Piano Sonata No. 24 in F-Sharp Major

Written in 1809, Piano Sonata No. 24 is one of the compact two-movement works that Beethoven liked to compose alongside his larger and technically demanding keyboard masterpieces. He dedicated the Sonata to Countess Therese von Brunswick, and it is often billed with the unofficial subtitle “À Thérèse” (“To Therese”). Beethoven had for several years been deeply in love with Therese’s younger sister Josephine (probably the imagined recipient of his unsent letter of 1812, “To the Immortal Beloved”). The two sisters were talented amateur pianists, and Sonata No. 24’s moderate technical difficulty was evidently devised with Therese’s playing level in mind. Although the work’s scale is modest, the music is of memorable quality. Beginning with a brief slow introduction, the first movement’s lyrical flow showcases the thoughtful side of the composer’s personality, and features some beautiful flickering bell-like figuration in the piano’s upper register. The brisk second movement (“Allegro vivace”) reverts to Beethoven’s typical abrupt contrasts of mood and tone, with some busy right-hand passagework to test Therese’s keyboard skills.