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.