L. Poundie Burstein
Mannes College of Music and Hunter College (CUNY)
In a number of Beethoven's compositions, the structural connections between
the separate movements are so strong that one movement will seem to present
a type of commentary on another. Often this interplay between movements
takes the form of a parody. In such cases, one movement recalls and subverts
an element of an earlier movement. Such inter-movement parody is a significant
facet of Beethoven's style.
One example of such inter-movement parody can be found Beethoven's Piano
Trio Op. 11, where the unusual key structure of the finale seems to "mock"
a crucial harmonic feature of the first movement. Parody also appears in
his Piano Sonata Op. 10, No. 3, where the underlying structure of the first
movement s development section returns in a contorted fashion within the
final movement. Likewise, in the "Spring" Sonata for Violin and
Piano, a harmonic twist of the last movement wittily plays against analogous
progressions in the previous movements. And in the String Quintet Op. 29,
the finale playfully revisits a number of harmonic, rhythmic, and formal
elements that were handled in a serious manner within the first movement.
Examining these and similar pieces not only reveals much about Beethoven's
comedic skill, but also gives insight into the expressive possibilities
of multi-movement structures in general.