Für Elise
ThereseThe song is thought to be written for Therese, a woman that Beethoven wanted to marry in 1810, however his handwriting was misspelt undergoing transcription, allowing the piece to be known as Fur Elise rather the Fur Therese. Therese did not want to marry him.
Phrasing in the midst of a Rondo Form:
A gorgeous theme weaving through the composition has a string of repeated half-steps that can easily sound like a treadmill of notes, unless they’re grouped, shaped, contoured and played with a singing tone. (The flexible wrist forward movement helps taper ends of phrases without a conspicuous accent)
In Rondo Form (A section, B, return of A, C, A) The B and C parts have their own character and contrast. The player transitions to a Mozartean interlude, (B) with a rolled out, broken chord bass, against a lovely woven melody. (Keep the left hand smooth, connected and do some chord blocking as a preliminary)
A solo for the right hand in the midst of this section, is ushered in with a Deceptive Cadence. It feels like the opera here, where the orchestra drops out and leaves the soloist to spin a recitative.
The “A” section returns with its doleful theme which leads smoothly to Part C, where Beethoven’s characteristic autograph of sudden emotional outbursts requires a significant mood shift. (See video about fleshing out a melody through a sequence of chords) The bass should feel like a tremolo and not be poked out, but rather grouped by longer measures. Recommended fingering is 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1 etc.
Not long into this “stormy” section, a transition of fluid arpeggios in the home key of “A” minor and a shimmering, descending chromatic scale (like the wind) bring back the opening that blissfully trails off.