For over two hundred years, the genius of Ludwig van Beethoven has provided musicians with a standard of excellence for solo piano compositions. Our ultimate goal is to create a library of his greatest works. We have chosen a selected few that may be considered the greatest piano sonatas ever written. These “originals” are in pure form as we’ve gone to great lengths and done much research to preserve the authenticity of each of them. These five complete original sonatas published by Santorella Publications are unedited with all three movements, identical to Beethoven’s manuscripts.

To ensure authenticity, we have provided performance notes on our website free of charge @ www.santorellapublications.com. In addition to the unprecedented biographical substance which adds significant educational value, these editions have been engraved with only four systems per page on a manila cream background, so reading them has never been more pleasing to the eyes. Thus making practice, study and performance an enjoyable process.

This particular sonata, Sonata in E Flat Major, Opus 81A, otherwise known as Les Adieux, or Das Lebewohl (Beethoven preferred the German title) was composed between 1809 and 1810. It is one of two sonatas that Beethoven actually entitled; the other being the Pathetique.

The Les Adieux was originally published in 1811 by Breitkopf & Hartel. The dedication read, “On the departure of his royal highness, the esteemed Archduke Rudolf.” The sonata depicts the departure of Archduke Rudolf and the entire Imperial family from Vienna during the French bombardment in May of 1809.