Beethoven's Piano Sonata no. 16 was composed between 1801-2. Although it was numbered as the first piece in the trio of sonatas Op. 31 Beethoven actually finished it after Op. 31 no. 2, the Tempest Sonata. These works are amongst the first examples of Beethoven's new and unconventional ideas, an attempt to make a name for himself in the annals of music history. It is important to take into account that these pieces were written after the famous Heiligenstadt Testament of 1802. This sonata is light, breezy and has touches of humour and irony in its movements. Critics say that the Opus 31 works show now a more pronounced "Beethovenian" sense of style that will become more evident in later, mature works. A typical performance lasts about 20 minutes.
