Beethoven: Sonata 23 (Appassionata) Op. 57 in F Minor

A cry of desperation

Beethoven’s Sonata in f minor op. 57 was composed when Beethoven was coming to terms with the fact that he was going deaf, and the frustration that he felt can be heard throughout the piece. After Beethoven’s death, it was given the unofficial title Appassionata, as it is considered one of the most emotionally tempestuous of Beethoven's piano works.

The first movement begins with a slow, mysterious melody, played in unison. Soon the restrained atmosphere gives way to loud, intense outbursts. The ‘fate’ motive is everywhere, contrasting with the second, more lyrical subject. Dark and ominous sounds dominate this movement, and a sense of restlessness remains even during the brighter moments. The extremes of the piano are used to great effect. This movement demands a lot in terms of interpretative maturity and control of extreme dynamics. Things quiet down in the more introspective second movement, calling for exactness of timing in its very original and predominantly rhythmic variations on a drastically simple theme in D-flat major.

The third movement returns to the emotional intensity of the first. It is an exercise in perpetual motion, partly strangely subdued and partly chaotic, testing the performer's stamina, but also the ability to distribute and hold back power. Czerny imagines "the waves of the sea on a stormy night, whilst cries of distress are heard from afar". At the end the storm is unleashed in a tumultuous, violent coda. It's often pointed out that this is Beethoven's only work to maintain a sense of tragic doom throughout.