1. Piano Sonata No.8 in C Minor, 1st movement ‘Sonata Pathetique’
Beethoven
Piano Sonata No.8 in C Minor, 1st movement ‘Sonata Pathetique’

2. Beethoven was an Influential Composer
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer who lived from
He was a significant composer in the Classical era ( ); his music is famous for its drama, intensity and emotion.
He wrote music in many different forms including 9 symphonies (in four movements), sonatas and string quartets (2 violins, viola, cello).
He wrote many sonatas for a range of solo instruments, such as piano, violin and cello.
He wrote most for the piano – he composed 32 piano sonatas in total.
Beethoven was a skilled pianist and his piano sonatas are among his most expressive and powerful music.
A piano sonata has 3 movements: a first movement in sonata form, a slow second movement and a faster, lively third movement.

3. ‘Sonata Pathetique’ is in Sonata Form
‘Sonata Pathetique’ follows the sonata form plan of 3 movements:
1st Movement (our set work)
The first movement is quite unusual as it has a very slow introduction
The slow introduction returns briefly, twice
The introduction is just 10 bars long, but lasts for 1 minute 45 seconds
2nd Movement
A slow movement
The tempo is ‘Adagio cantabile’, meaning slow and songlike.
3rd Movement
This is in rondo form (ABACA) and is marked ‘Allegro’ (quick)

4. ‘Sonata Pathetique’ is in Sonata Form
‘Sonata Pathetique’ follows the following sonata form structure:
Bars
Section of the Piece
1-10
Introduction (marked ‘Grave’ – slow and solemen)
11-132
Exposition (marked ‘Allegro di molto e con brio’ – very fast and played with spirit.
Transition (link)
Development
Recapitulation (recap)
Coda (ending section)

5. The Exposition has 3 Themes
The exposition (bars ) is made up of 3 different musical ideas:
Bars
Musical Theme
11-50
Theme A – this is in C minor.
It consists of rising and falling music over a ‘murky bass where notes are an octave apart.
51-88
Theme B – this starts in E flat minor.
This is unusual - if a composer begins a piece in a minor key they would often move to the relative major which would be E flat major.
89-134
Theme C – this is in the relative major of E flat major.
A lot of the music is made up of broken chords. The bass part uses an Alberti bass – where chords are played as separate notes, e.g. in bars

6. The Development Section
The development section (bars ) has the following musical features:
Bars
Development Section
The development section is a variation on Theme A of the exposition – this can be heard in the staccato parts.
The murky bass continues and broken octaves are used in the right-hand part (bars ).
There are references to the slow introduction, e.g. the melody in bars mirrors the first phrase of bar 5.
There are a number of modulations (changes of key) within the development section.

7. The Recapitulation Section
The development section is bars and has the following musical features:
Bars
Recapitulation Section
Each of the 3 exposition themes appears in turn.
Theme A is in same key as the exposition – C minor.
Themes B is in a different key.
Theme C is now also in C minor.
Theme A returns once more in the CODA, after which the piece concludes with ‘ff’ chords and a perfect cadence.

8. Sonata ‘Pathetique’ Shows How Music was Developing
Beethoven’s music demonstrates the transition from the Classical period ( ) to the richer harmonies and more emotional, dramatic style of the Romantic period ( ).
Many of these characteristics are seen in the introduction to the movement:
Dissonance – in bars 1 and 2 of the movement.
Variation in dynamics – the dynamic range is ‘pp’ to ‘ff’, with sudden changes such as ‘fp’ in bar 1, and more gradual crescendos and diminuendos.
Dramatic chords – there are slow, dotted homophonic chords in the opening bars.

9. Sonata ‘Pathetique’ Shows How Music was Developing
Contrast – this is created by the faster scales in bar 4 and bars 9-10.
Large pitch range – in bars 8 and 9, the melody ranges from middle C in the first chord to a high F, 2 ½ octaves higher. The first chord of bar 9 (G7) spans nearly 4 octaves.
Chromatic motion – parts of the harmony are chromatic, e.g. in bar 4.