Beethoven- Piano Sonata

• Beethoven's 1 st Movement from Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor 'Pathetique' is written at the end of the Classical period but shows early signs of the Romantic style to come.
• Beethoven wrote the 1 st Movement from Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor 'Pathetique' between 1796 and 1799.
• Pathetique means 'moving' or 'emotional'.
• The 1 st Movement from Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor 'Pathetique' is written for the pianoforte.
• The 1 st Movement from Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor 'Pathetique' begins with a short (six note) motif known as an introduction.
• The 1 st Movement from Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor 'Pathetique' features several scalic passages, such as the descending chromatic scale at the end of the introduction.
• The 1 st Movement from Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor 'Pathetique' includes a number of staccato crotchets (short, detached notes) in the 1 st Subject.
• The harmony (chords) in the 1 st Movement from Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor 'Pathetique' is largely functional, with perfect cadences and use of the circle of 5ths.
• The intro is in Common time (4/4), mainly in Cut Common time (a fast 2 in a bar), and uses a large range of dynamics due to the pianoforte's capabilities.
• Main tempo is allegro di molto e con brio on the score, indicating very fast and with vigour.
• The recapitulation begins with the 1st subject in C minor (tonic), then the 2nd subject in F minor (subdominant), and then the 1st subject again in C minor (tonic).
• The coda begins with the introduction idea, and ends with an idea taken from the 1st subject.
• Beethoven's 1st Movement from Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor 'Pathetique' is in sonata form, with an introduction, exposition, transition, development, and recapitulation.
• The introduction is in Grave (very slow), the exposition 1st subject is in Allegro (fast and lively) in C minor, the transition is a new musical idea in Eb major (relative major), the 2nd subject uses ornaments and is in Eb minor (unusual - this is an unrelated key!), the codetta is in Eb major (relative major), the development begins with 4 bars of the introduction in G minor (dominant), and ends with a descending scale pattern.
• Stylistic features of the Late Classical/Early Romantic era include the use of a pianoforte, virtuosic writing, large range, use of the sustain pedal, the melody is shared between hands, use of sonata form, a more homophonic texture, sudden dynamics changes and gradual dynamic changes, use of diminished 7th chords in the harmony, some dissonance and chromatic chords.
• There are frequent crescendos and diminuendos in the piece.
• The tonal center (key) of the 1 st Movement from Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor 'Pathetique' is in C minor.
• The music of the 1 st Movement from Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor 'Pathetique' modulates (changes key) to related keys such as Eb major (relative major) and F minor (subdominant), as well as to unrelated keys such as Eb minor for the 2 nd subject.
• The structure (sections) of the 1 st Movement from Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor 'Pathetique' is Sonata form: Introduction - Exposition (1 st and 2 nd subjects) – Development – Recapitulation - Coda.
• The sonority (Instruments and instrumental techniques) of the 1 st Movement from Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor 'Pathetique' is written for the pianoforte, with typical piano accompaniments such as alberti bass (broken chord pattern) and murky bass (octaves).
• The texture (layers) of the 1 st Movement from Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor 'Pathetique' includes a range of textures, from Homophonic (chordal) to Monophonic (one melody on its own).
• The rhythm (length/type of note) of the 1 st Movement from Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor 'Pathetique' features dotted rhythms in the introduction and staccato crotchets (short, detached notes) in the 1 st Subject.
• The tempo (speed) of the 1 st Movement from Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor 'Pathetique' is grave (very slow).