Ludwig van Beethoven
Sonata for Piano in E flat major op. 81a 'Les Adieux'

Farewell, absence and reunion

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Instrumentation Piano
Composer Ludwig van Beethoven
Series Bärenreiter Urtext
Editor Jonathan Del Mar
Difficulty Level
(difficult)
Edition Sheet Music Download (Urtext)
Publisher Bärenreiter Verlag
Order no. BA11808-DL

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Description:

Language: German English
Pages: 43
Release: 29.09.2025
Key: Eb major
Opus: 81a
Genre: Classical Music, Classical Music (Classical Era)
ISMN: 9790006616213

Beethoven incorporated very personal impressions into his Sonata op. 81a, composed in 1809/10, with the movement titles "Das Lebewohl", "Die Abwesenheit" and "Das Wiedersehn". The compositional trigger was the hasty departure of Beethoven's close friend and patron Archduke Rudolph of Austria, who fled Vienna together with the imperial family on May 4, 1809 for fear of the approaching Napoleonic troops. Beethoven described op. 81a as a "characteristic sonata", but this was not meant in the sense of programmatic music, but as a musical expression of his feelings. The composer reacted angrily to the publisher's French translations of the title and movement designations, which could not prevent op. 81a from becoming widely known under the name "Les Adieux".

Jonathan Del Mar, a world-renowned authority on the edition of Beethoven's instrumental music, offers a reliably edited musical text based on the latest research findings, the principles of which are revealed in a precisely formulated Critical Commentary. The elegant notation meets the highest practical demands, and in particular the new Bärenreiter edition eliminates the need to turn pages between the slow second movement and the Vivacissimamente which follows "attacca subito". Knowledgeable notes on essential questions of historical performance practice and an informative introduction round off the new edition of the sonata.

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