Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 3 in A Major, Op. 69

Discover Ludwig van Beethoven’s Cello and Piano Sonata No. 3 in A major, Op. 69, on medici.tv!

The Cello and Piano Sonata No. 3 in A major, Op. 69, is the third of five sonatas by German composer Beethoven dedicated to this instrument pairing. Sketched in 1807 and completed in the spring of 1808, the sonata was created during the Bonn-born master’s most prolific periods; the work was conceived while Beethoven was simultaneously working on his Symphonies Nos. 5 and 6 at the time. From its opening measures, the cello steps forward to present a broad and serene melody, before the piano responds. This early exchange sets the scene for the entire sonata, in which the two instruments engage in a dialogue as equals, a rarity for a time when piano generally dominated the score. The work unfolds in three movements. The opening Allegro ma non tanto is bright and expansive, and rich with various themes. The second movement, the Scherzo in A minor, mirrors the character of a minuet before a brief Adagio cantabile flows seamlessly into the Allegro vivace, whose vitality and beautiful melodic energy concludes the sonata.

A Sonata Born of Friendship

Beethoven dedicated his Cello and Piano Sonata No. 3 in A major, Op. 69, to his close friend Baron Ignaz von Gleichenstein, an amateur cellist who had, among other things, helped the composer secure the annual pension that provided him a certain degree of financial stability in Vienna. On the copy he gave to Gleichenstein, Beethoven inscribed the Latin phrase “Inter lacrymas et luctum” (“Amid tears and sorrow”). The sonata was premiered in Vienna on March 5, 1809, at a benefit concert for the cellist Nikolaus Kraft, with Kraft playing alongside pianist Dorothea von Ertmann, a distinguished student of Beethoven’s. Its immediate success led to its publication the following month in Leipzig, although the first edition was riddled with errors, including its opus number (it was published as Op. 59 instead of 69!). The sonata was recognized as an extraordinary achievement for cello and piano and quickly found itself central to the repertoire, inspiring composers such as Mendelssohn, Brahms, and Shostakovich to create similar dialogues between two voices.

Beethoven’s Cello and Piano Sonata No. 3 on medici.tv

Medici.tv’s extensive catalog of more than 4,500 works makes it the perfect platform to stream all your favorite works from the classical repertoire! To help you delve deeper into Beethoven’s repertoire, this page assembles all available performances of his Cello and Piano Sonata No. 3 in A major, Op. 69. And be sure to discover our playlists dedicated to the German great’s piano sonatas and violin sonatas to continue your journey through his rich chamber repertoire.