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o :JO Quasi una Fantasia Gp. 27 Nos. 1 AND 2, Gp. 26 Fantasy, as in make-believe, the realm of dreams, is the safety valve of human consciousness, the drawing board of the architect, the curiosity of the inventor, the raptus of the composer. Beethoven seems to have used the term quasi una fantasia as an explanation for the departure from conventional form-beginning with a slow movement, joining movements, including a cyclic element-not to escape the restraint of the rational but to unify the sonata through rational means. OP. 27 Nos. 1 AND 2 This sonata lOp. 27 No. II, by its rather vague subtitle, "In the style of a Fantasy," would seem to imply that it is somewhat rambling and incoherent in plan. Such was doubtless the composer's intention, but at the period when he wrote it he had not discovered how to write rhapsodically. His composition persists in presenting itself in watertight compartments, and it is in vain that he writes "attacca" at the end of each movement (meaning "follow on") when he contradicts himself perpetually by making an emphatic cadence with a pause after it. The first movement, at any rate, is an ingenious attempt to get away from the discontinuity of a theme and variations by the agreeable expedient of breaking out into an Andante [?] and a Scherzo, yet relapsing into his variations again and again. This would make an excellent piece to play by itself, and the reason why it is not done can only be a disinclination to expose Beethoven 's failure of plan.' The Sonatas 114 As the quotation indicates, "fantasy" has different meanings for different people . Why would a good composer set out to be "rambling and incoherent" or, for that matter, point to such an intent with a phrase such as "quasi una Fantasia"? Why would pianists in the twentieth century be concerned about "protecting" Beethoven 's reputation? The fact that the author taught at an internationally known school unfortunately makes the remark that "Beethoven had a huge advantage over all of us-he never attended a school of music" sound less facetious. Beethoven's reasons for using the term quasi una fantasia are to be found in the features, shared by both sonatas, that set them apart from his work up to that time. Attacca subito l'Allegro or l'Adagio or il seguente tells us that Beethoven considered the musical content too integrated and personal to permit any break in the listener 's concentration. In the B Sonata, the term occurs after each of the first three movements, while, in the C# Sonata, Attacca il seguente is found only at the end of the first movement. It appears that Beethoven wanted a conventional pause before the finale to set it apart as an independent movement. Perhaps his reason was that the second sonata is not a cyclic piece, and also that beginning anew draws attention to the motivic parallels with the first movement. The direction attacca does not appear in any preceding sonata and, in the later sonatas, only preceding the finale in Opp. 53 and 57. In both of these instances, the finale is harmonically joined to the preceding movement. This statement should be qualified, however, by pointing out that the long pedal at the close of the first and third movements of Op. 26, by extending the musical "spell," implies somewhat the same effect as attacca. At other times, the absence of a double bar between movements, as, for example, in Opp. 81a, 101, and 109, is equivalent to attacca; the visual appearance of continuity is even stronger. In addition, the reader may wish to include Op. 106, in which, as in Op. 53, an introductory movement of some length is joined to the finale. The two sonatas of Op. 27 are alike also in beginning with a slow movement, a peculiarity shared only with Op. 26. Again, the statement must be qualified. The Andante of Op. 27 NO.1 is interrupted by an Allegro, and there are other opening movements (Op. 13, Op. 31 NO.2, Op. 78, Op. 81a, and Op. lll) that begin with a slow section; in Op. 31 No.2 and Op. 78, it is very brief but important. Also, the first movement of Op. no, while marked Moderato, unfolds slowly because of its content and the marking molto espressivo, "very held back." Beginning with a slow movement, especially if the dynamic level is piano or pianissimo, is...

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