Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 22 in F major, Movement 1 (Pokémon DPP Soundfont)

The 22nd Sonata stands as an enigmatic work right in the middle of Beethoven's "heroic" middle period. Whereas most of his sonatas from this era, especially its immediate predecessor and successor, the "Waldstein" and "Appassionata" respectively, are very ambitious works, this one is among his shortest by far. Its two-movement form is also quite bizarre. By beginning with a minuet, it leaves the impression of a sonata with its two first movements missing.
All that said, what this sonata may lack in the ambition and drama that characterizes both of its neighbors works it more than makes up for in wit and charm, and it's not worth being overlooked.
The first movement of this work unfolds as a simple ABABA form. The movement's themes are almost as different from each other as one could imagine, the first a relaxed minuet in F major, the second a rather more scherzo-like dance in C major (0:41).
Piano Sonata No. 22 in F major, Op. 54
I. In tempo d'un menuetto
Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven
Soundfont: Pokémon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum
Movement 2: • Beethoven - Piano Sona...

[@GiratinaplaysDS]

Very nice

[@dylans.1741]

It's weird. I mostly associate the key of F major with modern songs like World's Smallest Violin by AJR, and video game tracks like the athletic theme from Yoshi's Island. How often was it used in Beethoven's time?

[@ClassicalEntertainmentSystem]

F major was actually a decently common key in the classical period! Just a few decades before Beethoven's time, Mozart wrote a few works in this key and, whenever there was any symphony or concerto in C major, chances were very high that their slow movements would be in F major.
Beethoven himself composed two superb symphonies centered in F major, though, the famous Symphony No. 6 "Pastoral" and the too-often overlooked but immensely fun Symphony No. 8.