“My compositions are very profitable for me and I can say that I have more orders than are almost possible for me to fulfil.” Beethoven wrote the latter to a friend in 1801. He had only just completed his “Moonlight Sonata” op. 27 No. 2, when he began writing down the first sketches for his Sonata op. 28.

Elements of pastoral music, such as the dance-like triple metre as well as pedal notes and fifths in the bass which seem to imitate bagpipes, are reminiscent of the later 6th Symphony. The r...