Sonata no 26 in E-flat major, opus 81a, was given to Archduke Rudolph of Austria, one of Beethoven’s favorite pupils and a very close friend. Beethoven dedicated 14 of his compositions to the Archduke, including the Archduke Trio, the Hammerklavier Sonata, the Emperor Concerto and the Missa Solemnis. ‘Les Adieux’, as sonata no 26 is named, was given to the archduke just before his flight from Vienna on the occasion of the 1809 invasion by Napoleon. Of all Beethoven’s piano sonatas, Les Adieux is the only piece of program music: instrumental music that carries some extramusical meaning. It is contrasted with absolute music, in which artistic interest is confined to abstract constructions in sound. ‘Les Adieux’ was, as far as ‘farewell program music’ is concerned, precedented by Johann Sebastian Bach’s early piece ‘Capriccio on the departure of his beloved brother’. The three movements each have a title: the first movement Das Lebewohl or farewell, the second movement Abwesenheit or absence and the third movement Das Wiedersehen or return.

Das Lebewohl: Adagio-Allegro begins with a horn call: a symbol in poetry of distance, isolation and memory. The musical symbol of ‘Das Lebewohl’ are three descending, aching intervals at the start of the opening movement; two horns playing ‘le-be-wohl’. The three intervals are the main motiv from which the movement grows. On the last note the bass comes in with a deceptive cadence, very beautiful and sad. The whole movement is swimming in the le-be-wohl motiv in several transformations. The first is an inversion of the main motiv in the bass, when the allegro breaks out. The next transformation of le-be-wohl is the soprano inversion and the bass playing the original le-be-wohl. And later a transformation of le-be-wohl in small note values in the soprano. Then the repeat of the exposition and the development section; it’s all very compact and happens in a very short time. Beethoven uses the figure of deconstruction: how can you break down something to its smallest part? In the end only two notes remain. The movement ends with a very poetic coda, the most picturesque and programmatic section, representing a sense of distance and departure.

Abwesenheit: Andante espressivo is a wonderful portrayal of melancholy. Beethoven immediately moves away from the opening C-minor chord, which gives a sense of uncertainty and insecurity. The music is very rhetorical, almost like a Bach or Händel recitativo. It’s a very short movement and, like in Appassionata and Waldstein, it doesn’t close, but leads into the final movement.

Das Wiedersehen: Vivacissimamente voices the incredible joy of two friends reunited. It is one of the most ecstatic movements Beethoven ever wrote, celebrating the return of the composer’s missed friend in a spirit of great joy. There can’t be simpler six bars, but with variations. In the third variation we can hear the full orchestra. It’s like a pianoconcerto without the orchestra. Some figurations are straight out of third movement of the Emperor Concerto (Beethoven’s fifth piano concerto), which is also dedicated to Archduke Rudolph. The epilogue reminds us of the beginning: le-be-wohl. We can hear the horns again, adding a touch of melancholy. Very poetic.