Beethoven’s “Les Adieux” Sonata: Saying Goodbye in Three Chords

Beethoven's "Les Adieux" Sonata: Saying Goodbye in Three Chords

Listen carefully to the three opening chords of Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 26 in E-flat Major, Op. 81a. For Beethoven, these chords outlined the three broken syllables of the word