piano sonata op 13

beethoven's sonata pathetique op. 13

this piano sonata of beethoven's begins in C minor and is definitely in rondo (ABACABA) form. in the first expository A section, there is a HC in measure 4 (a V7 chord) followed by a PAC in measure 8. the melody twists and turns a bit, but section B comes around measure 25. this section transitions into Eb major for about 30 bars. there is some mode mixture, including minor i chords. The A section returns and is followed shortly by the C section, which modulates to Ab minor (the d flats kind of give it away, as well as the half cadence four bars after the C section begins). It's funny, because when the A section returns, it always comes back to the key of c minor. But when the B section returns for the second time, it does not come back in Eb major, but instead in C major. The themes in this piece really play with both major and minor keys--not gonna lie, it confuses the hell out of me!