Piano Sonata no. 23 in F minor 'Appassionata', Op. 57
Beethoven's Piano Sonata no. 23 in F minor, Op. 57, colloquially known as the Appassionata, is considered one of the great piano sonatas of his middle period. It was composed during 1803-6, published in 1807, and dedicated to Count Franz von Brunswick. The nickname was coined in 1838 by the publisher of the four-hand arrangement. The Appassionata was considered by Beethoven to be his finest piano sonata until the Hammerklavier, describing it as a ''brilliantly executed display of emotion and music". An average performance of all three movements of the Appassionata sonata lasts about 23 minutes.
