Yet another Beethoven centered beam

[John Ruggero]

This example from the first movement of the "Appassionata" shows the same characteristics as in the previous threads on this subject. He must keep the prevailing stem direction and a beam break would imply too great a break:

Beethoven op 57.1 c MS.png (686.92 KiB) Viewed 226 times

Beethoven op 57.1 MS.png (506.21 KiB) Viewed 226 times

The engraver of the first edition seems to understand this and goes to great lengths to include the centered beam:

Beethoven op 57.1 1st ed.png (993.41 KiB) Viewed 226 times

There seems to have been general recognition that this centered beam is phrasing, and later editions, such as the Breitkopf Complete Works break the beam. This creates a misleading impression:

op 57.1 Breitkopf.png (103.26 KiB) Viewed 226 times

Interestingly Beethoven doesn't use a centered beam when the passage recurs an octave lower, because a centered beam here would destroy the proper stem direction and the change of staff is sufficient to show the phrasing:

Beethoven op 57.1 B MS.png (526.78 KiB) Viewed 226 times