The two most pressing concerns for Beethoven in 1801 were his encroaching deafness and his preoccupation with 'a dear fascinating girl who', he wrote, 'loves me and whom I love'. This was the Countess ...

Ludwig van Beethoven and the piano were two of the most exciting new qualities of music in the 18th century and both are showcased in his Sonata Op.13 No.8 in C minor, Pathétique, first movement. In ...