The second movement is in a fast Allegro molto e vivace, C minor, 3/4, and cast as a compound ternary A–B–A′. A salient feature is the straightforward arpeggiation of chord tones laid out honestly without complex added tones. As with the first movement, this one follows attacca.
A
The A section begins in C minor and can be divided into A–a and A–b. Across A, the motive is the arpeggio that spells out the chord tones. It moves mainly in quarter-note units, with phrases most often one bar long. In the first four measures the harmony presents i and V in C minor, establishing the key. Thereafter the pitch B traces a chromatic descent B–B♭–A–A♭–G. At m. 13, i of C minor is reinterpreted as iv of G minor, and the music modulates to G minor. In mm. 15–16 a perfect authentic cadence in G minor appears, and a repeat sign sends the music back to the beginning.
A–b unfolds with similar figuration. It, too, starts in C minor, but places V7/iv at the very outset, giving a brief C-major-like color. As it resolves to iv, the C-minor character is immediately clarified. There is no large-scale modulation; within C minor one hears applied chords and chromatic motion for local color. From m. 25 a beginning akin to A–a returns; again a chromatic line C–B–B♭–A–A♭–G–F♯ leads back to G, confirms V of C minor, and a PAC closes the A section.
B
The B section contrasts with A by striking block chords instead of arpeggios. Yet it shares with A the plain display of chord tones without dense voicing. Characteristically, chords land on beats 1 and 3 throughout.
B itself divides into B–a and B–b, mirroring A’s two-part layout. The key begins in E-flat major (the tonic’s relative). Notably, it does not start on I but on IV. Over eight bars IV is sustained broadly; then a classic subdominant → dominant → tonic chain appears: IV – vii7/V – I6/4 – V7 – I, leading to a PAC in E-flat.
From m. 55, B–b starts in A-flat major. Mm. 55–71 are entirely built from a single V7 chord. The left hand still enters on beats 1 and 3, as in B–a; the right-hand tones that formerly appeared on beat 2 now descend stepwise across beats 2 and 3. In mm. 72–73 a PAC in A-flat major, articulated with appoggiaturas and suspensions, closes B and the movement proceeds to A′.
A′
The start of A′ is identical to A. After a cadence in G minor at m. 88, there is no repeat sign; instead the earlier material is re-presented in varied form. From m. 89 the two hands no longer enter together on every downbeat: the left hand still strikes each beat but now with added staccato, while the right hand rests an eighth and then enters syncopated. With hand-crossing and eighth-note pacing, the flow accelerates.
A′–b proceeds analogously: the earlier syncopation is maintained, and otherwise the span matches A–b.
After a PAC using a Picardy third at mm. 127–128, a codetta follows. The codetta is built over a C-major triad. The pitch C is held by pedal to the very end, while the inner voices show slight changes using the subdominant. The first beat is persistently stressed by sforzandi; from m. 136, with both hands descending and the syncopation further highlighted, the piece closes. The music then proceeds attacca to the third movement; notably, the sforzando C at m. 140 feels linked to the opening pitch of the third movement.
The second movement is in a fast Allegro molto e vivace, C minor, 3/4, and cast as a compound ternary A–B–A′. A salient feature is the straightforward arpeggiation of chord tones laid out honestly without complex added tones. As with the first movement, this one follows attacca.
A
The A section begins in C minor and can be divided into A–a and A–b. Across A, the motive is the arpeggio that spells out the chord tones. It moves mainly in quarter-note units, with phrases most often one bar long. In the first four measures the harmony presents i and V in C minor, establishing the key. Thereafter the pitch B traces a chromatic descent B–B♭–A–A♭–G. At m. 13, i of C minor is reinterpreted as iv of G minor, and the music modulates to G minor. In mm. 15–16 a perfect authentic cadence in G minor appears, and a repeat sign sends the music back to the beginning.
A–b unfolds with similar figuration. It, too, starts in C minor, but places V7/iv at the very outset, giving a brief C-major-like color. As it resolves to iv, the C-minor character is immediately clarified. There is no large-scale modulation; within C minor one hears applied chords and chromatic motion for local color. From m. 25 a beginning akin to A–a returns; again a chromatic line C–B–B♭–A–A♭–G–F♯ leads back to G, confirms V of C minor, and a PAC closes the A section.
B
The B section contrasts with A by striking block chords instead of arpeggios. Yet it shares with A the plain display of chord tones without dense voicing. Characteristically, chords land on beats 1 and 3 throughout.
B itself divides into B–a and B–b, mirroring A’s two-part layout. The key begins in E-flat major (the tonic’s relative). Notably, it does not start on I but on IV. Over eight bars IV is sustained broadly; then a classic subdominant → dominant → tonic chain appears: IV – vii7/V – I6/4 – V7 – I, leading to a PAC in E-flat.
From m. 55, B–b starts in A-flat major. Mm. 55–71 are entirely built from a single V7 chord. The left hand still enters on beats 1 and 3, as in B–a; the right-hand tones that formerly appeared on beat 2 now descend stepwise across beats 2 and 3. In mm. 72–73 a PAC in A-flat major, articulated with appoggiaturas and suspensions, closes B and the movement proceeds to A′.
A′
The start of A′ is identical to A. After a cadence in G minor at m. 88, there is no repeat sign; instead the earlier material is re-presented in varied form. From m. 89 the two hands no longer enter together on every downbeat: the left hand still strikes each beat but now with added staccato, while the right hand rests an eighth and then enters syncopated. With hand-crossing and eighth-note pacing, the flow accelerates.
A′–b proceeds analogously: the earlier syncopation is maintained, and otherwise the span matches A–b.
After a PAC using a Picardy third at mm. 127–128, a codetta follows. The codetta is built over a C-major triad. The pitch C is held by pedal to the very end, while the inner voices show slight changes using the subdominant. The first beat is persistently stressed by sforzandi; from m. 136, with both hands descending and the syncopation further highlighted, the piece closes. The music then proceeds attacca to the third movement; notably, the sforzando C at m. 140 feels linked to the opening pitch of the third movement.