Beethoven | Piano Sonata no. 18 in Eb major, op. 31 no. 3 "The Hunt" I. Allegro | Dan Alexander

This one was a sleeper hit for me in a major way. Last year, when I was systematically listening to the 32 Beethoven piano sonatas that I hadn't heard before, I wouldn't say I was immediately blown away by No. 18. I thought it a pleasant and unassuming work sitting between giants like Tempest and Waldstein.

But pieces of it came back to me days, weeks later - the incredibly progressive harmony surrounding the opening downward fifth, the singable melody that appears above the first movement's alberti bass, the jolly and boisterous bass throughout the second movement, the blazing-fast contrary motion in the last - these were passages that I found humming to myself and then returning to the recordings wondering, "which one was that from again? Oh, Hunt. Huh, that one's from Hunt also. Ok, this sonata is awesome."

One of Beethoven's most exuberantly joyful compositions, Piano Sonata no. 18 was composed in 1802, alongside the quirky and complicated no. 16 and the stormy, passionate 'Tempest' sonata, no. 17. The three were published together as Opus 31, and as a set encompass an enormous emotional range.

For all the long-standing hubbub caused by Ludwig Rellstab's naming of Sonata no. 14 as the "Moonlight", I find "The Hunt" to be a far more inappropriate nickname for the gentle, good-natured, mirthful sonata 18. It supposedly comes from someone likening the main motif of the last movement to a horn call, which is a stretch by itself, not to mention the name sticking to the entire sonata.

In Hungary the work is known as "Jo Reggelt," translating to "Good Morning," which I think suits the nature of the work much better. Thanks to this bit of knowledge adjacent to my study of Beethoven, I now know how to say one thing in Hungarian if I should ever find myself there (although if it's nighttime I'll be completely lost).

The Hunt sonata, and Op. 31 as a whole, has no dedicatee. Another peculiarity of this sonata is that a whopping three out of four of its movements are in sonata-allegro form!



Throughout Beethoven's career, the main payload in his multi-movement works gradually moved from the beginning movement to the final one. The Hunt sonata is an exception to this - although it rests solidly in his Middle Period, the opening movement is the weightiest at nearly twice the length of the others and notably more complex. It opens with a chord that sounds a century ahead of its time - but does not dwell there for long and resolves to the home key of Eb as a cheerful motor rhythm begins in the left hand.

Heavily populated with brisk trills, soaring arpeggios, lyrical melodies, and punctuations of comedy, the opening allegro is wonderfully colorful and a joy to listen to.