The Three Marches Opus 45 for piano duet (piano 4 hands) were composed in 1803 and published in 1804. The march form features strongly in 19th century music. In March No.1 the composer does not quite follow convention in the formal arrangement and symmetry of the typical March and Trio. March No. 1 can be represented as follows - March A B B Trio A A B March Da Capo (no repeats) A B. The realisation and music scores are presented as the movement is performed so repeats where indicated are played. The score detail in Beethoven’s music is always interesting particularly regarding dynamics. Accents for example, are often placed on the weaker beats of the bar and the surprise element in a score is always strong. The playback score plays back at a standard march tempo of 60 half note beats to the minute. The Trio is played at the same tempo as the March. Beethoven is particularly fond of adding closing sections often referred to as codas and there is a lovely example from bars 36 to 40. This is an excellent movement for understanding Beethoven’s approach to composition in his so called “middle” period. While many of the musical elements are straightforward the composer’s desire to expand and develop form, harmony and process are constantly evident. In addition, Beethoven’s music always has a strong rhythmic focus. All the way through the movement musical ideas are shared and developed creating what is a great ensemble piece. The ornaments in the music of Beethoven and his contemporaries also offer more challenges than those of the classical era. There are considerations as far starting notes and the number of notes played in trills - trills at important cadences can add to the dynamic and intensity of a performance. You might notice that the video score has a 6 note trill played at the end of the March although in the realization it is played as a four note shape. The Primo and Secondo parts can be downloaded as “accompaniments” enabling players to enjoy an ensemble music experience playing either the Primo or Secondo parts. The Primo part sounds on the right channel of the stereo signal and the Secondo part sounds on the left channel. The tempos are as follows in quarter note beats to the minute. Accompaniment 1 126 Accompaniment 2 120 Accompaniment 3 112. There is a four bar count in /click on the accompaniment mp3. When performing printing two pages of music on to one side of A4 offers a practical solution for players. It is a good idea for players to use a metronome in their preparation.
