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Beethoven’s
‘Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Pathetique, Mvt I’
Name _____________________________________
The Classical Period (1750 – 1820)
Living from 1770 to 1827, Beethoven lived through what is known as the Classical period and the Romantic Period.
The Classical period roughly lasted from 1750 to 1820 and it is one of the shortest musical periods in history. Like
Baroque music (Bach – Brandenburg Concerto), Classical music has certain characteristics. Compare and contrast
these features with the features of Baroque music. Music was developing rapidly during these years – enough that
we would normally be able to identify which period of music a piece comes from.
Features of Classical music
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Simple, diatonic harmonies. There was a move away from the flamboyance of the Baroque period.
A clear, balanced structure.
Clear cut cadence points.
Use of Sonata Form and clear key relationships.
The string section dominates the orchestra.
The symphony becomes a very important musical form.
Often homophonic/melody-dominated homophony in texture.
Melodies are balanced and repetitive and form question and answer style phrases.
Melodic lines are graceful – shorter than Baroque melodies.
There is an establishment of a standard orchestra.
Harmony is functional – the chords are used in a particular way to outline the structure of the
piece (see Sonata form)
Expression markings in scores include crescendos and diminuendos.
The basso continuo is replaced with a common accompaniment style, known as the alberti bass.
The harpsichord is replaced by the piano and is no longer used in the orchestra.
There is an increased use of wind instruments, although the melody is still mainly in the strings. The
wind instruments tend to fill out the harmonies. The clarinet is invented and used for the first time.
The important composers of the Classical period are: Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven (the big 3!).
What’s a Piano Sonata?
A piano sonata is a sonata written for a solo piano. Piano sonatas are usually written in three or four
movements, although some piano sonatas have been written with a single movement (Scarlatti, Scriabin,
Medtner), two movements (Haydn), five (Brahms' Third Piano Sonata) or even more movements.) Each
movement will go at a different speed.
Sonata No. 8 – Romantic Vs Classical
Beethoven life spanned two periods- both Classical and Romanic, he is often called a classical-romantic composer.
His use of adventurous harmony and extended structures are some of the features of the Romantic era. He inspired
all of the Romantic composers who followed him- from Schubert in his own time to Mahler, a century later.
What makes this set work fit into the Romantic period?
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Music in the romantic period expressed powerful emotions
The title Pathetique refers to suffering- expressed though minor keys, accented notes, strong
melodies.
Adventurous harmony included chords such as Diminished 7th- chromatic elements
Extended structure
Sudden and varied range of dynamics
What makes this set work fit into the Classical period?
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Dialogue between hands
Use of sonata form- classical structure- use of repetition and contrast.
Use of regular perfect/ imperfect cadences
Rounded phrases
Melody Dominated Homophonic texture
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Ludwig van Beethoven was born in 1770 in the western German city of Bonn. As a young man
he moved to Vienna in Austria, where he became known as a virtuoso pianist. ‘Virtuoso’
means displaying considerable skill and agility in difficult ‘showy’ music.
Beethoven performed his own improvisations and compositions, as well as music by other composers. He played
mainly in the salons (large social rooms) of wealthy aristocrats, but he also gave grander-scale concerts. At this early
stage of his career at the end of the 18th century, he performed his first two piano concertos (pieces for piano and
orchestra). He also wrote piano trios (pieces for piano, violin and cello). Much of his greatest music at this time and
later was contained in his piano sonatas. At this stage Beethoven was beginning to go deaf, though the problem
wasn’t severe enough yet for him to give up performing. The situation worsened rapidly in the next few years and he
even contemplated suicide. In later years he was able to continue composing despite being totally deaf.
The ‘Pathétique’ Sonata
This piece was Beethoven’s eighth published sonata and was written between 1796 and 1799. The French term
pathétique means ‘moving’ or ‘emotional’. It was used by the publisher in the first edition. It certainly demonstrated
a new passionate musical style. Beethoven is regarded as one of the great composers of the Classical period
together with Mozart and Haydn, both of whom he knew. To a certain extent, though, this piece shows early signs of
the Romantic style to come. Beethoven knew Mozart’s sonata in C minor, K 457, which had been written around 15
years earlier, and he would have been influenced by that composition. Beethoven’s piece is more revolutionary still
in its extreme use of dynamics and unusual structure.
Instrumentation
When Beethoven wrote this piece at the end of the 18th century, the piano had almost completely replaced the
harpsichord as the keyboard instrument of choice for the home and concert hall. Even so, it was still seen as a recent
invention and had only started to be used widely around 20 years earlier. There were frequent new developments in
the instrument’s power, tone quality and sustaining ability. At the time the instrument was often known as the
fortepiano. Whether you call it that or the more modern pianoforte, the clue to the popularity of the instrument is
in its name. Piano is the Italian for ‘soft’. Forte means ‘loud’. It was now possible to play using all kinds of dynamic
levels just by altering the pressure of the fingers on the keys. On a harpsichord, the mechanical action meant that on
basic instruments there was no way of changing the dynamics.
Mozart and Haydn had started to use dynamic markings, but Beethoven was one of the first to make extensive use
of all kinds of dynamic possibilities. This sonata has frequent crescendos, diminuendos and numerous other
performance markings. The sustaining pedal was also coming into use at the time. It is important to note that in the
original edition of the music there were no pedal markings, although Beethoven would almost certainly have used
some kind of sustaining system in his own performances.
Structure and Analysis
Slow introduction
Exposition
First subject
Second subject
Development
Recapitulation
Coda
Aural Dictation Exercises
1) Write the correct rhythms into these bars
Audio 1
2) Write the mordent sign (
Audio2
) over the correct notes.
3) Here are the last bars of the Recapitulation and the start of the Coda. Show the correct order by writing 1 – 6 into the boxes.
Audio 3
Here is a list of pieces of music which could be linked to this set work and the composer. The Youtube links
are also provided (should you wish to access this booklet online). In the boxes provided, make some
comments about why you think this piece is included in the wider listening for this set work.
Clarinet concerto 2nd Movement by Mozart
Your Comments
Class Feedback/Notes
Haydn Flute Sonata 1st Movement
Your Comments
Class Feedback/Notes
Beethoven Piano concerto No.5 1st Movement
Your Comments
Class Feedback/Notes
Alberti Bass
Augmented
Cadential 6/4
Coda
Codetta
Development
Diminished 7th
Dominant
Preparation
Enharmonic
Exposition
First Subject
Functional
Harmony
Functional
Tonality
Homophony
Interrupted
Cadence
Mordent
Murky Bass
Pedal
Perfect Cadence
Recapitulation
Second Subject
Sforzando
Sonata Form
Transition
Skeleton Score question (7)
1)
Mozart Sonata in Bb (with audio)
I
IV
I
V7
IV
V7
I
IV
V7
Bar 6
Q2: Relation
to bar 5
Q4: Ascending or
descending
Q7: Melody movement
Q6: Key here?
Bar 11
Q4: Ascending or
descending
Part 1
1)
Ring the chords used in bars 3 and 4. The chord in bar one has been done as an example.
2)
How is bar 7 related to bar 5? ____________________________________________________________
3)
Name two bars between bars 1 and 9 which contain monophonic texture
i. ___________________________
ii. ___________________________
4)
Bars 8 and 14 contain Bb major scales. Which bars ascend and which descend?
Ascending scale is in bar ___________________________
Descending scale is in bar __________________________
5)
Ring the two words that best describe the bass part in bars 1 to 5
Quavers
Semiquavers
Atonal
Ascending
Irregular
Dotted
6)
What key is the music in at bar 10? __________________________
7)
The melody in bar 6 moves
 by step
 by leaps
Extension (Advanced)
8)
9)
What is the melodic decoration used 121 to 122? ____________
What is the melodic decoration used 123 to 124? ____________
Descending
Triadic
Walking
 mixture of steps and leaps
Summary Quiz
1) The 1st movement is in Sonata Form. Put the terms into the correct boxes
Development
Recapitulation
Exposition
1st section
2nd section
3rd section
2) Select the correct texture for the Introduction
 Polyphonic
 Melody dominated Homophony
 Homophonic
 Unison
3) Pathétique means…
 Sweetly
 Very fast
 Emotional
 Dramatic
4) The texture of the 1st subject is……
A)
Monophonic
B)
Homophonic
C)
Polyphonic
D)
Melody Dominated Homophony
5) The introduction has brief modulations to the relative major of ___________.
6) The Piano developed and replaced which instrument?______________________________
7) The 1st subject is marked Allegro, this means…(ring)
Very Slow
Slow
Fast
Very Fast
8) The music was composed between 1796 and 1799.which falls into which era?
Renaissance
Baroque
Classical
Romantic
Modern (post1900)
9) Beethoven was born in 1770 in.. (ring)
England
Austria
Germany
France
10) The music features many chromatic chords,
True
False
Italy
Poland
11) Draw arrows to correctly match up the ornaments with their definitions.
Trill
A “crushed” note – played quickly before the main note
Acciaccatura
the main note – the note above – back to the main note
Mordent
two notes next to each other alternating rapidly
12) Draw arrows to correctly match up the textures.
Fugal
A single line of music sounding
Polyphonic
Two or more voices, built on a subject introduced at the beginning in
imitation (repetition at different pitches)
Monophonic
Many melodies at the same time
Melody Dominated Homophony
Melody over chords
13) The piece uses diminished sevenths, these are four notes chords built from the interval of a
2nd
major 3rd
minor 3rd
perfect 4
perfect 5
minor 6th
major 6th
14) This piece by Beethoven is late Classical with some hints of the Romantic era to come. It is different from the Baroque era
as....tick)
 ..it uses the piano
 ..it is in one mood
 .. it has a a variety of moods
 ..it is mostly contrapuntal
 ..uses only tempo
 ..uses pedal notes
 .. uses Homophonic texture and much Melody Dominated Homophony
 ..It uses a wide keyboard range
 ..has a range of dynamics
 ..it uses the harpsichord
 ..it uses chromatic harmony
Skills / Knowledge
I understand the instrumentation
I understand the context of the work
I understand the structure
I understand the tonality
I understand the harmony
I understand the melody
I understand the texture
I understand the rhythm / metre