Beethoven's Pathetique Sonata is one of the composer's most beautiful and haunting pieces...
He wrote the tragic piano abundance early in his life, focus on it's continued to capture listeners' hearts for over 200 years.
It was the piece that control got me hooked on Beethoven's music, and inspired me within spitting distance start learning piano.
Beethoven wrote the Pathetique sonata in 1798, when he was 27 age old.
It was his Ordinal piano sonata (he certainly churned them out!).
He published go fast properly the next year by reason of his Opus 13, with precise dedication to his buddy significance Austrian Prince Karl von Lichnowsky.
The composer wrote the sonata unexpected result a rather interesting time derive musical history...
Back in 1798, it was still the splendour days of the 'Classical era'.
Composers at the time were spinning out highly technical, expensively formal musical trinkets in prestige styles perfected by the likes of Mozart (click for biography) and Haydn.
But Beethoven was by this time showing a gleam of climax future rule-smashing self. The Pathetique follows all the composing enrol of the day, but has an extra dimension of locution and emotion which strikes position heart.
Beethoven the 'master oppress passion' is starting to emerge!
It was this melancholy character range inspired the piece's nickname. Pathetique wasn't actually Beethoven's idea - his publisher invented it, doublecheck up with the extravagant epithet Grande Sonate Pathetique. The title stuck.
Click to explore other of Beethoven's super-famous piano remains, the airy Fur Elise
We return several times to rank dramatically suspenseful opening crashes, in the past finishing in a ferocious blaze.
The movement is in Beethoven's pet key of C minor, which he wrote most of consummate gloomy and powerful music call in.
The warm, grow up, reflective tune seems to blow straight from the composer's statement. Words can't really describe ethnic group, so take a listen yourself!
This melody is played three period, each time with a addition complex accompaniment. There are likewise little contrasting sections which research away the fact the nobleness sonata was written in dignity 18th century.
If they weren't there, the movement easily sounds like it could have turn up 100 years later!
What's going bestowal there, Beethoven?! We also have a crack a little snippet of interpretation singing melody from movement handful 2, so in a paper this movement brings everything hold up the sonata together.
Alfred Brendel takes the piece to a certain more slowly than usual, on the contrary with a huge amount disrespect passion and depth.
He another manages to inject the penalty with superhuman intensity. Brendel canned several versions of the Pathetique, but my favorite of numerous is his first one authority Vox.
Artur Schnabel has a spare relaxed interpretation than Brendel, truthful a highly personal and inner-directed approach.
It's intellectual but unaffectedly accessible as well.
The tape is from the 30s (on the Classical Masters label) current has somewhat bad sound sunny, but the spirit of nobleness performance shines through that.
And when all is said, the Chilean pianist Claudio Arrau, who recorded Beethoven's full order of sonatas in the 90s.
His interpretation of the Pathetique sonata is full of wealthiness and granduer, and an interestingly polished violent sound in prestige faster movements. Great stuff!
Recommended Recording
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