Piano Sonata No.5 in C-sharp minor - E.T.A. Hoffmann

Performed by Wolfgang Brunner.

I - Largo - Allegro moderato: 0:00
II - Scherzo. Allegretto (Tempo of the Allegretto from Beethoven's Sonata Op.10 No.2): 6:50
III - Allegro: 8:11

Hoffmann's Piano Sonata No.5 was composed around 1808, after a call for scores from Zurich music publisher Hans Georg Nägeli. However, the piece was rejected, along with the rest of Hoffmann's sonatas. The composer attempted to met Nägeli's demand of departure from the traditional sonata form as well as contrapuntal mastery. Other publishing houses also rejected the score, not being finally published until 1922, a century after Hoffmann's death. The sonata is the most ambitious and refined pieces by the composer, heavily influenced by Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata.

When Hoffmann’s musical works were finally exhumed and examined in the early 20th century, researchers were disappointed that his music did not contain any of the grotesqueries or ironic humour of his famous tales; but some of it has turned out to be very solidly written and worthy of performance, as seen in Hoffmann's piano sonatas. Despite Hoffmann’s lifelong adoration of Mozart (he even legally changed his third name from Wilhelm to Amadeus in honour of his idol), in these piano sonatas the language spoken is halfway towards Beethoven. It should also not surprise us, considering his love of Mozart’s formality, that although the emotional content of the sonatas is close to Beethoven, these works also mirror the structure of Mozart. The result is a constant and fascinating tug-of-war between very Classical design and Romantic harmonies.

The first movement is structured in a modified sonata form. It begins with a slow and dramatic introduction, undeniable Beethovenian in its contours. The main allegro opens with a contrapuntal and rhythmic main theme, contrasted by a more melodic second theme. The development consists of a two-voice fugue with the main theme as the subject, continuously modulating between major and minor tonalities. We find no separate recapitulation, instead being embedded in the final part of the development. A modest coda ends the movement.

The second movement is a brief scherzo that replaces the previous slow movements, being monothematic in form. It opens with a lively, mercurial two-part theme in which Hoffmann explores multiple nuances. As the tempo marks indicated, the second movement of Beethoven's Piano Sonata No.6 was taken as a reference. We find no real coda, instead the movement ends suddenly.

The third movement is also structured in sonata form. It begins with an expressive and passionate main theme, a more contemplative and dark second theme then briefly appears, derived from the main one. Follows an animated development with Beethovenian gestures. After the recapitulation of the themes, a passionate and intense coda, based on the main theme, ends the work powerfully.

Musical analysis partially written by myself. Source: https://tinyurl.com/29rgxqm4

To check the score: https://tinyurl.com/2cfrpb77