The second movement is a slow movement in the same tonic as the first (D), and—significantly—this is Beethoven’s first slow movement in a minor key. The layout can be heard either as sonata form or as compound ternary (A–B–A). As in the first movement, the development is relatively small in scale.
Exposition
First Theme
The movement opens in D minor. Unusually, the first theme forms a nine-bar phrase, not a square eight: after the initial four bars one extra bar is inserted before the phrase is restated. Another distinctive point is that no cadence appears until bar 9—so the music flows without four-bar cadential breaks. The subdominant is notably emphasized.
Transition
With a cadence in D minor, the music turns to the transition. Befitting a slow movement, sixteenth- and thirty-second-note values appear frequently, in contrast with the first theme. The dotted-eighth + sixteenth rhythm is the main substance, and a sixteenth-note accompaniment propels the passage. At bar 16 a wide-spanned, rough arpeggio in the texture heightens the sense of motion compared with the first theme. In bars 9, 11, and 12 the placement of rinforzando on the middle beat shifts the felt downbeat and re-weights the phrase openings. From the end of bar 12 the music modulates to C major; with dominant-focused harmonic motion it reaches a cadence at bar 17 and proceeds to the second theme.
Second Theme
Departing from the minor-mode convention of the relative major, the second theme starts, as in many major-mode sonatas, in the dominant—here A minor. Another striking point: it does not begin on i, but on a German augmented-sixth, moving immediately to V. As in the transition, V is strongly emphasized; only at bar 20 does i appear (in inversion). A V–I perfect authentic cadence follows. Overall, the second theme blends traits of the first theme and the transition: one hears both the vertical, chordal writing of the first theme and the more extended rhythms of the transition. A similar four-bar unit is stated twice, and with the cadence at bar 26 a brief codetta begins. Drawing on elements used in the transition, the section closes on i at bar 30, ending the exposition.
Development
The development begins in F major, the relative major of the home key. Although one can spot fragments of earlier themes, the passage feels more like the appearance of new thematic material than a working-out of prior ideas. For this reason one might prefer to hear the overall design as ternary; however, considering the keys used in the recapitulation and the treatment of the first and second themes, the movement is best understood as a freely handled sonata form. The diminished-seventh at bar 35 shifts the atmosphere; together with a new right-hand thirty-second-note figure, it suggests a move toward G minor.
Retransition
The immediately preceding figure is repeated verbatim, now with A as a pedal. This serves as a retransition guiding us back to the tonic D minor and into the recapitulation. Over the dominant pedal, the harmony traces V–i–ii–V. From bar 41 the right hand takes over the previous descending line; a brief monodic span leads directly into the recapitulation.
Recapitulation
The recapitulation is larger in scale than either the exposition or the development and begins in D minor. Compared with the exposition, the left hand of the first theme shows a modified version with a bit more inner motion.
Relative to the exposition, the transition is somewhat shortened. At bars 55–56 there is a cadence in B♭ major. The second theme seems to start in B♭ major, but it moves immediately to V of D minor, thus reasserting the sonata-form norm of restating the second theme in the tonic. From bar 61 the figuration appears higher in register than before and more expanded, giving a sense of growth. With the cadence at bars 64–65, the music turns to the coda.
Coda
The coda develops a right-hand thirty-second-note accompaniment against a left-hand melodic line; notably, the first left-hand phrase projects the first theme’s melody in the bass.
After this span, from bar 72 the coda takes up the retransition’s subject. A dominant pedal reappears and the A-anchored harmonic motion is again in evidence. With the cadence at bar 76, the music enters the coda’s final portion: eighth-note units and vertical chords recall the first theme’s opening, and unison fragments of the first theme are passed between the hands. After the cadence at bar 83, over a tonic pedal the harmony continues quietly, and the piece subsides to a gentle close.
The second movement is a slow movement in the same tonic as the first (D), and—significantly—this is Beethoven’s first slow movement in a minor key. The layout can be heard either as sonata form or as compound ternary (A–B–A). As in the first movement, the development is relatively small in scale.
Exposition
First Theme
The movement opens in D minor. Unusually, the first theme forms a nine-bar phrase, not a square eight: after the initial four bars one extra bar is inserted before the phrase is restated. Another distinctive point is that no cadence appears until bar 9—so the music flows without four-bar cadential breaks. The subdominant is notably emphasized.
Transition
With a cadence in D minor, the music turns to the transition. Befitting a slow movement, sixteenth- and thirty-second-note values appear frequently, in contrast with the first theme. The dotted-eighth + sixteenth rhythm is the main substance, and a sixteenth-note accompaniment propels the passage. At bar 16 a wide-spanned, rough arpeggio in the texture heightens the sense of motion compared with the first theme. In bars 9, 11, and 12 the placement of rinforzando on the middle beat shifts the felt downbeat and re-weights the phrase openings. From the end of bar 12 the music modulates to C major; with dominant-focused harmonic motion it reaches a cadence at bar 17 and proceeds to the second theme.
Second Theme
Departing from the minor-mode convention of the relative major, the second theme starts, as in many major-mode sonatas, in the dominant—here A minor. Another striking point: it does not begin on i, but on a German augmented-sixth, moving immediately to V. As in the transition, V is strongly emphasized; only at bar 20 does i appear (in inversion). A V–I perfect authentic cadence follows. Overall, the second theme blends traits of the first theme and the transition: one hears both the vertical, chordal writing of the first theme and the more extended rhythms of the transition. A similar four-bar unit is stated twice, and with the cadence at bar 26 a brief codetta begins. Drawing on elements used in the transition, the section closes on i at bar 30, ending the exposition.
Development
The development begins in F major, the relative major of the home key. Although one can spot fragments of earlier themes, the passage feels more like the appearance of new thematic material than a working-out of prior ideas. For this reason one might prefer to hear the overall design as ternary; however, considering the keys used in the recapitulation and the treatment of the first and second themes, the movement is best understood as a freely handled sonata form. The diminished-seventh at bar 35 shifts the atmosphere; together with a new right-hand thirty-second-note figure, it suggests a move toward G minor.
Retransition
The immediately preceding figure is repeated verbatim, now with A as a pedal. This serves as a retransition guiding us back to the tonic D minor and into the recapitulation. Over the dominant pedal, the harmony traces V–i–ii–V. From bar 41 the right hand takes over the previous descending line; a brief monodic span leads directly into the recapitulation.
Recapitulation
The recapitulation is larger in scale than either the exposition or the development and begins in D minor. Compared with the exposition, the left hand of the first theme shows a modified version with a bit more inner motion.
Relative to the exposition, the transition is somewhat shortened. At bars 55–56 there is a cadence in B♭ major. The second theme seems to start in B♭ major, but it moves immediately to V of D minor, thus reasserting the sonata-form norm of restating the second theme in the tonic. From bar 61 the figuration appears higher in register than before and more expanded, giving a sense of growth. With the cadence at bars 64–65, the music turns to the coda.
Coda
The coda develops a right-hand thirty-second-note accompaniment against a left-hand melodic line; notably, the first left-hand phrase projects the first theme’s melody in the bass.
After this span, from bar 72 the coda takes up the retransition’s subject. A dominant pedal reappears and the A-anchored harmonic motion is again in evidence. With the cadence at bar 76, the music enters the coda’s final portion: eighth-note units and vertical chords recall the first theme’s opening, and unison fragments of the first theme are passed between the hands. After the cadence at bar 83, over a tonic pedal the harmony continues quietly, and the piece subsides to a gentle close.