Beethoven Pathetique Analysis

One of the most wonderful ways that historians can correctly observe the times of our musical forefathers is from recovering historical records of many varieties. These can include journals, manuscripts, and in the case of Beethoven, letters to his brothers known as the Heligenstadt Testament. Written on October 6th, 1802 to Carl and Johann, it provides the readers, especially musicians, with valuable and rather heartbreaking insight into the very personal, not to mention very misunderstood, life of Beethoven. If we delve into what time in his life this was written, it helps us grasp the hidden emotion and meaningful undertones that appear in his music.

Beethoven’s hearing started suffering, mainly showing itself in buzzing noises and other sounds, in 1796 at the age of 26. It continued to make itself known in harsher ways. By 1801, one year before the letter, he was approximately 60% deaf. One can imagine even without the letter that this must have been extremely difficult for Beethoven, who was reaching the height of his career. Why should he, who should, in fact, have a better and more refined ear than the average layman, be the

Beethoven’s Piano Sonata “Pathetique”, written in 1798, gives us a glimpse of his frustration. The beginning starts immediately with rather angry but yet thoughtful melody and chord progressions. The line continues to show these emotions, and then, with a sweep of sixteenth notes, leads us into a heartbreaking melody that is so beautiful, but that still hold outbursts of anger.

Reading Beethoven’s Hiligenstadt Testament shows us the vulnerability of a human spirit, even one of a magnificent and earth-shattering composer such as Beethoven. Learning about such vulnerability allows us a musicians to grasp even just a little bit more the way in which Beethoven’s music should be