Heitor Marques Marangoni

Performance practice – Final project

Tempo Decisions On The Introduction Of Beethoven’s Pathetique Sonata

Introduction

The goal of this paper is to do an investigation about tempo decisions in the Introduction of

Beethoven’s Pathetic Sonata in terms of general tempo (average speed), rhythmic character and

rhythmic flexibility. To achieve this goal, I will provide concise elements from the Beethoven’s point

of view about tempo, the suggestions from the reference treatises for musicians about this aspect and

the structural elements of the piece itself.

1. Decisions on general tempo speed

In Beethoven’s point of view, the tempo speed is an important aspect of the conception of

the composition.1 Despite he did not write metronome marks for all of his works, scholars have

developed methodologies to figure out possible metronome marks for the pieces in question. One

kind of methodology is based on testaments and metronomic marks given by people close to

Beethoven. Another kind of methodology consists in the comparison of the piece in question with

another piece with similar characteristics, for example same character indication, same meter and

similar figuration that Beethoven wrote a metronome mark. In the following example we can

understand how some musical elements are related with metronome marks.

The Symphony Op. 21, I has the indication of Adagio Molto and the metronome mark of

88 for eight note (44 for the quarter). This one is most consisted of eight and sixteenth notes. In

another hand, the Symphony Op. 125, III has the indication of Adagio molto e cantabile and has

the metronome mark of 60 for the quarter note. This one is more consisted by half, quarters and

eight notes. Both examples are in 4/4 with metronome marks wrote by Beethoven.2

1
Kolisch, Rudolf. "Tempo and Character in Beethoven's Music." The Musical Quarterly 77, no. 1 (1993): 90-131.
2
Ibid.

1
 Information from treatises of composition and performance that were popular at Beethoven’s

time are also useful for this kind of research. For example, CPE Bach reinforces the importance of the

musical elements to make a respectable tempo decision:

The pace of a composition […] is based on its general content as well as on the fastest notes and
passages contained in it. Due consideration of these factors will prevent an allegro from being rushed
and an adagio from being dragged.3

On the Piano Sonata Op. 13, we can see the quaternary meter (C) with the predominant

figuration of the 16th note. In addition, there is a significant presence of very short values such as

32nd and even 64th notes. From the scholar methodologies and from the advice of CPE Bach, we

can conclude that the fastest figuration requires a slower tempo for the beat.

Another important element on that piece is the indication of Grave. This Italian term

means a tempo that should be very slowly and solemn4, and, the metronome should be between

40 to 44 bpm5.

In addition, some metronome marks given by Beethoven’s contemporaries could help to clarify

that issue. In the case of the present piece, Czerny, who claimed that studied with the composer that

piece, suggests 92 bpm for the sixteenth note (46 for eighth note). Suggestions from other

contemporaries varies between 58 to 63 bpm for the eighth note.6

In my point of view, the Czerny metronome mark is the most appropriated, first, because I

prefer the first chord to be sustained for a long time, second, because that decision is more aligned with

the definition of the term Grave and finally, because the presence of very fast figuration, so the slower

tempo will be prevented from dragging.

3
Bach, Carl Philipp Emanuel. Essay on the True Art of Playing Keyboard Instruments, trans. & ed. William J.
Mitchell, London (Cassell) 1961, p. 151.
4
Kennedy, Joyce. Oxford Dictionary of Music. Oxford University Press, 2013.
5
"Dolmetsch Online - Music Theory Online - Tempo." Dolmetsch Online - Composers Biography. Accessed May
04, 2018. https://www.dolmetsch.com/musictheory5.htm.
6
Noorduin, Marten A. Beethoven’s Tempo Indications. Doctoral thesis of University of Manchester School of
Arts, Languages and Cultures. 2016.

2
2. Rhythmic character decisions

The character of the rhythmic execution also takes an important role in the tempo aspect of the

interpretation. In addition to the speed, the term Grave also give us some guides in terms of the

character of execution. According to Koch, its execution consists with:

dignity or seriousness, which in performance, especially on string instruments, requires a very marked
tone, and a sustained and meaningful bowstroke. Although the tempo is more slow than fast with this
character, the notes (unless they appear in fast figures) are not allowed to drag together, instead they
must be separated, not too sharply and pointedly, but they have to be separated by bowing in an
appropriate manner.7

He also claims that the dotted rhythms of the Grave are generally to be over-dotted. In about

half of Beethoven’s Grave sections, double-dotted quavers or crotchets appear in one form or another,

and it seems that these sections explicitly indicate what Koch recommended as good practice for

characterization.8

Another element to strength my decision to play with the over-dotted rhythm is the fact that this

introduction has elements of the French Overture (Example 1). That form combines a slow opening,

marked by stately dotted rhythms and suspensions. Despite some controversy, the predominant point

of view is that the common practice in performance of this style requires an over-dotted rhythm

execution.9

Example 1. Grave indication and French Overture elements on Beethoven’s Pathetic Sonata.

7
Ibid, 164.
8
Ibid.
9
French Overture - Oxford music online. Accessed May 04, 2018.
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-
0000010210

3
3. Rhythmic inflections

There are some evidences that Beethoven played his works with tempo flexibility through

rubbatos and inflexions in specific places of the music for expressive purposes. 10 From this

perspective, my decisions about rhythmic flexibility are based on harmony, melodic design, and my

musical taste. The first place that I want to decrease the speed a little bit to give the sense of peasant

and drama is on the 2nd and 3rd beat of measure 4 due to the arrival on the new key, the f minor. In my

opinion, this is a very tragic spot in the music. Then, in the following scale passage in a fast figuration,

I decided to start the scale slow, then increasing the speed and finally, finishing that scale passage with

a big ritardando (Example 2). This interpretation will give the preparation for the next section of this

introduction, more passionate with a contrasting character in the key of Eb major.

Example 2. Ritardando on measure 4.

On the last beats of measures 5 and 6, I decided to apply a slight accelerando to the dotted

figuration to reinforce the powerful emotion that this section brings out contrasting to the previous

more passionate character (Example 3).

Example 3. Accelerando on measures 5 and 6.

10
Noorduin, Marten A. Beethoven’s Tempo Indications.

4
 On measure 9, I will play, the 64th notes beginning slower and finishing faster following with a

significant ritardando in the 16th note to reinforce the expressive effect of the interrupted cadence (G

resolving on Ab instead of Cm) of this section. For the repetition of this figuration in the first half of

the next measure, I will do the same, however, with a less ritardando because in this place, the tonic of

Cm minor is back and the surprise of this figuration was already achieved on the previous measure

through the interrupted cadence. Finally, on the longer descending chromatic scale passage, I will start

slow and gradually increase the speed to as fast as I can until the leap to the Ab note with a fermata

(Example 4).

Example 4. Tempo flexibility in the ending of this introduction.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bach, Carl Philipp Emanuel. Essay on the True Art of Playing Keyboard Instruments, trans. & ed.
William J. Mitchell, London (Cassell) 1961

Kennedy, Joyce. Oxford Dictionary of Music. Oxford University Press, 2013.

Kolisch, Rudolf. "Tempo and Character in Beethoven's Music." The Musical Quarterly 77, no. 1
(1993): 90-131. http://www.jstor.org/stable/742431.

Noorduin, Marten A. Beethoven’s Tempo Indications. Doctoral thesis of University of