Ludwig van Beethoven's 17th piano sonata in D minor, named Tempest by the editor. This was the only tragedy Beethoven wrote for piano, in its form. As with the rest of Beethoven's music (save the 6th symphony), it was written with no topic, about nothing. Just music.
It's indeed a melodramatic piece, beautiful nonetheless. It begins with a slow, calm arpeggio of an A major chord in the lower registers. Three memorable, tranquil notes preface an intense break into storm. These three notes reminded me of teardrops the first time I heard the song. The first movement ends with a tremolo of the lowest octaves on the keyboard, like distant thunder.
The second movement is another gorgeous adagio, as Beethoven is known for. The most memorable piece of this movement is the short alternating bass notes that make up a drone during the second theme.
The third movement is perhaps one of the most moving piano pieces Beethoven has ever written. It's meter is 3/8, and has an underlying beat about the tempo of a quick waltz. The way it loses hold of the meter, gains it back, and tosses it around is perhaps the most entrancing piece of this movement. For weeks after hearing this, I couldn't rid my own compositions of the powerful chord progression used in the primary theme.
The Tempest is one of the most beautiful piano sonatas due to Beethoven, and is definitely worth listening to. A public domain copy can be found at:
http://fibonaci.babylonia.flatirons.org/tempest