Type: Piano Solo
Location: Baroque Palace of Vienna, Austria
Pianist: Daniel Barenboim
Year: 2016

Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 5 in C minor, Op. 10 No. 1 may not be as famous as his “Moonlight” sonata, but it’s a compelling choice for Ovation Arts subscribers interested in early Beethoven at his boldest and most dramatic. Written in the late 1790s, this sonata shows Beethoven moving beyond the Classical style of Mozart toward something darker, stormier, and more personal. The sonata is full of contrast and tension yet is only 15 minutes long; depth without length, haunting and restrained.