Moderato (first movement

The two Sonatinas Anh. 5 (in G and F) are early-grade staples that have travelled under Beethoven's name since the nineteenth century, though the attribution is now considered doubtful — modern Henle and Bärenreiter editions footnote them as spurious or doubtful. What matters at Grade 2 is not the byline but the writing: clean Classical-style two-hand textures that teach the student how a sonata-form opening behaves at small scale.

Technically the Moderato tests Alberti-bass evenness in the left hand (broken-triad accompaniment under a singing right-hand line), clear two-bar phrasing with simple dynamic shaping, and a small pivot at the secondary theme where the texture lightens. The G major key sits comfortably under the hand; there are no awkward fingerings.

Two common pitfalls. First, the Alberti bass becomes louder than the melody — students hear the constant motion and emphasise it, swamping the right hand. Practise the left hand alone with a deliberately small dynamic, then add the right hand on top. Second, the cadences can be rushed; this is Classical phrasing, and the closing two beats of each phrase need a fraction of breathing room.

Listening: any clean recording of Beethoven's authentic early sonatas (e.g. Op. 49 No. 2) on a period or modern instrument calibrates the right kind of Classical poise. PD performances are widely available on Musopen.