Key Usage In Beethoven's Keyboard Sonatas
Sonata: Sonata 1 Sonata 2 Sonata 3 Sonata 4 Sonata 5 Sonata 6 Sonata 7 Sonata 8 Sonata 9 Sonata 10 Sonata 11 Sonata 12 Sonata 13 Sonata 14 Sonata 15 Sonata 16 Sonata 17 Sonata 18 Sonata 19 Sonata 20 Sonata 21 Sonata 22 Sonata 23 Sonata 24 Sonata 25 Sonata 26 Sonata 27 Sonata 28 Sonata 29 Sonata 30 Sonata 31 Sonata 32
Opus: Op. 2, No. 1 Op. 2, No. 2 Op. 2, No. 3 Op. 7 Op. 10, No. 1 Op. 10, No 2 Op. 10, No.3 Op. 13 Op. 14, No. 1 Op. 14, No. 2 Op. 22 Op. 26 Op. 27, No. 1 Op. 27, No. 2 Op. 28 Op. 31, No. 1 Op. 31, No. 2 Op. 31, No. 3 Op. 49, No. 1 Op. 49, No. 2 Op. 53 Op. 54 Op. 57 Op. 78 Op. 79 Op. 81a Op. 90 Op. 101 Op. 106 Op. 109 Op. 110 Op. 111
Nickname:


Der Verliebte


Pathétique




Mondschein Pastorale
Der Sturm


Waldstein
Appasionata Thérèse
Das Lebewohl

Hammer-klavier



Year Of Composition: 1795 1795 1795 1796/97 1796/98 1796/98 1796/98 1798/99 1798/99 1798/99 1799/1800 1800/1801 1800/1801 1801 1801 1801/02 1801/02 1801/02 1798 1796 1803/04 1804 1803/05 1809 1809 1809/10 1814 1813/16 1817/18 1820 1820/22 1821/22 TOTAL
Key: F Minor A Major C Major E-Flat Major C Minor F Major D Major C Minor E Major G Major B-Flat Major A-Flat Major E-Flat Major C-Sharp Minor D Major G Major D Minor E-Flat Major G Minor G Major C Major F Major F Minor F-Sharp Major G Major E-Flat Major E Minor A Major B-Flat Major E Major A-Flat Major C Minor
C 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Bb 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
A 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
G# 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
G 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
F# 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
F 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 156 0 0 2150 0 0 0 2306
E 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1074 593 0 0 0 1667
D# 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 956 0 236 2384 0 0 96 3672
D 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 390 0 479 12788 0 0 0 13657
C# 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 718 0 354 5014 714 0 0 6800
C 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3564 0 0 9412 3096 2270 9568 0 1850 2932 32692
B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 354 0 0 1370 2148 1581 11218 12303 348 3560 32882
Bb 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3346 480 0 22092 0 3706 21962 3762 4643 3030 63021
A 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1478 0 354 234 2400 3344 1304 6742 22586 9572 1126 11498 60638
G# 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2254 0 19177 3792 0 11671 474 5352 23586 8443 8453 6540 89742
G 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 36607 0 17042 1080 1840 17827 6790 4206 55868 5874 3966 24321 177451
F# 0 0 0 0 478 0 0 0 480 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5777 0 17188 11328 4180 5604 10184 11450 47748 11014 4499 9634 140042
F 10452 714 15960 21870 21849 10360 5045 20171 1680 1176 6502 2460 4632 0 600 9235 8105 12045 3012 0 34601 1782 32626 8496 240 25190 6044 14942 71214 3248 15012 29075 398338
E 5800 18089 34280 6080 2258 6500 13825 5341 21600 3026 1988 360 960 4487 7739 10801 9585 2148 792 3360 44061 6096 24847 2866 5980 5204 28168 27742 45472 23942 3766 21614 398777
D# 10615 7337 7152 35576 21989 4720 5127 20496 5520 1260 4022 5089 4960 3342 1340 3846 5780 13748 3900 480 20823 380 27770 11962 607 37521 14950 5184 80808 15213 18609 19795 419921
D 13367 9900 42814 29544 14926 11620 34629 20366 4560 12614 10652 960 3072 240 32248 34972 21845 10480 11712 12152 48402 9595 8982 3222 12504 27884 15785 17393 135665 8209 7768 40139 668221
C# 16350 8069 11630 9808 6924 7660 24179 6128 5088 2652 4802 5239 3692 11136 20588 9839 7639 13421 2112 2040 13913 8287 54351 33525 4760 9671 20106 23312 80200 26852 24626 12362 490961
C 46676 6121 57638 40986 38518 30260 8831 42137 10704 15581 15584 7161 7523 3150 8184 35241 19523 23842 10528 10519 73934 14303 75256 16254 10317 49550 14546 19139 89019 11002 26648 55736 894411
B 11365 18290 39752 16212 12265 7820 34426 14665 39828 10316 5134 1920 1752 11425 26509 29898 11600 8064 6444 14644 69764 4368 17167 24501 14463 10579 43802 41325 103143 69224 7852 36827 765344
Bb 35221 5114 11060 58375 30987 19391 28078 27847 5561 4472 28988 26624 38978 7252 12108 7412 18394 41876 5200 0 14586 17440 62074 20127 2300 94467 15626 24924 161408 14084 28231 21769 889974
A 11774 34810 44468 20862 6152 26756 63143 15948 39327 26143 20254 5884 7000 11784 80666 50041 40501 8590 11596 20400 75096 19926 11435 4066 22981 23563 39706 70259 115741 39883 8113 33854 1010722
G# 42336 26249 25879 45177 33672 16180 21783 37073 22280 3124 8374 29347 38686 41763 17064 10293 15825 42616 2580 0 42758 5074 95839 31062 3991 55080 30671 51072 67730 32868 47937 39727 984110
G 46800 16504 94780 83053 46533 35812 52733 73994 32344 53130 42322 18548 39972 9060 69217 82700 23410 39388 15072 46353 134957 26002 68076 6108 29988 95327 21554 46806 149729 22513 36501 126113 1685399
F# 7092 22328 34732 17753 13657 16400 48147 16187 44464 20307 14688 6130 6479 23247 110616 35211 11577 17738 8520 31288 24702 2772 31837 57339 19164 31669 52405 48037 140829 57196 11385 11845 995741
F 76808 23858 68652 100377 55873 47860 23398 64093 14760 21136 62746 29968 56792 18277 24659 43010 56717 53917 14468 5220 83922 23904 103481 22580 4200 106718 12213 56966 161823 7391 54729 73511 1574027
E 34649 56688 94756 44416 17234 30629 69134 17620 91785 36081 20274 5825 13606 28771 107343 137916 41000 8135 5832 34284 84920 22408 61340 14130 25214 14662 67160 117170 78965 77084 23839 107806 1590676
D# 67295 25000 29436 147791 85353 18334 22930 95217 46824 7361 56875 61823 47847 57407 13020 38372 20474 80909 19891 4560 41902 5530 59371 40060 9060 103356 37254 28332 150011 44127 70957 53252 1589931
D 25100 60314 101336 109132 46806 22763 93798 57567 22832 52622 83406 16911 50649 11836 160415 143342 62186 37435 41331 55458 78342 29461 21884 11782 51168 69232 28796 61973 210732 21916 23155 120516 1984196
C# 52373 46872 22491 45221 37133 23876 43948 21395 33288 15583 22741 51918 19067 93448 113396 52661 33445 40973 2514 10648 23978 11836 109589 61835 10796 24853 43056 76964 163213 50386 49130 42552 1451179
C 125474 26100 132940 99643 110012 69610 22745 111116 49416 48400 75694 52218 48238 40866 38926 110704 46693 70590 45370 32413 110812 46415 171439 7212 43164 87897 32300 55234 141399 18418 106216 170569 2348243
B 17897 76462 104601 37893 42995 12097 72800 31907 117544 43594 18600 15246 12174 37213 104185 103267 14270 28071 23662 49472 80330 9064 46620 48196 34274 44259 83498 103828 171592 118779 18882 118647 1841919
Bb 89406 16350 24622 172672 71871 58263 41657 69295 25824 13815 118972 71182 74366 28626 44456 31206 56212 88196 21885 960 17743 36254 76855 34481 21961 189680 15134 43434 205088 26232 76520 40364 1903582
A 41652 104126 90746 50398 15277 34924 140649 38559 81949 52559 74103 18059 14311 36141 178728 98249 103051 22003 34518 35950 52519 36908 30031 8412 50429 38871 49557 149481 171205 64394 19181 60986 1997926
G# 92083 90800 32524 137539 109656 46617 35960 76506 43736 6570 30757 73394 84111 101654 40102 33197 28105 73978 6756 1920 41267 12134 146191 54834 9409 101985 50445 93728 102991 62714 101594 55091 1978348
G 106403 41422 170972 194238 116109 60924 129354 110681 81992 70676 78057 61976 88380 26031 96862 194996 50023 85018 44800 64770 126780 37394 84707 7590 67378 122434 56054 46208 153477 41759 84444 188625 2890534
F# 9564 72264 53738 59500 27410 15669 94548 56473 68952 28827 30834 34853 7946 81617 134005 94822 25858 25830 11280 39495 35128 7430 61780 66164 36638 48853 97925 64813 193136 83494 24929 14036 1707811
F 155564 33276 99299 201935 91201 84814 52924 100541 37992 34225 117233 51236 94472 46161 39897 79797 83964 92340 25108 5934 102635 58656 137649 45926 11444 146795 19511 57492 186813 14077 73690 100486 2483087
E 68120 146199 118033 64561 22966 39707 124062 31881 165973 45167 23762 39540 16161 58407 124183 78480 73065 19381 11100 25413 122229 40599 72056 11976 37024 14139 115787 147451 92566 90059 28251 121285 2189583
D# 95304 42419 41018 204747 181015 33592 38685 177241 72928 10016 96763 118930 95488 67930 11880 52370 37916 150273 14896 2367 49311 14296 95798 53596 17621 168716 50937 34390 146154 54413 79368 46094 2356472
D 39937 110678 126313 146180 66401 45224 194494 73494 43848 90968 94233 31187 61951 9196 159736 198888 111441 56149 83876 69148 87757 34267 10465 12192 80077 93647 32239 65934 224220 14926 28275 83745 2581086
C# 72606 72936 31592 37619 57224 43987 83780 43501 39120 16585 28261 66873 24940 121566 92743 47994 60245 30682 5592 8336 30561 25927 136041 76830 21808 37359 41162 52146 175907 34579 47133 27970 1693605
Middle C 198158 51579 155720 170513 156731 100726 43632 144336 69608 60663 90327 58123 65120 47033 33202 141726 56608 123156 44122 42235 159742 68599 198544 10353 42180 87903 37253 63227 134635 15086 62957 100357 2834154
B 23838 138506 123441 73330 46714 23272 94512 67791 178328 53654 16528 40604 20603 25369 82085 103771 40509 34156 18592 50015 117524 11164 31082 43142 59609 29434 131361 91301 146184 126009 26754 67305 2136487
Bb 113566 28752 34181 302624 108455 53511 71691 132940 28408 9459 141751 64184 149484 20587 31760 31839 68021 120719 38584 480 50038 34345 105984 34484 23537 201368 41034 24330 167096 22987 68343 39135 2363677
A 29603 160255 100758 81066 21594 42246 198773 22026 79112 54189 67168 12571 15277 25053 188136 92470 194534 37516 41999 52245 79871 31948 38105 16902 67362 42276 64593 85294 147013 67914 11886 33646 2203401
G# 109931 61011 30080 118189 129593 47190 33305 129734 44608 4577 33680 86994 86490 131766 32415 31293 27570 132020 3220 4511 70948 13336 224071 49568 9110 54013 36025 40419 108484 62542 81002 40484 2068179
G 116219 42976 200684 202138 158079 58768 123916 162841 76224 86084 82343 44363 84983 13250 69783 231663 61577 103231 57029 45756 192527 39550 78300 8832 89337 115664 43092 30366 148832 20942 67026 124143 2980518
F# 11180 50941 53319 48736 17563 26077 69082 15762 56856 14753 16626 40067 7560 64595 120150 62493 22755 34302 27001 20587 48120 5310 85833 71436 28306 25737 60549 32884 149153 82934 17336 16445 1404448
F 118382 26204 66501 152275 103335 73886 52650 68152 32560 32092 124742 29503 67056 30460 26424 71314 93030 124218 16353 2240 110914 53877 166983 16224 13552 121968 10988 29600 181443 12988 58443 59692 2148049
E 34267 143746 80544 54545 16869 39032 84248 21360 139304 29783 25241 21339 6744 44125 94476 69266 93905 17422 3768 6304 133303 20671 69007 16072 41064 14291 83841 121168 67592 79183 23139 82415 1778034
D# 50027 31104 24889 157826 146632 23383 12632 117169 42168 3138 76069 108489 86825 62538 5520 31634 25131 205760 12478 0 40822 11446 99404 12265 12905 114529 32525 13100 92999 41137 94182 43267 1831993
D 19181 64983 120597 100101 53094 30000 153044 40622 47216 67835 70161 23872 44070 13942 199563 187652 105992 40974 49125 84294 109158 12043 8643 3240 65534 53772 11812 29892 156223 16666 40042 57035 2080378
C# 29935 38720 37846 15572 13073 27107 58675 43344 17904 3074 14344 29271 14348 112989 76139 26029 29336 33258 2171 3210 31204 12178 112211 45772 1704 6326 24534 31522 163702 48271 34405 19934 1158108
C 135810 31556 130735 98038 95824 65563 25408 94356 62112 32770 54766 26560 51001 29195 5633 88625 22654 62910 16333 15412 175472 52002 135588 4392 34858 68713 36702 49890 76517 34504 77350 78132 1969381
B 13252 50375 80332 41888 26597 6512 32986 18688 130715 19912 11182 19332 13016 29524 68873 93694 10346 14611 4640 6808 79335 4992 10741 20296 16648 11684 87985 54768 74372 147237 23839 40005 1265185
Bb 27804 11124 15836 170499 86609 15360 49340 42336 11816 5304 106780 31868 76046 15716 26708 22674 56982 118895 5132 0 40602 15963 57550 14035 18964 142876 6154 13086 94104 12404 49336 16679 1378582
A 12022 58693 50426 36050 11672 15587 103965 4118 36880 20940 28812 7246 10656 19672 141846 79275 107950 18146 5572 1792 49082 19545 22010 8838 12228 9359 32714 56694 78012 38080 8544 45798 1152224
G# 27198 23550 35519 34608 53042 17080 13296 59029 20448 4806 13547 82511 44384 194514 16088 12157 11511 57762 932 0 38478 14111 114793 18000 3812 21408 6672 14906 47056 36611 49964 39283 1127076
G 46979 10234 117147 85191 50285 21473 46075 89810 22400 41408 33545 27394 24264 18965 58513 199800 16913 31720 27389 15264 108616 17909 56298 360 59287 39499 19702 17651 68408 21146 43655 126809 1564109
F# 2257 12969 22922 19795 7691 3276 32484 13192 31261 6216 4092 8646 4392 47213 108630 36103 8462 28815 2086 0 6282 3478 43924 40404 4500 10158 27372 14194 95177 47468 20541 16124 730124
F 28627 19436 33886 48354 17286 23412 28360 28050 4800 7188 59895 11296 18894 9340 9098 41564 35975 18908 682 0 67014 58702 87965 756 6950 57883 5420 17534 110247 8416 28353 32358 926649
E 7856 47537 32928 12260 1319 6702 46174 7760 54400 5700 8258 5240 5600 18913 23360 35869 9727 5171 0 0 34798 6644 34243 2388 1824 6378 22308 82634 21356 52026 8520 37754 645647
D# 5760 4723 14215 95402 29382 2880 3635 47657 20976 840 27760 46128 46056 17926 1500 14020 10260 91062 240 0 12186 5074 40215 6300 4883 85919 2744 7796 27267 19674 40109 21694 754283
D 5175 15204 29794 10474 4774 3829 74271 14602 12112 19769 19476 5247 9786 8352 170867 149427 37371 12229 2876 576 19357 7426 1640 3240 11506 14290 4510 13128 50714 7056 14601 23498 777177
C# 1440 6567 16327 6320 2874 9678 15498 5410 5408 1200 1904 10937 3068 104499 20394 18155 5515 22452 0 0 15264 5598 55679 11880 0 0 2128 33458 88512 19363 46780 7161 543469
C 19761 11864 43289 42370 15004 31349 1106 49224 21360 9372 23978 20278 11645 14780 2894 46022 12880 30339 0 0 71076 32788 116374 480 8900 11697 8896 36643 41700 17736 35440 59980 849225
B 1552 7848 22855 16176 8434 477 4790 7492 38966 3000 236 14042 3640 21000 5654 9570 3190 9286 0 0 19260 2984 8368 2988 1680 1378 20170 12812 38223 52924 4533 17209 360737
Bb 2400 476 6704 37730 14583 1911 7394 33407 960 78 28151 11814 18422 1571 7434 1194 23862 28954 0 0 14134 3898 15711 960 0 22251 478 5000 95388 2154 12272 10320 409611
A 120 18352 8318 5266 1998 1389 31086 2380 6465 1068 4204 342 360 10324 36797 5597 28885 6411 0 0 13714 4698 15958 600 0 956 3656 27494 34307 12230 1588 11280 295843
G# 480 356 8379 7168 13319 1440 2014 26232 1200 0 296 48922 8456 81774 4074 3830 2400 27210 0 0 22327 6351 43800 240 0 8622 1190 12050 12117 4562 27024 11778 387611
G 5040 740 18404 25607 12894 0 9975 53700 4770 2400 11476 3360 2220 5267 4080 53299 8300 16807 5280 192 59343 4204 9332 360 2040 7662 5316 7979 15962 9694 7130 64031 436864
F# 0 212 2406 10471 498 0 4202 8429 5538 120 58 3948 2016 23867 29760 1310 1570 3236 0 0 0 958 15328 6365 0 0 3024 5508 41041 11396 1432 6507 189200
F 0 238 4074 12819 870 840 0 3220 1920 0 23848 0 4116 4940 960 1438 8630 6072 0 0 12890 27939 44586 0 0 3826 0 5588 38598 1676 1908 11880 222876
E 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 13134 9714 1938 238 7807 35903
D# 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4682 2156 1196 1440 9474
D 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1792 0 0 4200 6712
C# 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1828 0 238 0 2066
C 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2156 0 478 1920 5274
B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Bb 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
A 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Piano Owned: 5 Octave Keyboards 1803 – 1817 Erard 1817 – 1825 Broadwood





a


b

















c


d

a & b: sonatas 5 & 9 are the only two up to sonata 20 which exceed the five octave range – perhaps hinting at the use of a different keyboard.

c: As Tovey notes: “The finale of Op. 101 is evidently for an instrument of wider compass than the other movements” (Tovey, 1958, p. 5)

d. The rogue high Eb in this sonata was written as an ossia in the original score, giving the option to play it on pianos of different ranges.