I revisited Beethoven's Piano Sonata No.24, "Therese" which I plan to include on my fourth CD. Thanks to the guidance of my musical advisor, I believe it has improved considerably compared to the version I programmed about five years ago. This piece is in the unusual key of F-sharp major, which has six sharps, but since it's MIDI programming, there's no problem performing it as written.
It was dedicated to a young aristocratic lady named Therese, for whom Beethoven also seems to have served as a piano teacher. I'll leave the stories surrounding this dedication to the commentary.
From around this period, Beethoven's musical character began to change significantly, with a noticeable increase in lyrical, emotionally rich melodies. It seems that he was entering what might be called his Cantabile Period. In particular, this sonata is filled with lyrical, song-like melodies, and I feel it overflows with a deeply expressive, singing quality.
Title: Piano Sonata No. 24 in F♯ major, Op. 78, "Thérèse"
Sound Source: SYNCHRON CONCERT D-274
Audio file format: mp3 (for those who listen directly on a PC)