articulation is to be applied part way through the held note. That also does not seem to be the case here ... although maybe in Beethoven's time that indicated a slight emphasis on the 2nd 8th note of the quarter note. A music historian would probably know.

A 3rd possibility might be that Beethoven is indicating that the rhythmic pulse is in the 8th notes and these supposed quarter notes should not interrupt that rhythm.


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## eugeneonagain (May 14, 2017)

There's a lot of literature about this and different interpreters play it differently (see Wikipedia for audio examples). Who can say if they aren't ties but slurs for repeated notes? They are interspersed with slurred intervals.

At the first performance the violinist Karl Holz asked him: “Why do you have two tied eighth notes rather than a quarter note?” Beethoven didn't answer him.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

eugeneonagain said:


> At the first performance the violinist Karl Holz asked him: "Why do you have two tied eighth notes rather than a quarter note?" Beethoven didn't answer him.


Is this true? It's really interesting if it is, the composer leaving ambiguity in the score at this level, refusing to disambiguate.


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