Sonate no 23 op. 57 « Appassionata » : II. Andante con moto (variations)
Sonata Piano solo 10 min
In brief

The II. Andante con moto of the “Appassionata” moves in a restrainedly tense atmosphere, alternating singing phrases and variations that maintain inner tension rather than constant outbursts. You will face, in particular, Trills (4.8/5) requiring finger independence and very fine touch control to keep evenness and tone in ornaments, and Hand Crossings (4.8/5) that demand precise spatial planning and arm mobility to shift registers cleanly without losing the line. This sonata belongs to the core of Beethoven’s piano output and falls within what is commonly called his middle period, where expressive intensity and formal innovation converge.

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MusicCoach difficulty
74/100
Advanced
Likely range : 66–81/100
Confidence : 43% · to confirm
BeginnerIntermediateAdvancedVirtuoso
Exam grade
About grade 8

Estimated from our difficulty score, not taken from an exam syllabus. Checked against 333 works on the ABRSM syllabus: the exact grade is right 7 times out of 10, and within one grade 99 times out of 100.

Difficulty estimate by MusicCoach on a scale of 1 to 100.

Where this work sits
050100

Most works cluster between 45 and 65: a small score gap often marks a real step. The highlighted bar shows this work among those for the same instrument.

The MusicCoach difficulty measures a work's overall demands (technique, reading, stamina) on a shared 0-100 scale, consolidated from editorial and pedagogical reference points (Henle, exam syllabuses, curation) and our own analyses. It measures neither musical value nor the practice time YOU will need: two musicians of the same level can experience the same work very differently depending on their strengths (hands used to octaves, quick sight-reading…). The confidence reflects how many reference points sit behind the score and how well they agree — a lightly documented score is flagged “to validate”. For a truly personal bearing, the diagnostic and your space compare each work to YOUR estimated level, which the score alone cannot do.

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Relative difficulty
84%
Among Ludwig van Beethoven
90%
Era
83%
Genre
Estimated skills
Technique
Hand crossings
1
Technique
Octaves
1
Technique
Trills
1
Interpretation
Dynamics
1
Technique
Fast passages
1
Theory
Harmonic analysis
2
Theory
Knowledge of forms
2
Technique
Double notes
1
Interpretation
Phrasing
1
Rhythm
Dotted rhythms
1
Style
Classical style
1
What to play next?

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