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Topic: Beethoven quoting Pachelbel? (Read 1963 times)

abel2

Full Member
Posts: 190

Beethoven quoting Pachelbel?

on: March 09, 2017, 11:54:32 PM

In Beethoven's Pastorale Sonata, fourth movement, starting in the seventeenth measure, Beethoven directly quote Pachelbel's Canon in D. Same chord progression, even the same key. I couldn't believe my ears at first. How egregious

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iansinclair

PS Silver Member
Sr. Member
Posts: 1472

Re: Beethoven quoting Pachelbel?

Reply #1 on: March 10, 2017, 02:03:14 AM

Everybody quotes everybody else. No surprise -- but good ears to have picked it up!

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Ian

georgey

PS Silver Member
Sr. Member
Posts: 936

Re: Beethoven quoting Pachelbel?

Reply #2 on: March 10, 2017, 02:14:15 AM

Outrageous!

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transitional

PS Silver Member
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Posts: 473

Re: Beethoven quoting Pachelbel?

Reply #3 on: September 18, 2023, 12:30:27 AM

Sometimes it's even more obvious. Consider the beginning of the first movement of Schubert's D 958 quoting Beethoven's WoO 80 variations.

Many other famous examples. Pathetique quoting K 457, Beethoven C Minor concerto quoting Mozart C Minor Concerto, Fantasy Impromptu quoting Moonlight Sonata Mvt. 3. And even more examples if you look at baroque music! Of course, you can always see them in sets of variations. What makes it "outrageous" that composers are respecting other composers' works? Of course, there may be a day when all the good chord progressions are taken. Beethoven is simply using a good theme Pachelbel created.

(I can't ever help necroposting. I don't know why.)

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Schubert sonatas are amazing and I want to learn all of them eventually! My favorites are D 960, D 959, D 840, D 568, and D 894.

palmtree

PS Silver Member
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Posts: 12

Re: Beethoven quoting Pachelbel?

Reply #4 on: September 18, 2023, 01:31:52 PM

Beethoven might be quoting Pachelbel, but he also might just be using the schema known as the Romanesca, which was extremely common in the early 1700s and remained a common harmonic progression through the century.

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lelle

PS Gold Member
Sr. Member
Posts: 2248

Re: Beethoven quoting Pachelbel?

Reply #5 on: September 21, 2023, 11:06:45 PM

Quote from: palmtree on September 18, 2023, 01:31:52 PM

Beethoven might be quoting Pachelbel, but he also might just be using the schema known as the Romanesca, which was extremely common in the early 1700s and remained a common harmonic progression through the century.

I think this is the most likely answer.

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