Piano Sonata No. 8, “Pathétique”

Ludwig van Beethoven composed 32 piano sonatas over the course of his life. His early works show the startling inventiveness and fiery temperament that so captivated the musical world at the turn of the century.

The Piano Sonata No. 8 was assigned the title “Pathétique” by the publisher, a term that in the 18th century suggested intense drama and deeply felt emotion. Composed in 1797–98, it marked a new stage in Beethoven’s artistic development, signaling that his originality, aesthetic power, and sense of proportion had by now far exceeded that of his contemporaries.

The dramatic opening movement begins, unusually for a sonata, with an ominous, fantasia-like introduction before the fiery exposition. The determined, almost frantic energy of the exposition is maintained throughout the movement but is unexpectedly interrupted two more times by reappearances of that tragic opening.

The Adagio second movement is in rondo form and offers a complete change of mood. The initial theme is very simple, almost hymnlike. It appears three times over the course of the movement, interspersed with two increasingly dramatic interludes, each of which colors our perception of the opening theme when it returns.

Closing-movement rondos traditionally provide a light-hearted ending to multi-movement works. Here, however, Beethoven recreates the fervent mood of the opening movement, unifying the work and reinforcing its dramatic character.

— Michael Strasser