Pathétique Sonata, 2nd Movement (Adagio cantabile) | Ludwig van Beethoven

Beethoven's Adagio cantabile from the "Pathétique" Sonata, Op. 13 - relaxing classical piano music for studying, deep focus, reading and peaceful sleep. One of the most beautiful slow movements ever written for solo piano.    • Classical Music for Studying and Relaxation   CHAPTERS 0:00 Pathétique Sonata Adagio cantabile - Beethoven 1:00 Relaxing Classical Piano Music for Studying 2:00 Calm Solo Piano for Deep Focus 3:00 Peaceful Beethoven Op. 13 for Sleep 4:00 Soft Instrumental Piano for Stress Relief ABOUT THIS PIECE The Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13 was composed in 1798 and published in 1799, when Beethoven was in his late twenties. Its first edition carried the title "Grande Sonate pathétique," and the nickname has stayed with the work ever since. This second movement is marked Adagio cantabile - "slow, in a singing style" - and it moves to the warm key of A-flat major after the storm of the opening movement. It is built as a rondo, so the famous singing main theme returns between contrasting episodes. The melody is among the most recognisable Beethoven ever wrote, and its unhurried pace and even accompaniment are what make it such a natural fit for studying, reading and winding down at night. The sonata is dedicated to Prince Karl von Lichnowsky, one of Beethoven's most important early patrons in Vienna. ABOUT THE COMPOSER Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) was a German composer and pianist, baptised in Bonn and resident in Vienna for most of his working life. He stands as the bridge between the Classical and Romantic eras, and he continued to compose through the progressive hearing loss that began in his late twenties and ended in near-total deafness. His output includes nine symphonies, thirty-two piano sonatas, sixteen string quartets and five piano concertos. MUSIC CREDIT Recording sourced from Musopen via Wikimedia Commons, released under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. No attribution is required for this recording; credit is given here as a courtesy to Musopen for making it freely available. The composition itself is in the public domain. IMAGE CREDIT Portrait of Ludwig van Beethoven by Carl Traugott Riedel, 1801, via Wikimedia Commons. Public domain. Subscribe for a new piece of relaxing classical music every day - full works, no talking, no interruptions. #Beethoven #ClassicalMusic #StudyMusic #RelaxingMusic #PianoMusic #SleepMusic #PathetiqueSonata