Beethoven - Piano Sonata No.17 in Dm 'The Tempest', Op. 31 no. 2

The Piano Sonata No. 17 in D minor, Opus 31 No. 2, was composed in 1801/02 by Ludwig van Beethoven.

It is usually referred to as "The Tempest" (or Der Sturm in his native German), but this title was not given by him, or indeed referred to as such during his lifetime; instead, it comes from a claim by his associate Anton Schindler that the sonata was inspired by the Shakespeare play. However, much of Schindler's information is distrusted by classical music scholars.

The piece consists of three movements (all of them presenting sonata allegro form characteristics) and takes approximately twenty-five minutes to perform:

1. Largo - Allegro
2. Adagio
3. Allegretto

Ludwig van Beethoven (baptized 17 December 1770 - 26 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. The crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.

Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of the Holy Roman Empire, Beethoven moved to Vienna in his early 20s, studying with Joseph Haydn and quickly gaining a reputation as a virtuoso pianist.

His hearing began to deteriorate in the late 1790s, yet he continued to compose, conduct, and perform, even after becoming completely deaf.

Creative Commons license: Public Domain.