The most intimate form of chamber music in Beethoven's day, the piano sonata became the composer's vehicle for his boldest and most private thoughts. The five compositions in this collection, the most famous of Beethoven's 32 piano sonatas, are among the most frequently recorded and performed in the piano repertoire. All composed during the master's most fertile period, they include Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op.13 ("Path tique"); Sonata No. 14 in...