Transcending Form: Aesthetic Dualities and Musical Ontology in Beethoven's Piano Sonata--A Case Study of the Third Movement of Third Movement of Op. 110
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https://doi.org/10.54097/s7h42p37Keywords:
Beethoven's Piano Sonata, Third Movement of Third Movement of Op. 110, Musical Ontology, Aesthetic duality, Performance Interpretation.Abstract
Beethoven's Piano Sonata in A-flat major, Opus 110, stands as a major piece from his late compositional period. It reflects not only his mature style but also the deep tension between structure and lyricism, between philosophical thought and musical expression. This paper, drawing on both literature review and detailed score analysis, explores the formal innovations and aesthetic characteristics of the sonata. It further examines the dual aesthetic nature of the work from the perspective of musical ontology and performance practice. The study argues that the alternation between recitative, arioso-style melody, and fugue in the third movement creates not only a structural tension within the music but also constructs an emotional progression that moves from collapse to transcendence. This reflects a late-style compositional mindset in which Beethoven seeks to go beyond structural norms, while also mirroring a broader philosophical shift in nineteenth-century musical thought from Enlightenment rationalism toward the inner world of subjective spirituality.
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