played some of his other compositions. It was repeated three times
within the year.
Other contributions of 1801 are two grand sonatas, the "Pastorale" in D,
opus 28, the Andante of which is said to have been a favorite of
Beethoven's and was often played by him, and the one in A flat, opus 26,
dedicated to Prince Karl Lichnowsky and containing a grand funeral
march. Then there are the sonatas in E flat and C sharp minor, published
together as opus 27, and designated Quasi una Fantasia. The latter is
famous as the "Moonlight" sonata, dedicated to Julia Guicciardi.
Neither of these names were authorized by Beethoven. Besides these,
there are the two violin sonatas, A minor, and F, dedicated to Count
Fries, and lesser compositions. The Second Symphony (in D) is the chief
production of 1802. In addition there are the two piano sonatas in G,
and D minor, opus 31, and three sonatas for violin and piano, opus 30,
the latter dedicated to the Emperor of Russia. They form a striking
example of Beethoven's originality and the force of his genius, and must
have been caviar to his public.
The Second Symphony is a great advance on the first, and consequently a
greater departure from the advice laid down to him by others. His
independence and absolute faith in himself and the soundness of his
judgment are clearly illustrated here. The composition is genial and in
marked contrast to the gloomy forebodings that filled his mind at this
time. The second movement, the Larghetto, is interesting on account of
the introduction of conversation among the groups of instruments, an
innovation which he exploited to a much greater extent in subsequent
works. In the Larghetto one group occasionally interrupts the other,
giving it piquancy. There is a rhythm and swing to it which makes it the
most enjoyable of the four movements. The critics hacked it again as
might have been expected, the result being that the next one diverged
still more from their idea of what a good symphony should be.
It was at this period that life's tragedy began to press down on him. He
had left youth behind, and had entered on a glorious manhood. He was the
idol of his friends, although his fame as a great composer had yet to
be established. The affirmations of his genius were plainly apparent to
him, if not to others, and he knew that he was on the threshold of
creating imperishable masterpieces. A great future was opening out
before him, which, however, was in great
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