A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Pathétique

by George Grove

PATHÉTIQUE. 'Grande Sonate pathétique pour le Clavecin ou Piano-Forte composée et dediée à Son Altesse le Prince Charles de Lichnowsky par Louis van Beethoven' is the title of Beethoven's 7th Pianoforte Sonata, op. 13. It is in C minor, and has an Introduction (which reappears in the Allegro) in addition to the other three movements. (The Pathétique and the op. 111 are the only PF. Sonatas with Introductions.) It was published by Eder in the Graben, Vienna, in 1799. No clue has been found to its title. M. Nottebohm however has discovered from Beethoven's sketch-books that the Finale was originally written for Strings, and was probably intended for the Finale of the String trio in C minor, Op. 9, No. 3.^[1]

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1. 'Neue Beethoveniana,' No. xx, in the 'Musikalisches Wochenblatt.' Jan. 14, 1876.