♫ So. After two movements that showcased both Beethoven's debt to Haydn and the ways in which he left him behind, the third movement of op. 2 no. 2 -- a scherzo -- has much less of a direct connection to him. Haydn’s piano sonatas didn’t have minuets or scherzos, So while this movement does still have certain elements of a Haydn style, it doesn't have a direct link back to him. And thus, in the name of sticking with today’s theme, I won't spend too much time on it. You should at least hear it, though. This is the scherzo, minus the trio. ♫ So, Beethoven called this movement a scherzo -- Sometimes in the early period he would choose the more traditional minuet instead. In actuality, this particular movement is somewhere in between the two -- the courtly dance, and the "jokey" scherzo. The first couple of bars, with their light filigree, lean scherzo, ♫ This juxtaposition plays out throughout most of the movement. The extended minor key phrase in the middle would be totally in place in a minuet. ♫ the ending, with the return of the sixteenths, and its offbeat, intentionally clunky accents, is nothing but a scherzo. ♫ The minuet is a form that Beethoven would eventually leave behind for good, and so this push-pull between minuet and scherzo movement, is further demonstration of Beethoven embracing his roots, while also struggling against them. The trio of this movement is in a minor -- he even calls it a “minore”, rather than a trio. This is quite typical of the early period -- op 2 no. 3 and op. 7 also have trios in minor keys. Here's the op 2 no. 2 trio. ♫ The source of drama here is pure Beethoven, really: he places accents on what, in their absence, one would suspect would be the weak bars of the phrases. So instead of: ♫ we get: ♫ with the accents jabbing at the music, giving it a confrontational quality, which eventually leads to that echt-Beethoven climax. ♫ I’m sure if I dug deeply enough, I would identify minuets from Haydn's quartets and symphonies with notable similarities to this movement. But I don't want to oversell the similarities between Haydn and this work, or between Haydn and Beethoven generally. This movement is modest, and not especially forward-looking, but Beethoven's personality still asserts itself at many corners.