Piano Sonata Op. 81a

Beethoven’s Sonata Les Adieux is the composer’s only piano sonata with a programmatic background. The reason for its creation was the so-called 5th coalition war, in which Napoleon’s army invaded Austria in the spring of 1809, and the imperial family, including Beethoven’s patron and pupil Archduke Rudolph, had to flee Vienna. Whether the three movements directly reflect the Archduke’s farewell, his absence and his return, or the general fate of many during this war, is disputed today. The reference to Archduke Rudolph, already attested in Beethoven’s title, is, however, undeniable. This new edition is based on all relevant sources, the preface provides information about the historical background and the influence of this on the genesis of the work, the retrospective notes on interpretation by Beethoven’s pupil Carl Czerny are not only reproduced, but also critically commented on in footnotes.