Description
The first movement of the Sonata No. 17, written in 1802. The nickname "Tempest" comes from Schindler's report that Beethoven told him to read Shakespeare's play, but the reliability of that testimony is now doubted. The sonata dates from the year in which, despairing at his deafness, he wrote the Heiligenstadt Testament.
In D minor and common time, it begins unusually: slow broken chords marked Largo alternate with restless fragments of Allegro. That collision of two speeds governs the whole movement. In the recapitulation a single melodic line appears in recitative — as if speaking — with the instruction to hold the pedal through it.
Its advanced rating reflects the difficulty of sustaining tension across that collision of tempos. Do not hurry the Largo, and do not let the Allegro run away. The recitative needs the pauses of speech, and since holding the pedal as marked blurs a modern instrument, how much resonance to leave is a decision the player has to make.
Piano sonatas representative of the Classical and Romantic eras, including Beethoven's early works — substantial multi-movement pieces throughout.
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Sheet music provided by Mutopia Project
About the Composer
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Born in Bonn and active in Vienna, Ludwig van Beethoven is among the towering figures in music history, bridging the Classical and Romantic eras. Despite losing his hearing in later life, he continued composing, pursuing innovative forms and intense emotional expression in his symphonies and piano sonatas. His beloved piano piece "Fur Elise" and his 32 piano sonatas remain widely performed. This site includes "Für Elise," the two sonatas of Op. 49, movements from his early piano sonatas, and sets of variations.
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