Beethoven on Board - Sonata No. 4 in E-Flat Major

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Largo, con gran espressione (1)

Bars 1 - 24

This movement starts off with a somewhat fragmented opening and poses a similar question to the second movement from sonata No. 3 – “Is it a song or is it a monologue?”. Beethoven makes his intention clearer with the titling of the movement: “con gran espressione”. The middle section borrows from the second movement of Sonata No. 2 with the pizzicato accompaniment, however with more chorale-like characteristics. The incredibly extreme intervals, using the full span of the keyboard he had at the time, foreshadows his last Sonata No. 32 from many years later.

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