It is often believed that Ludvig van Beethoven’s huge compositional output is underscored solely with the anger and frustration which followed him through his tempestuous life and career. For this reason, the light touches of comedy, whether slapstick, burlesque or irony, often elemental to his musical language, are frequently overlooked.

This talk aims to give an overview of the presence of humour in the music of Beethoven, with particular reference to movements selected from his 32 Piano Sonatas. The talk will be illustrated by both live and recorded examples of Beethoven’s music, along with brief excerpts from works by Couperin, Daquin, Rameau, Respighi and Saint-Saens.