An exigent performance is necessary both technically and musically to play properly a large number of fast notes in wide extensions with rhythmic precision. The last movement was, at the moment the sonata was premiered, one of the most difficult pieces written by Beethoven. In a major mode, simple and short, it sounds slightly pastoral, including no surprises. After this solemn first round, a fancy and delicate minuet act as the border between two tragedies. Uncommon decision to start the work with the slow movement, saving the allegro for the last place. The first movement is a slow and famous adagio: the main melody remains to the sound of bells and emphasizes the tragic mood, going through an interesting harmonic plan. One of the most famous piano sonatas of Beethoven, there’s little to say that was not already pronounced about this Sonata. This makes this sonata not as well known and played as many others. However, even being one of the greatest pieces ever written and one of the best piano sonatas made by Beethoven, the gigantic duration makes it unsuitable for repertoires and concerts and the technical difficulty keeps it away from most of the pianists. Master technical skills are required, the finger movement needs to be extremely accurate and intense in order to perform the strong character at the speed needed. Towards the end of the sonata, a fugue -with a thrill on top of the theme- explodes. The slow movement is an elated adagio, of exuberant beauty and intense instrumental explorations. Loaded with as many notes as possible, the first movement is energic, with plenty of chords and virtuoso passages. The titanic dimensions of this piece result in a very challenging and difficult piece. One of the most demanding and longest sonatas in music history, possible one of the hardest of Beethoven's sonatas. The crawling tempo leads into emotive melodies with an intense layering -the movement features very interesting lines in the extreme voices- and includes a wonderful, painful and desperate coda. The second movement deserves a special mention as one of the best slow-movements Beethoven ever wrote.
The resulting music is extrovert and unpredictable, in a strict classic architecture and style but exploring several possibilities and using experimental composition techniques for the Epoque. The first and fourth movements include most of Beethoven’s typical early resources, such as changes of mode, a swap of roles and textures, broken octaves, accents strange parts of the bar, scales, arpeggios, pedal notes, repetition and building of small particles of music, and sudden changes in intensity. Perhaps the first masterwork and one of the best piano sonatas by the composer, this sonata is largely played worldwide and a favourite for concerts and piano competitions, making it one of the most famous piano pieces of all times.