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Beethoven: Violin Sonata no. 5 in F, "Spring"

© Yen Loong Teoh

Mention classical music, and the first thing that comes to the mind would be Beethoven. Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827), is a name that is always associated with classical music. The opening of his Symphony no. 5 in C minor, so-called 'fate knocking on the door', is perhaps the most well-known opening of classical music.

It was Beethoven who forged a solid bridge between the Classical Period and Romantic Period. By listening to his earliest symphony, Symphony no. 1 in C major, one could sense the influence of Joseph Haydn (a Classical Period composer, known as the 'father of symphony'). But be warned about his last symphony, the ninth in d minor ('Choral Symphony'), as one is totally overwhelmed by the emotional intensity never heard before. And after Beethoven, began the Romantic Period dominated by giants such as P.I. Tchaikovsky, Felix Mendelssohn, Richard Wagner and Johannes Brahms.

But we must not forget that Beethoven wrote other masterpieces as well, and what being focused on here is his Violin Sonata no. 5 in F major (Op. 24), or more affectionately known as the 'Spring Sonata'. Beethoven wrote a total of 10 Violin Sonatas, spanning from 1797 to 1812.

In this violin sonata, Beethoven gave the violin an equal voice along with the piano. In early Classical Period, usually a violin sonata was called 'Piano Sonata with Violin as Accompaniment', but Mozart started to give both instruments the same importance in his late violin sonatas, and Beethoven successfully continued this trend and created some of the greatest violin sonatas ever written in music history.

The first movement, Allegro, starts with the soft violin playing the note A, and then the main theme instantly unfolds. The piano softly plays the accompaniment behind, and both of them evoke a feeling of serenity to the listener. This is, in the key of F major, same as the key in his narrative Symphony no. 6, the Pastorale. After that, the main theme is repeated again, this time by the piano, and violin plays the accompaniment, soft and tender. The tranquility continues, until there is a dramatic change of the mood when the key changes to minor key. Throughout the movement, the violin and piano exchange conversation equally, unfailingly discussing the jollity of spring. The second movement, Adagio Molto Espressivo, is movement stands on its own.

In the third movement, the gaiety remains, where the piano leads the main theme, while the violin follows, repeating the piano by about half a second behind. This gives the feeling as if both instruments are chasing each other. This Scherzo lasts for slightly more than a minute, and it definitely brings the humour and laughter into the music. Ending the sonata is the fourth movement, Rondo - Allegro ma non troppo, where the lyrical melody unfolds itself. From the beginning to the end, both instruments are literally singing! It is the creativity of Beethoven that allows the voices of these instruments to become so inextricably intertwined, that one could not just exist without the other. This is what meant by equality.