(piano)
Beethoven's Sonata in C minor, Op. 111

The C minor Sonata, written in 1822, was the last of Beethoven's sonatas. It was also his crowning achievement in sonata form, for it embraces not only the technical experience of a lifetime but also the maturity of thought of one of the two greatest musical imaginations of all time.
Unlike the classical sonata, this work is divided into only two movements : the first begins with a slow and majestic introduction that is followed by a powerful allegro, one of the chief features of which is the ingenious fugal writing. The second movement is a truly magnificent set of variations on a very beautiful theme, which Beethoven describes as an arietta.