Piano Sonata No. 26 in E-Flat Major, “Les Adieux,” Op. 81a

Quick Facts

• Written between 1809-10
• Dedicated to Archduke Rudolph of Austria, a friend and sponsor of Beethoven. The composer dedicated many of his works to the Archduke, including his Missa solemnis.
• Three movements:
  1. Das Lebewohl (The Farewell)
  2. Abwesenheit (Absence)
  3. Das Wiedersehen (The Reunion)¹

About the Piece

• Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 26 was directly inspired by historical events of the time. In 1809, the French army, led by Napoleon, marched into Vienna and occupied the city. Being a noble, Beethoven’s patron and friend, Archduke Rudolf, fled the city ahead of Napoleon’s invasion with the rest of the imperial family.
  • The names of the three movements of this sonata (“The Farewell,” “Absence,” and “The Reunion”) are references to the Archduke’s flight from Vienna, his time away, and his eventual return.
  • In his manuscript, Beethoven wrote the following full title for the work: “The Lebewohl Vienna on 4 May 1809 on the Departure of His Imperial Excellency the revered Archduke Rudolph.”
• The use of a French subtitle, “Les Adieux,” rather than the German, “Das Lebewohl,” seems to be a result of a miscommunication with Beethoven’s publisher.²

1. “Piano Sonata No.26, Op.81a (Beethoven, Ludwig van),” IMSLP, accessed April 15, 2024, https://imslp.org/wiki/Piano_Sonata_No.26,Op.81a(Beethoven,_Ludwig_van).
2. Norbert Gertsch and Murray Perahia, “Preface: Piano Sonata no. 26 E flat major op. 81a (Les Adieux),” G. Henle Verlag, accessed April 15, 2024, https://www.henle.de/en/Piano-Sonata-no.-26-E-flat-major-op.-81a-Les-Adieux/HN-1223.