Sonata Pathetique

For over two hundred years, the genius of Ludwig van Beethoven has provided musicians with a standard of excellence for solo piano compositions. Our ultimate goal is to create a library of his greatest works. We have chosen a selected few that may be considered the greatest piano sonatas ever written. These “originals” are in pure form as we’ve gone to great lengths and done much research to preserve the authenticity of each of them. These five complete original sonatas published by Santorella Publications are unedited with all three movements, identical to Beethoven’s manuscripts.

To ensure authenticity, we have provided performance notes on our website free of charge @ www.santorellapublications.com. In addition to the unprecedented biographical substance which adds significant educational value, these editions have been engraved with only four systems per page on a manila cream background, so reading them has never been more pleasing to the eyes. Thus making practice, study and performance an enjoyable process.

This particular sonata, Quasi Una Fantasia, Opus 27, No.2, later known as Moonlight Sonata, was dedicated to the 17-year old Countess Giulietta Guicciardi in 1801. She was a student of Beethoven’s with whom he was deeply in love. It was originally published by Cappi in 1802.

The title Moonlight was not Beethoven's, but was suggested by poet Ludwig Rellstab in 1832. When he heard the piece, he envisioned a boat on the waters of LakeLucerne lit by moonlight. Since then, it has become known as the Moonlight Sonata and is perhaps the most celebrated piece Beethoven ever wrote.