The Eighth Piano Sonata "Pathetique" was written in 1798 and 1799, and was published in the latter year with a dedication to Prince Lichnowsky, the nobleman who had travelled to the court of Berlin with Mozart in 1789. The work, Opus 13, is in C minor, and is described as a "Grande" Sonata, music suitable for public performance, by the composer, who was at this time one of the most distinguished keyboard-players in Vienna. The first movement opens with a famous dramatic introduction, fragments of which reappear to open the middle, development section, and to introduce the final bars (the coda or tail-piece). A brilliant rapid section makes up the body of the movement, with a contrasting theme of suaver outline contrasting with the stronger emotion of the first theme. The second movement, marked Adagio cantabile (slow and singing in tone), is, as is usual, in a different key. It is followed by a Rondo derived, it would seem, from sketches made much earlier for other purpose. Multimedia Beethoven provides information about the following Beethoven's piano sonatas. This part is still under construction and soon another sonatas will be added.  [#8] [#14] [#17] [#23]
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