Selected Example: Opus 110/iii, m. 1–26
Updated: Nov 20, 2025
The highly expressive opening measures of the third movement of this sonata contain several changes of tempo, meters, and keys, which were carefully marked by Beethoven in his autograph. He also indicated dynamic changes, pedaling (including una corda and tre corda), and interpretive instructions such as “recitativo” at m. 4 and the “klagender Gesang / arioso dolente” beginning at m. 8. For the passage at m. 5 with the repeated tied A, he indicated a change of finger from 4 to 3 on the second note.
My purpose in selecting the passage from m. 1–26 was to explore which editions left Beethoven’s instructions intact without further comment, and which editors provided explanations or examples on their interpretations.
Sources
Unlike the other three selected examples, there are multiple extant sources for op. 110, including sketches, autograph manuscripts, a corrected copy, parallel first editions published by Schlesinger in Paris, Vienna, and Berlin in 1822, a second edition published by Cappi & Diabelli in Vienna, and an authentic edition published by Clementi in London in 1823, all of which benefited from Beethoven's corrections.
The opening passage from the third movement in the printed editions:
The main differences in the Clementi edition include the use of English fingering (3-2) in m.5, alteration of the 12/16 meter to 6/8 in m. 7, release of the pedal in m. 10, an added slur over the bar in mm. 12–13, a decrescendo at the second half of m. 15, the incorrect f flat in the left-hand chord in m. 16, and omission of the small slur from b-flat to c in m. 19. (For other details of the Clementi edition, see Alan Tyson, The Authentic English Editions of Beethoven [London: Faber and Faber, 1963]). All editions give the last note in m. 25 as a sixteenth note followed by two sixteenth rests, though the autographs mark an eighth note.
Metronome markings at beginning and within the movement
Beethoven did not provide metronome markings for this sonata, so let’s first look at a few of the metronome tempos suggested by other editors. (This exploration is not exhaustive, as op. 110 was not available to examine for all collected editions.)
Most editors who provided metronome markings agree that the ♪ sets the pulse at the beginning, but the time signature change to 12/16 at the Adagio ma non troppo in m. 7 caused some confusion. The earliest editors who altered the metronome marking at m. 7 changed the pulse to ♪. (Czerny, Moscheles, and others who followed their lead). However, a few other editors used ♪ or ♩., as shown in some examples below.
In Czerny’s edition for Haslinger (BGPS 6), the opening tempo is set at ♪ = 66, then ♪. = 58 at at m. 7. Other editions that adopted those markings included BGPS 7 (Cranz/Moscheles), BGPS 42 (Holle/Moscheles), BGPS 65 (Haslinger), and BGPS 121 (Breitkopf & Härtel/Wouters), among others.
Although it was not examined for this study, according to Noordiun the tempo markings were altered in Czerny’s edition for Simrock to ♪ = 69 and ♪ = 60 at m. 7 (Marten Noorduin, Re-examining Czerny's and Moscheles's Metronome Marks for Beethoven's Piano Sonatas," Nineteenth-Century Music Review 15 [2018]: 209–235). This was also the tempo suggested somewhat earlier by Moscheles in BGPS 15 (Cramer) and BGPS 51 (Hallberger).
A few editors provided a range of tempos for these two passages.
Bülow (BGPS 84 Cotta and BGPS 113 Church) set the opening tempo at ♪ = 63 then sets the pulse at ♩. = 63–69 m. 7 which is so much faster than other tempos it seems to be an error.
However, other editors including d’Albert (BGPS 120) also adopted Bülow’s markings here (though the opening tempo in d’Albert’s edition is ♪ = 62).
BGPS 89 (Mittler/Steingräber) refers to Bülow’s edition regarding fingering but alters the metronome marks to ♪ = 66 at the opening and changes the ♩. to ♪. = 60 at m. 7.
Other editions used the ♪. as the pulse at m. 7, including BGPS 88 (Forsythe/Hallé) which suggested a tempo range of 54–58 (the opening tempo is ♪ = 58–63). Hallé also applied metronome markings to the other passages where Beethoven indicated a tempo change:
Even slower tempos suggested at m. 7 included ♪. = 52 (BGPS 101 [Cranz/Epstein]) and ♪. = 42 (BGPS 184 [Curci/Schnabel]).
The “Bebung” passage
Apart from metronome markings, some editors injected comments and suggestions on interpretation. Of particular significance is the so-called “Bebung” passage in m. 5, which several editors explained in footnotes. Here's Macpherson commentary in BGPS 133 (Williams):
“The curved line connecting the A’s is not to be interpreted as a tie, but as an indication of the grace known as the “Bebung,” which on the modern pianoforte is obtained by an extremely delicate and legato repetition of the first note by another finger (in this case, the 3rd), without allowing the damper actually to reach the string when the 4th finger is withdrawn.”
In BGPS 98 (Bote & Bock), Klindworth added notation above the staff to convey his execution of the passage from mm. 4–5 (to see the entire passage, see BGPS 98 selected examples).
In his reading of the “Bebung” passage in m. 5, the tied notes are not reiterated, which effects a series of “simple syncopations” (“einfache Synkopen”).
Bülow was more blunt in his explanation printed in the footnotes:
“It is absolutely inconceivable how the corrupt presentation of the text found in all previous editions has been able to hold its own undisputed for so long a time. The direction to bring about here a ‘nervous vibration’ … has a practical meaning only, when the note just to be struck enters as a syncope, on an unaccented part of the measure. This is so evident that we do not need to point to the example [in the coda of the Adagio of op. 106], or to the Scherzo in the Sonata with violoncello, op. 69.” (quoted from BGPS 84)
Although Riemann did not provide metronome tempos, he inserted many of his own markings (see BGPS 100 selected examples for complete passage). Riemann retained Beethoven’s fingerings but removed the ties in the “Bebung” passage to clarify that the repeated notes should all be articulated, but with staccato strokes added to the weaker beat:
BGPS 141 (Dukas) includes a note on interpretation of the “Bebung” passage on p. vi of his notes to the second volume (see link to full text in BGPS 141 entry).
Other more recent editions commonly include footnotes on execution of the "Bebung" passage as well as other markings.
Taylor (BGPS 209) adds phrasing, pedaling (including use of half pedal), fingering, and other suggestions:
Gordon adds extensive footnotes comparing different editions and summarizing the dispute over execution of the "Bebung" passage:
Johannes Fischer had an entirely different opinion on the meaning of the "Bebung" passage:
Other editorial markings and suggestions on execution
A few other examples of other passages highlight suggestions from other editors.
BGPS 121 (Breitkopf & Härtel/Wouters) adds articulation markings (tenuto and accents) and an abundance of fingerings and pedal markings, as shown in this passage beginning at m. 7:
Many more editors left this passage relatively untouched, adding only fingerings and a few phrase markings.
BGPS 87 (Novello/Zimmermann) uses English fingering:
BGPS 130 (Winterberger) with editorial phrase markings in parentheses as well as fingerings:
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