Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 4, in E♭ major, Op. 7, sometimes nicknamed the Grand Sonata, was written in November 1796 and dedicated to his student Babette, the Countess Keglević. The sonata was composed during Beethoven's visit to the Keglevich Palace. Beethoven named it Great Sonata, because it was published alone, which was unusual for the time.
Along with the Hammerklavier Sonata, it is one of the longest piano sonatas that Beethoven composed. A typical performance lasts about 28 minutes.
Contents
Structure
The sonata is laid out in four movements:
I. Allegro molto e con brio
The first movement is in sonata form.
II. Largo con gran espressione
The second movement is in ternary form.
III. Allegro
The third movement is in scherzo and trio form.
IV. Rondo: Poco allegretto e grazioso
The fourth movement is in rondo form. This movement of the sonata in particular was featured in the documentary Note by Note: The Making of Steinway L1037.