Piano Sonata No.33 Hob.XVI:20, C minor

Composed in 1771, this is the sonata in which Haydn's keyboard writing first reaches full emotional seriousness. It belongs to the turbulent Sturm und Drang years, when minor keys, abrupt contrasts and dramatic gestures ran through his symphonies and quartets alike. It was among the first of his keyboard works conceived with the fortepiano rather than the harpsichord in mind, and the difference shows: the music depends on graded dynamics and sustained singing lines that a harpsichord simply cannot produce. Haydn held it back for nearly a decade before publishing it in 1780.