Analysis of Beethoven's Op. 53 (Waldstein)
by José Rodríguez Alvira
Daniel Vessey, piano. Recording courtesy of MusOpen. Listen to the complete work.
You can obtain the score at the Petrucci Music Library.
The Waldstein Sonata in Wikipedia.
You can obtain the score at the Petrucci Music Library.
The Waldstein Sonata in Wikipedia.
| Symbols used in the analysis | |
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Keys are show in yellow using letters. The letter alone indicates a major key, if followed by an m, a minor key. In the example we show the C major, B flat major and A minor keys. |
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Roman numerals in lowercase correspond to degrees with minor triads |
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Degrees with diminished triads |
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Triads in first inversion |
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Triads in second inversion |
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Sevent chords in root position |
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Seventh chord in first inversion |
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Seventh chord in second inversion |
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Seventh chord in third inversion |
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Dominanth ninth chord |
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Minor dominanth ninth chord |
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Dominant ninth chord in first inversion |
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Secondary dominant and diminished sevent chords |
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Neapolitan sixth chord |
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Italian augmented chord |
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German augmented chord |
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A first degree seventh chord in first inversion with an augmented fifth |
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Diminished sevent chord with a common note to the dominant chord to which it resolves. This chord has no standard name in traditional harmony and theorist rarely talk about it although it is very common. Walter Piston calls it a II degree seventh chord with raised root and third. Example from the Sonata:
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