Five Beethoven Cello Sonatas

Updated March 28, 2020: In an effort to reduce the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), all Seattle Symphony performances are either canceled or postponed through May 31, 2020. 

When considered as a complete set, Beethoven’s five sonatas for cello and piano are a chronicle of his evolution as a composer. Nos. 1 and 2 reflect his early adoration for Mozart and Haydn, while No. 3 presents an equal relationship between the instruments that was ahead of its time. Finally, Nos. 4 and 5 demonstrate Beethoven’s late-career defiance of traditional musical forms.