Pathétique, Piano Sonata No. 8 In C Minor (Ludwig Van Beethoven)

Question 1

Era

Answer 1

Classical-Romantic

Showed adventurous harmony and extended structures

Question 2

Romantic era features

Answer 2

Powerful emotions - Pathétique is suffering

Minor keys, dramatic chords, accented notes, strong melodies, romantic harmony, diminished sevenths

Question 3

Piano

Answer 3

Was undergoing development - larger range

Question 4

Fundamental ideas

Answer 4

Repetition ( repeats intro) and contrast (subjects in devlopment)

Question 5

Structure

Answer 5

Developed sonata form - intro (unusually slow) - exposition - intro - development - recapitulation - intro - coda

Question 6

Key

Answer 6

C minor

Question 7

Time signature

Answer 7

4/4 - 2/2 - 4/4

Question 8

Intro

Answer 8

Homophonic, right hand (florid melody), left hand (chord accompaniment), heavy, dramatic chords (diminished 7th - chromatic + unstable - romantic)
Grave - unusually slow
Extreme dynamic contrast - romantic
Diatonic - functional harmony

Question 9

Exposition - first subject

Answer 9

Fast tempo, 2/2
(C minor)
scalic, ascending,
murky bass, diatonic (PC),
chromatic bassline (classical to romantic),
Bflat pedal (dominant of Eflat minor - preparation)

Question 10

Exposition - second subject

Answer 10

Eflat minor - weird since normally relative major
hand crossing, acciacatura, mordent
New theme 1 - Eflat major, contrary motion (right goes up/left goes down), continuous quavers, Alberti bass
New theme 2 - scalic descending melody, stepwise, high tessitura
Repeat - classical - 2nd dominant to dominant will then go to tonic (Cminor)

Question 11

2nd intro

Answer 11

Same as 1st
Unrelated G minor
Eflat written as Dsharp - enharmonic equivalent

Question 12

Development

Answer 12

Unrelated E minor
develops 1st + 2nd subject (distant keys)
Rhythmically augmented version of intro
Modulates to G minor - dominant pedal in C minor - dominant preparation to C minor

Question 13

Recapitulation

Answer 13

1st subject (C minor) - tonic pedal, perfect cadence, functional 
2nd subject (F minor - subdominant) - hand crossing, high tessitura, scalic + descending, four bars from intro - same
Coda - based on 1st subject