The number of movements of which Beethoven’s sonatas consist varies considerably:  some have two, some three, others four.  The three very early sonatas dedicated to Maximilian, Archbishop of Cologne, have only three movements (the second opens with a brief Larghetto, which, however, really forms part of the first movement).  But the four Sonatas Op. 2 (Nos. 1, 2 and 3) and Op. 7 all have four movements—­an Allegro, a slow movement, a Scherzo or Minuet and Trio, and a final Allegro or Rondo.  There are examples in later sonatas of similar grouping; but it is an undeniable fact that in some of his greatest sonatas—­Op. 31 (No. 2), Op. 27 (No. 2), Op. 53, Op. 57—­he reverts to the three-movement sonata so faithfully adhered to by Emanuel Bach, Haydn, Mozart, and Clementi.  And there is evidence that the omission of the Minuet or Scherzo in Op. 10 (Nos. 1 and 2), in Op. 13, and in others named above, was the result of reflection and not caprice.

Among sketches for the Sonatas, Op. 10, Beethoven writes:  “Zu den neuen Sonaten ganz kuerze Menuetten” (to the new sonatas quite short Minuets); and also, a little further on, “Die Menuetten zu den Sonaten ins kuenftige nicht laenger als von 16 bis 24 Takte” (in future the Minuets to the sonatas not to exceed from 16 to 24 bars).  Then, again, there are two sketches for a movement of the Minuet or Scherzo kind, which were almost certainly intended for the Sonata No. 1 in C minor.  One of these was afterwards completed, and has been published in the Supplement to Breitkopf & Haertel’s edition of Beethoven’s works.  Both these were finally rejected, yet Beethoven made still another attempt.  There is a sketch for an “Intermezzo zur Sonate aus C moll,” and at the end of the music the composer writes:  “durchaus so ohne Trio, nur ein Stueck” (exactly thus without Trio, only one piece).  So the Minuets were to be short; then the limit of length is prescribed; and, lastly, an Intermezzo without Trio is planned.  The composer proposed, but his [Greek:  daimon] disposed; the Sonata in C minor finally appeared in print with only an Adagio between the two quick movements.

Schindler, in reference to the proposal made by Hoffmeister to Beethoven to edit a new edition of his pianoforte works, tells us that had that project been carried out, the master, in order to get a nearer approach to unity, would have reduced some of his earlier sonatas from four movements to three.  And he adds:  “He would most certainly have cut out the Scherzo Allegro from the highly pathetic sonata for Pianoforte and Violin (Op. 30, No. 2; the first and third have only three movements), a movement in complete opposition to the character of the whole.  He always objected to this movement, and, for the reason just assigned, advised that it should be omitted.  Had the scheme been carried out, a small number of Scherzos, Allegros and Menuets would have been ‘dismissed.’  In our circle, however, objections were raised against