Piano Sonata No. 8 (Beethoven)

Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor, op. 13 was titled "Pathétique" by the composer himself, unlike most of the other "named" sonatas. It was published in 1799, though written the year before, when the composer was 27 years old. Beethoven dedicated the work to his friend Prince Karl von Lichnowsky.

The "Pathétique" Sonata is perhaps the earliest of Beethoven's compositions to achieve widespread and enduring popularity. Many music historians judge that Beethoven was the first Romantic composer, and those who do might well regard this sonata as defining the start of the Romantic period.

The sonata is in three movements:

Grave; allegro di molto e con brio
Adagio cantabile
Rondo: allegro

The first movement is in standard first movement sonata form. It includes a long grave introduction, which delays the primary theme until the exposition at the start of the allegro section. This main section is in 4/4 time in the key of C minor, modulating like most minor-key sonatas of this period to the relative major, Eb. A striking property of the movement is the return of the slow introduction. This may have been inspired by Joseph Haydn's "Drumroll" symphony), completed three years earlier in 1795. Beethoven extends Haydn's compositional practice by returning to the introductory material not once but twice, at the beginning of the development section as well as in the coda.

The adagio movement opens with the famous and beautiful cantabile ("in a singing style") melody. It is in rondo form: the main theme is played three times, interspersed with two modulating episodes, the first going from C minor to Eb major, the second from Ab minor to E major. With the final return of the main theme, the accompaniment becomes richer, taking on the triplet rhythm of the second episode. The brief coda at the end is striking for its stylistic diversity: four bars of Romantic transcendence, followed by a strikingly conventional 18th century close.

The sonata closes with a 2/2 sonata rondo movement in C minor, which departs to Eb and Ab major and refers to themes from both of the previous movements. Interestingly, notes of Beethoven's show that he originally considered the movement as a rondo for piano accompanied by another instrument — perhaps a violin.

The "Pathétique" Sonata takes approximate 19 minutes to perform. It is widely represented on the concert programs and recordings of professional pianists, and is also a favorite among amateur players, despite its difficulty.