Beethoven: Sonata 8 (Pathétique) Op. 13 in C Minor

The start of a new piano era

The first, dramatic and almost aggressive movement of the Pathétique starts with a massive, loud c minor chord that must have come as a shock to contemporary listeners. The ensuing Grave section requires interpretative maturity and careful considerations of the complex rhythms. The slow introduction gives way to a fast and explosive rising staccato motif, with a very fast broken octave accompaniment in the left hand. A third theme, which returns slightly transformed in the last movement of the sonata, has the right hand jumping back and forth from treble to bass.

The second movement in A-flat major, far more familiar to the casual listener, is a soothing contrast. Here great attention is needed to voicing the thick textures in order to bring out the beautiful cantabile melody, one of Beethoven’s most beloved creations. The third movement is a driving, energetic rondo with long, complex phrases, requiring careful articulation and inflection. It contains elements of the first two, thereby tying the entire sonata together in a way that represents a significant development in the history of the piano sonata.