Analysis of the prose: Sonata n. 12 op. 26 Mv. Beethoven III Ludwig van Beethoven has been widely considered one of the world's most renowned and important composers since his time. This fame was not achieved by the lightheartedness of his music; rather it is his intensity and intelligence that still fascinate audiences around the world today. Among his vast number of works, the Funeral March from the Piano Sonata no. 12 op. 26 is a great example of the musical complexity and emotional connection that the composer evokes. This piece, although it seems a little short and perhaps repetitive, contains elaborate details that can be, and have been, analyzed to be incredibly meaningful. When it comes to staying within the lines, Beethoven was never one to play by the rules. His comprehensive compositional output continually highlights this, and this particular piano sonata is no exception. Typically, Beethoven's sonatas for his principal instrument were structured so that the second movement was slow and tonally contrasting, while the penultimate movement was typically a joke and trio, even more upbeat and lively than the traditional minuet and trio. This is reversed in Piano Sonata No. 12 and, together with the first appearance of a funeral march within a sonata, the piece stands out under the spotlight. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on 'Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned'? Get an original essay Funeral March on the Death of a Hero releases its meaning through a compound ternary form. The first part, the actual Funeral March, can be labeled Section A, while the Trio is Section B. There is also a small Coda that finalizes the grandeur of the piece. Since the Funeral March is structurally longer than the Trio, it could be considered to contain all the interesting details that cause such intrigue in this piece. Beethoven carefully selects the chords and progressions that carry out his orders on the B. A♭ minor opens the movement, creating an atmosphere of dark suspension. This key signature contains every ♭ the staff has to offer, an occurrence that couldn't be a coincidence; the eerie sound of the music is only obscured more due to this tone. The opening phrase produces the musical idea and motif that will continue throughout the march, but before a strong cadence is reached, there is a modulation to C♭ major, or rather the relevant major key. Immediately after the cadence, however, the key changes to B minor. Enharmonic in C♭, this shift to parallel minor and restatement of the motif brings a brighter sound to the progression of the piece. The suite following the first modulating period, bars 9-16 form an imitative period. The difference in the second period is that the modulation in D, which would be the relative major, is confirmed neither major nor minor. Harmonies that can be found in both major and minor are used, such as the minor supertonic and the six-four to five-three cadential dominant, and the resolution is an ambiguous open-octave tonic. The undefined sound of this cadence allows the music to fall back into the original key of A♭ minor with the use of common pitch modulation. This is where the harmony remains until the end of Section A, however the duration of the period is extended to create a convincing final cadence. This is achieved with the use of a Neapolitan chord and two stated cadential progressions. Although Section A is much longer than Section B, even without having repetitions like the Trio does, there is a fair amount of importance to be found in this last segment of the piece. While in the Funeral March there are modulations that.