The Piano Sonata No. 10 in G Major, op. 14 no. 2, composed in 1798-1799, is an early-period work by Ludwig van Beethoven, dedicated to Baroness Josefa von Braun. A typical performance lasts 15 minutes. The first movement incorporates rhythmic instability.

Form

The sonata is in three movements:

1. Allegro in G major
2. Andante variations in C major
3. Scherzo: Allegro assai in G major

The first movement opens with a brief sixteenth-note phrase which is heavily used throughout. It has many passages in thirty-second notes, limiting the tempo at which it can reasonably be taken. The development features a false recapitulation in E-flat.

The second movement is a set of variations on a theme which is marked “La prima parte senza replica” (first part without repeat). The form of the music is Theme with Three Variations. It seems about to end quietly, like the first and last movements, but concludes abruptly with a crashing C major chord.

The third movement, in 3/8 time, is titled “Scherzo” but is actually a rondo in form. It ends quietly, on the very lowest notes of the piano of Beethoven’s time, producing a humorous effect.

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