After the Appassionata sonata, Beethoven wrote to his publisher that he did not want to spend much time composing piano sonatas and that he had turned to others genres like opera and symphony. But then, after about four years, he comes up with a most lyrical sonata completely different from Appassionata. Sonata no 24 in F-sharp major, opus 78 is nicknamed ‘à Thérèse’. It was dedicated to his pupil, the Countess Thérèse von Brunsvik. She was the sister of Josephine van Brunsvik, who is by most experts regarded as Beethoven’s ‘immortal beloved’, the addressee of an unsent love letter Beethoven wrote.

The first movement, Adagio cantabile – Allegro ma non troppo, is very lyrical and tender. In the first four bars a wonderful melody emerges. Unfortunately, this melody does not return at all, but it determines the atmosphere. Perhaps it can be understood as a fragment of the slow movement this sonata does not have. Also, Beethoven’s piano sonatas become increasingly concentrated towards the late sonatas. Unlike Appassionata, this sonata has no great drama. The first movement is all about lyricism and tenderness. It is great in the sense that the different elements are seemingly easily connected.

The second movement, Allegro vivace, is a variation to the popular song ‘Rule Britannia’, to which Beethoven wrote a set of variations for piano in 1803. This movement is a combination of sonata form and rondo, characterized by huge differences between loud and soft and changes between major and minor. It’s humorous and eccentric and, according to Rosen, makes no attempt to sound normal.

À Thérèse is not really well known and liked by the public, but Beethoven thought very highly of it. He did not understand the popularity of his C-sharp minor sonata -known throughout the world as the Moonlight Sonata- while he found ‘À Thérèse’ much greater.