Written by Beethoven when he was 27 years old, this sonata is one of his most celebrated works. Beethoven was famous for composing epic and memorable tunes and this is definitely one of them, especially the amazing melody of the second movement, which, today, usually enhances the atmosphere of university graduation ceremonies.
This piece is full of drama and intensity, just how its name describes. Its name is actually one of the reasons this piece gained immediate recognition as soon as it was published. The meaning of instrumental music of that period was indeterminate as there were no titles to the music. The fact that this sonata had a title which offered a meaning enhanced the enjoyment and caused its overwhelming acceptance. Back then, the word "Pathétique" had a meaning of "sentimental", "capable of feeling", or "impassioned" rather than "pathetic". However, the purpose of the music is not to convey some personal suffering or to make us feel sorry for someone else's suffering but to give us the power to "take arms against a sea of troubles" through reflection and creation of warmness and optimism, as the poet Frederich Schiller has written in his essay "On the Pathétique". Therefore, the entire sonata is forward-looking and influential, conveying a sense of struggle and moving forward.