Beethoven Sonata Op. 49 No. 2 arranged for flute quartet. Duration: ca: 10:15 Score: 30 pages, 242 measures. In two movements. A great recital piece to demonstrate nuances of the flute quartet.

Sonata Op. 49 No. 2
Arranged from Beethoven?s Piano Sonata No. 20, this isa simple but interesting work in two movements showing the composers sense ofhumor. The first movement ?Allegro ma non troppo? and the second movement?Tempo di Menuetto? are both in the key of G. Both Sonatas 19 and 20 (op. 49,No. 1 & 2) are named ?Easy Sonatas? because they are technically easierthan the usual Beethoven Sonatas. This makes them very popular among studentsand teachers alike.

BeethovenBackground
Ludwig vanBeethoven (1770 ?1827) was certainly a German pianist. Aboveall, he was probably one of the greatest composers in history. As a result, heis a pivotal character in the progress between the Classical and Romantic periods.He is certainly one of the most famous and hence important of all composers.Seems like his most familiar and noteworthy works include symphonies 1-9; pianoconcertos 1-5; and furthermore, the violin concerto. Also, certainly of extremeimportance are the noteworthy 32 sonatas for the piano; the string quartets1-16; the Missa solemnis; and likewise, his only opera, Fidelio.

Beethoven Overview
First of all, Beethoven was born andconsequently raised in Bonn. Upon turning 21 he moved to Vienna probablyto study composition with Haydn. That?s when he consequently grew areputation as a brilliant pianist. Furthermore, he probably stayed in Viennathe rest of his life. In his late 20s it seems like his hearing certainly beganto decline. It slowly declined until consequently he was nearly totally deafprobably by the last decade of his life. As a result, he stopped conducting andperforming. Nevertheless, he continued to compose. As a result, some of hisgreatest works probably come from this period.

First Period
Seems like we often divideBeethoven?s life into three periods. Period 1 begins with Beethoven?s arrivalin Vienna. Hence, during this period, he mastered the Viennese style of Haydn& Mozart. He consequently began increasing the size and scale of his works.Furthermore, he experimented with extreme dynamics, and likewise extreme tempi.He worked similarly with chromatic harmony. His First and Second Symphoniestherefore belong to this period. Other important works also belong here: the firstsix string quartets and the Sonata Pathétique, Op. 13.

Second Period
His second period probably began assoon as he realized that he was going deaf. During this period, it seems likehe became obsessed with the idea of heroism. His works consequently become evenlarger and more massive. The most noteworthy of these include the symphonies 3? 8, piano concertos 5& 6, 5 string quartets, several important piano sonatas(Waldstein and Appassionata), the Kreutzer violinsonata, the violin concerto and his only opera: Fidelio.

Third Period
In contrast, Beethoven's thirdperiod is branded above all by works of incredible intellectual depth, formalinnovation, and penetrating expression. It seems like he continued to expandhis works. Consequently, the string quartet Op. 131 spills over into sevenconnected movements. Likewise, in the Ninth Symphony he adds choral forcesto his orchestra probably for the first time in history. Even more, otherworks from this period include his Missa solemnis, the final 5string quartets (including the enormous Große Fuge) and the finalfive sonatas for piano.

Three movements of beautiful polymodal writing, with rich counterpoint and soaring melodies. The opening movement has a dance-like theme, yet with dark overtones. The central slow movement has a haunting tune played in turn by the first violin, viola and cello. The final movement is fast and jolly. Throughout the piece, the four instruments are in conversation, passing thematic material between them, with exciting rhythmic interplay. Lasting about 17', Quartet In Conversation is a contemporary work, respecting the legacy of the great quartets of Beethoven, Ravel, Bartok, Shostakovich and John Adams. There's more at www.dominicmcgonigal.com

This version has been adapted and facilitated for a small instrumental quartet, this arrangement is ideal for beginners in music or children who need to practice together. Music educators or music schools can use this material as a pedagogical tool to teach classes or even use as repertoire for recitals. The theme has been reduced to approximately 3 minutes and 24 seconds, where the first voice does the melody while the remaining three do the rhythmic marking along with the harmony.
Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 in A major Op. 92 was written in mid-1811 while he was in the spa town of Teplice, Bohemia hoping to regain his health. It was completed in 1812, and was dedicated to Count Moritz von Fries. It had its premiere at a charity concert for soldiers wounded at the battle of Hanau, Vienna during the Napoleonic wars, under the conductor of the composer himself.
Its second movement Allegretto, characterized by a rhythmic ostinato almost like a march, is the best known of the symphony and also one of the best known of the composer's works, characterized by the almost continuous repetition of the E note in the harmony among the chord degrees present.

This version has been adapted and facilitated for a small instrumental quartet, this arrangement is ideal for beginners in music or children who need to practice together. Music educators or music schools can use this material as a pedagogical tool to teach classes or even use as repertoire for recitals. The theme has been reduced to approximately 3 minutes and 24 seconds, where the first voice does the melody while the remaining three do the rhythmic marking along with the harmony.
Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 in A major Op. 92 was written in mid-1811 while he was in the spa town of Teplice, Bohemia hoping to regain his health. It was completed in 1812, and was dedicated to Count Moritz von Fries. It had its premiere at a charity concert for soldiers wounded at the battle of Hanau, Vienna during the Napoleonic wars, under the conductor of the composer himself.
Its second movement Allegretto, characterized by a rhythmic ostinato almost like a march, is the best known of the symphony and also one of the best known of the composer's works, characterized by the almost continuous repetition of the E note in the harmony among the chord degrees present.

Written for the superb Domus ensemble, Casken's vivid addition to the small number of modern piano quartets exploits the very different sonorities, weight and attack which strings and piano possess. Casken's music has a strong sense of theatre and here the singing lines are constantly threatened by dynamic, rhythmic material. '... this 16-minute single movement explores the essential dichotomy between the dynamic percussive keyboard and the singing, more cohesive strings.' (Christopher Morley. The Birmingham Post. 1990).