# What makes Beethoven Piano Sonatas Opus 49 maybe not part of the canon?



## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

I just noted that the complete Beethoven sonatas that HJ Lim that she excludes Piano Sonatas Opus 49 which are two short pieces. Not sure why she left those out and whether this makes this a complete cycle or not.

It's been a long time since I heard Opus 49 so wondering whether those are standard canon or not.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

I have no problem with the omission of the Op. 49 sonatas -- actually sonatines, and named such in many old-time beginners' piano books. They shouldn't be there in the first place. But yes, they're part of the "standard canon."


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

They are also anomalous due to their misleadingly high opus number, of course - perhaps Beethoven urgently needed an advance from the publisher, as these two slight works could easily have ended up in the WoO category.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

The Op. 49 sonatas appear to have been written around 1795. Per Wiki, "In the case of these two sonatas, it was Caspar van Beethoven, the composer's brother, who decided they were worthy of publication. Against the composer's will, he presented them to a publishing house, thus allowing posterity to hear works that might otherwise have been lost or destroyed."

They are certainly of more musical interest than the sonatines of Clementi, Kulau, Dussek and the like with which they are often bound for publication in elementary piano primers.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

KenOC said:


> The Op. 49 sonatas appear to have been written around 1795. Per Wiki, "In the case of these two sonatas, it was Caspar van Beethoven, the composer's brother, who decided they were worthy of publication. Against the composer's will, he presented them to a publishing house, thus allowing posterity to hear works that might otherwise have been lost or destroyed."
> 
> They are certainly of more musical interest than the sonatines of Clementi, Kulau, Dussek and the like with which they are often bound for publication in elementary piano primers.


Thanks - it's always good to get the facts.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

It's interesting. Beethoven, who was quite busy in that period, allowed Caspar to be his business manager for a while. In some cases, Caspar obtained higher prices than Ludwig had been demanding (which were pretty high already). In others, he acted such the bunghole that he alienated some of the publishers that Beethoven had been careful to cultivate. So, definitely a mixed bag.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

OP: Because they are so simple, melodic, gentle, pithy and approachable?


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

albertfallickwang said:


> I just noted that the complete Beethoven sonatas that HJ Lim that she excludes Piano Sonatas Opus 49 which are two short pieces. Not sure why she left those out and whether this makes this a complete cycle or not.
> 
> It's been a long time since I heard Opus 49 so wondering whether those are standard canon or not.


I have been unimpressed by Lim's Beethoven so far. Maybe she wants to cut her losses and get done wth the cycle faster and minimize the critical pounding that she has been taking


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

The Opus 49 designation may be intentionally misleading on someone's part. What is apparently correct is that they are piano sonatas by Ludwig van Beethoven.

Listening to the sonatas in their opus number sequence is conducive to the development of 'attitude'. Op. 49 appreciation requires an attitude adjustment. No more than a dram or two, eh?


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Ukko said:


> The Opus 49 designation may be intentionally misleading on someone's part. What is apparently correct is that they are piano sonatas by Ludwig van Beethoven.
> 
> Listening to the sonatas in their opus number sequence is conducive to the development of 'attitude'. Op. 49 appreciation requires an attitude adjustment. No more than a dram or two, eh?


I have to admit that when listening to the cycle in full I prefer to put them before op. 10 otherwise they sound too anachronistic just prior to savouring the full-blooded sophistication of the 'Waldstein'.


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## ToneDeaf&Senile (May 20, 2010)

elgars ghost said:


> I have to admit that when listening to the cycle in full I prefer to put them before op. 10 otherwise they sound too anachronistic just prior to savouring the full-blooded sophistication of the 'Waldstein'.


I recently acquired and have been listening to the Brautigam sonata set played on modern replicas of "period" fortepianos. It houses Op.49 on disk 1, immediately after the three Op.2 sonatas. This suits them perfectly in my opinion, and is in any case more or less chronologically correct.


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## Cosmos (Jun 28, 2013)

Yep, as others have said, Beethoven probably wrote those sonatas without the intention of publishing. From what I read, he may have written them as little student practice works. But at some time later in his career, because of money issues, he had them published for a quick buck [also there's Caspar edging him on]. Now they're in the repertoire.

But since they're simple, and don't have the dramatic "Beethoven" cliche attached to them, they aren't played in concerts. It's a shame, because they're delightful pieces. And I can tell people [who aren't classically well read] that I can play a Beethoven sonata and they'll be highly impressed :lol:


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