♫ So, the second movement of op. 49 no. 2 – a menuet – is a bit more noteworthy than the first was. This is the case first of all because, while not substantial or surprising, it has a great deal of charm. But it also has a certain historical significance: this movement must have captured Beethoven’s own attention, because he “recycled” its main theme in the menuet of his Septet for winds and strings, op. 20. This is not the only instance of Beethoven “recycling” or “repurposing” material – you may remember that the op. 2 sonatas have passages that are drawn from his very early piano quartets. But it wasn’t the sort of thing he did often. Also of significance here is the fact that Beethoven loved the Septet – it was, in its time, a very popular piece. It’s fallen a bit out of favor these days, perhaps on account of its somewhat impractical instrumentation, and on account of it being something of a light entertainment – the sort of piece that doesn’t get that much respect these days. But at any rate, the fact that Beethoven reused this menuet theme in a piece he was so very fond of suggests that he must have held the theme itself in rather high esteem. The septet is structured like a divertimento, or serenade: Large sonata movement, slow movement, dance movement, second slow movement, second dance movement, and rondo finale. This menuet is the first of those two dance movements, and really, it’s only the opening theme that it has in common with op. 49 no. 2 – the septet’s menuet goes its own way almost immediately, and includes a trio that doesn’t feature in the sonata at all. In fact, the sonata’s menuet doesn’t have a proper trio, but rather two contrasting episodes. But before I get ahead of myself, let me first play that opening theme. ♫ It’s nothing remarkable, but alongside its gentility, it has a twinkle in its eye that makes it very appealing, and somewhat more distinctive than the first movement. As for those contrasting episodes, the first is quite courtly. ♫ Whereas the second is more robust. ♫ But while this is all very charming, I have to come back to that word: genteel – normally, even when Beethoven is being formal, even when he is being lyrical, he is still intense. This music simply doesn’t have that intensity that is Beethoven’s defining quality. This piece has a coda, but it, too, aims only for charm. ♫ Very much of a piece with the rest of the movement, and work as a whole. This coda ties a bow around a piece which probably served a practical purpose and provided a bit of needed income. But atypically for his published works – certainly for his piano sonatas – it offers us no window into Beethoven’s soul.
