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feature image: Under the Moonlight /used under CC BY-SA 2.0

Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata : The Basic Facts

First, just take a listen. You can start this video and keep scrolling down to read as you hear the music.

Formal Titles: Sonata quasi una Fantasia , Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 27 No. 2

Nickname: the "Moonlight" Sonata

Composer: Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Date composed: 1800-1801; published in 1802, dedicated to his pupil Countess Giulietta Guicciardi

Original instrumentation: solo piano

Full piece length: 14-15' long (depending on the tempi the performer takes), 3 movements (I. Adagio sostenuto II. Allegretto III. Presto agitato)

First movement (the recognizable one) length: about 5'20"-6' long

Moonlight Sonata Sheet Music

Because the Moonlight Sonata piano sheet music was first published in 1802 (and internationally published, at that), the piano score is in the public domain. This means that it's possible to get free and legal versions of the piece online and print it out for yourself.

The cleanest (free, public domain) version of the Moonlight Sonata piano score is this 4 MB, high quality scanned version of the Peters score ; it has high resolution images that can be printed onto different sized paper without issue and includes piano fingering suggestions. If file size is an issue for you (for instance, if you have slow download speeds or a computer/device that can't handle high resolution PDFs), however, I'd recommend the smaller (1.69 MB) Breitkopf & Härtel score .

If you're curious, you can also take a look at the original handwritten manuscript sketches for the piece , which start at measure 14, or about 50-55 seconds in (depending on how fast you play it). You can also always browse IMSLP.org for other free scores if none of these versions takes your fancy.

There are several videos out there that sync the score with a recording of the piece , so that you can follow along without having a separate copy of the score yourself. The best one I've seen (in terms of good recording + good syncing of the score) is this video, which features pianist Artur Schnabel's seminal recording of the Moonlight Sonata:

Jacky Tran /YouTube

A Brief History of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata

The Moonlight Sonata was written in 1800-1801, while Beethoven was living in Vienna. At this point in his life, Beethoven had not yet gone completely deaf, but his hearing had begun seriously deteriorating. In fact, the Heiligenstadt Testament (where Beethoven wrote of his realization and grappling with his hearing loss and its permanence) was written the following year in 1802.

That Beethoven's hearing loss had already become apparent makes the apocryphal story about how the Moonlight Sonata got its name all the more poignant. An apocryphal tale sprung up in the mid-19th century (after Beethoven's death) about how Beethoven met a blind girl playing the piano and was so moved by her and the moonlight streaming in the room that he was inspired to rush home and write down the piece. There's also a similarly romantic story about how Beethoven was having an affair with the student to whom the piece was dedicated.

Alas, neither of these colorful tales appear to have any factual basis. The nickname "Moonlight Sonata" was not actually given to the piece by the composer; instead, Russian music writer Wilhelm von Lenz reported that an 1830s German music critic and romantic poet named (Heinrich Friedrich) Ludwig Rellstab was the first to describe the piece as relating to moonlight . Rellstab is reported to have referred to the sonata as "a boat visiting, by moonlight, the primitive landscapes of Vierwaldstättersee in Switzerland." And Giulietta Guicciardi, the dedicatee of the piece, herself debunked the rumor that she'd had an affair with Beethoven and the piece reminded him of her.

Beethoven himself was surprised and not altogether pleased by the piece's popularity. The story goes that Beethoven once complained to his fellow musician friend Carl Czerny that everyone loved the Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor (the Moonlight Sonata ), even though Beethoven himself felt he'd written better (or at least more interesting) pieces :

"Everybody is always talking about the C-sharp minor Sonata! Surely I have written better things. There is the Sonata in F-sharp major—that is something very different."

Why Is the Moonlight Sonata So Popular?

So what is it that has made the Moonlight Sonata so popular, from the time of its first performance up through the present day?

Some people attribute the popularity of the Moonlight Sonata (and the first movement in particular) to the specific mood it creates .

Musicologist Joseph Kerman suggests that part of its appeal (particularly for the first movement) comes from the "half-improvisatory texture, the unity of mood, and especially the mood itself – that romantic mestizia which will have overwhelmed all but the stoniest of listeners by the end of the melody's first phrase."

While this is a reasonable stance to take, it's also difficult to know if the mood listeners sense from the piece comes from the music itself or from the cultural discourse surrounding the Moonlight Sonata .

Of course, part of the appeal of the piece may come from the fact that it has contrasting textures and harmonies that lend themselves easily to interpretation . As Beethoven himself said, the piece is quasi una fantasia —like a fantasy.

The nickname "moonlight" and the imagery that evokes has also assisted in maintaining the piece's popularity throughout the years. While there is no narrative associated with the Moonlight Sonata , the association of the piece with moonlight on a lake gives many listeners a firm starting point.

Especially when contrasted to the more abstract pieces of the 20th century (and beyond), the Moonlight Sonata manages to hold the line between avoiding being too explici t (this is what the piece is about, you must hear this in the piece) and too vague (you're on your own).

Part of the Moonlight Sonata 's popularity also no doubt stems from the association it has with Beethoven's deafness.

Beethoven has become a legendary figure, the epitome of the tortured artist who is losing the sense most important to his art, and the fact that the Moonlight Sonata was written during Beethoven's hearing loss speaks to many listeners.

The unending triplet arpeggios in the bass, paired with the unadorned melody in the middle register of the piano, gives the listener almost the sense that the right hand of the pianist is crying out against the whims of fate.

For a deeper dive into the enduring popularity of the Moonlight Sonata , listen to this NPR podcast .

Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata : Quick and Dirty Analysis

First off, what makes the Moonlight Sonata a sonata? In the Classical music era (normally 1750-1825 or so), a "sonata" meant a multi-movement piece for piano solo (like the Moonlight Sonata ) or for piano and other instruments.

The first movement, or section, of these pieces would usually be in sonata form: an opening , expository section (the exposition ), a second section where the themes from the first are developed (the development ), and a final section where there is a return to the themes of the first section, inflected by some of the harmonic journeying that took place during the development (the recapitulation ).

In the Moonlight Sonata , the first movement starts in C-sharp minor, journeys to the dominant (G-sharp major), and returns to the tonic (C-sharp minor), as is typical of the sonata form.

The Moonlight Sonata is also notable for the way the characters of the different movements stray from standard late 18th century/early 19th century classical sonatas.

Rather than having the movements go fast-slow-fast, the Moonlight Sonata instead ramps up over time , starting with a contemplative opening movement, moving on to the lighter but quicker feel of the second movement, and ending with the turbulent third movement.

The Moonlight Sonata in Pop Culture

Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata has made an appearance in a variety of non-classical pieces over the years. Here is just a sampling of the times the Moonlight Sonata has been sampled in pop music:

  • The Beatles, " Because " (1969)—features a backwards version of the Moonlight Sonata
  • Alicia Keys, " The Piano and I " (2001)
  • Cake, " Teenage Pregnancy " (2011)

The Moonlight Sonata also became part of cartoon history when it was used as the accompaniment for a song in the animated special "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown" (later turned into the song " Schroeder " in the Broadway musical adaptation).

For a complete list of the Moonlight Sonata 's appearances in non-classical settings, visit this site .

Moonlight Sonata Arrangements

In addition to being sampled by other artists, the Moonlight Sonata has also been arranged for a variety of other different instruments.

Versions of Moonlight Sonata for piano and orchestra are more of an augmentation of the original piece, whereas some of the other instrumentations are a little more adventurous (and involve more finagling on the part of the arranger).

Guitar (Classical/Acoustic and Electric)

Of all the different orchestrations, Moonlight Sonata guitar arrangements tend to be particularly successful because the guitar allows for easy arpeggiation and melody/accompaniment combinations.

Because the piano is technically a percussion instrument, it's no surprise that marimba , vibraphone, glockenspiel, or other percussion arrangements of the originally-for-piano Moonlight Sonata work well.

The carillon is similar to other keyboard instruments like the piano and the organ in that it employs both keys and foot pedals, but it is unique in that it is normally found up a bell tower and involves ringing large bells . The performers cannot see the audience, and vice versa, which can make the music seem as if it's coming from the atmosphere (or the moonlight) itself—an effect particularly strong when the piece is something as affecting as the Moonlight Sonata .

Classical Moonlight Sonata Mash-Ups

Finally, there are some performers who have used the Moonlight Sonata as a vehicle to bridge the classical and pop worlds. The melding of the two is particularly evident in "Moonlight," which involves an electric cello and samples of other classical pieces interspersed throughout.

How to Play Moonlight Sonata : Performance Tips

These tips are particularly geared towards playing the first movement ( I. Adagio sostenuto ), but are equally applicable to the rest of the piece.

#1: Hold Back the Tempo

Do not rush through the notes—if there's any piece that isn't a race to get to the finish, it's the first movement of the Moonlight Sonata . Here's a beautiful recording of Annie Fischer's slower, more sustained (sostenuto!) interpretation of the first movement of the Moonlight Sonata:

Keeping it slow is also key to mastering the next tip.

#2: Keep the Rhythm Steady

Just because the tempo is slow doesn't mean that you can meander all over the place with the notes and disregard the written rhythm. Part of the hypnotic lulling effect of the first movement is the steady triplets in the bass (for the most part) against a dotted eighth note-sixteenth note (or dotted quaver-semiquaver) rhythm in the right hand—the farther you stray away from this relationship, the less impact the piece will have on the listener.

#3: A Piece Is Greater Than the Sum of Its Notes

Getting the correct notes and rhythms are an important part of learning any piece, but you shouldn't consider yourself "finished learning" the piece just because you've gotten the fundamentals down. Notes are important, but things like dynamics (how loud or soft you play) and articulation are the icing on the Moonlight Sonata cake.

Because it's written for the piano, Moonlight Sonata has a restricted range of expressiveness (simply because of the limitations of the instrument), but that doesn't meant that the expressiveness shouldn't be there. S ubtle differences in how hard you press the keys and how much you let the sound decay can have a huge impact on the impact the piece has on the audience (or the listener, if you're not performing formally).

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The Best Way to Learn the Moonlight Sonata

It's possible to learn the Moonlight Sonata by ear, from the sheet music, or using a combination of the two. If you already know how to read music, then that's probably the best option—learning the Moonlight Sonata from the score will get you closest to Beethoven's intent (since playing it by ear necessitates having a middle man).

As with most pieces, the best way to learn the Moonlight Sonata is to learn it section by section and eventually put it together , rather than trying to play it through every time you practice.

If you're learning the Moonlight Sonata by ear, learning it a little bit at a time is also a good idea. Yes, it will involve listening to the same 10 seconds of the piece over and over again, but once you get that pattern of arpeggiating triplets in the left hand against non-triplets in the right hand down, the rest of the movement will be easier. If you know how to play the guitar or some other chordal instrument, you might find knowing the Moonlight Sonata tabs help you learn the specific note patterns better as well.

It's possible to augment your learning of the Moonlight Sonata from the score with recordings of the piece (and get the best of both learning by ear and learning by reading music worlds), but that method has its own issues. Some performers don't like to listen to versions of a piece while they're working on it because they're afraid it'll affect their interpretation, but the ubiquity of the Moonlight Sonata in culture makes it difficult to avoid.

Personally, I try to avoid listening to other interpretations of pieces when I'm learning it, but it can be helpful (if you're struggling with what the notes sound like) to listen to a MIDI version, like this one:

Tricky Parts of the Moonlight Sonata

What each performer finds tricky will change to some extent from person to person. For instance, the large distances between notes in the left-hand chords of the first movement will be harder for people with smaller hands, while the arpeggios may be more difficult for people with stiffness or arthritis in their fingers.

As far as the Moonlight Sonata notes themselves go, I think the most difficult part (of the first movement) occurs during the development section (mm. 31-39), with the onslaught of out-of-key accidentals (naturals, sharps, and even some double sharps).

body_moonlightaccidentals

Pedaling, or controlling the sustain and decay of the notes, is also tricky for this piece. Beethoven notes at the beginning of the Moonlight Sonata,

"Si deve suonare tutto questo pezzo delicatissimamente e senza sordini" (Translation: The entire piece should be played with the most delicate and unmuted sound).

This effect no doubt would've sounded eerie and beautiful on the pianofortes of 1801, but the pianos today have longer sustains, which means that holding down the sustain pedal for the entirety of the piece will likely just result in a muddy sound . For a more complete discussion of the different pedaling options commonly used in the Moonlight Sonata , check out the full guide here .

Ultimately, it's up to the performer to interpret as she will what feels right (and sounds right) to her , just as it's up to the listeners to decide which Moonlight Sonata performance or recording sounds and feels the best for them.

What's Next?

We mention melodies and harmonies above, but what exactly is a melody or a harmony? Learn about the differences between melodies and harmonies here .

Looking for more Beethoven piano music insights? Read our article on Für Elise .

Thinking about applying to conservatory? Check out our article on the best music schools in the US here .

Laura graduated magna cum laude from Wellesley College with a BA in Music and Psychology, and earned a Master's degree in Composition from the Longy School of Music of Bard College. She scored 99 percentile scores on the SAT and GRE and loves advising students on how to excel in high school.

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An Essay on Ludwig van Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata (First Movement)

Where does one begin, when describing the legendary sound of the first movement of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, Piano Sonata No. 14, or Sonata quasi una fantasia ? Surely one of the most recognizable pieces of Classical music, it’s transcended generations, ages and critics to remain one of the foremost beautiful, universally recognized pieces of music.

From the mighty blow of the first chord of the first movement, the journey begins on a troubling, nerve-wracking note, building and twisting. At times it tricks me as though it’s letting go, but it’s an illusion. The winding arpeggios suck me in, the supporting chords hammering away at my brain through the air, filling every nerve ending, overpowering the senses.

Many cry listening to the Moonlight Sonata, I can only imagine because of the depth to which it pierces the soul with builds which peak, leaving me thirsting for more, but then bring me back down to earth. I listen to this piece quite often when in a somber mood, it just happens naturally. Grey skies, the rain, wind blowing across a field at night, a chilly beach without swimmers, a lonely leaf spinning to the ground as it streaks across the autumn sky. For me, the Moonlight Sonata is a sobering reminder of the ups and downs of life, and that everything is finite, with a beginning and an end.

At times, within the six or so minute period from beginning to end, it can become difficult or easy to breathe, the chest feels heavy then light, thoughts rush through the brain at magnificent speeds.

When the heart aches, I turn to the Moonlight Sonata for the somber comfort. The piece grounds me, helps me deconstruct complex issues into smaller, manageable ones, with each stroke of the keys. The melody carries me into the future, leaving behind moments of regret and pain, infusing them into the way I perceive this piece, over time. And thus, over time it becomes increasingly difficult to sit through this piece, parts of my life attached to every measure. But, at the same time, I am drawn to it, as if it is my favorite release. Sometimes I listen to it over and over again, hanging on every note, every progression, sometimes I listen to it as I fall asleep, and sometimes it’s playing in my head when I wake up in the morning.

The Moonlight Sonata, to me, often serves as a reminder of something constant, everpresent in a constantly changing world where every day is different, people and places come and go, but in the Sonata I can always find an escape into a place inside or myself which never changes. Just like putting down words on paper, it sometimes just feels good to hear that familiar sound which is organic to my mind.

If you’re somehow not yet overly familiar with the piece in question, you may listen to it on YouTube .

At one point I even attempted to re-imagine it, but fell far short of my own expectations, the monstrosity of that result lies here, on my Soundcloud ; an endlessly ongoing project, which perhaps I will have enough skill and finesse to finish one day.

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Fishko Files

Why do we love the 'moonlight' sonata.

Sara Fishko

beethoven moonlight sonata essay

Beethoven finished his Piano Sonata No. 14, nicknamed the "Moonlight," in 1801. Tom Hahn/iStockPhoto hide caption

It has been recorded by everyone from Geza Anda to Dieter Zechlin. Forward-looking, iconoclastic modern pianists record it; so do classicists, and big-name stars give it a try. With more than 80 available recordings, pianists continue to return to Beethoven's "Moonlight" Sonata.

"Surely I've written better things," Beethoven said of his Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Opus 27, No. 2. So why does everybody play the "Moonlight"?

Beethoven specified that the piece's famous first movement should be played "Quasi una fantasia" — almost a fantasy — and it has certainly inspired many a fantasy, passion, and parody. But maybe the answer lies somewhere in the 13 different versions heard here.

Note: This essay was first broadcast in 2000.

Five 'Moonlights,' 1st Mvt.

Cover for Beethoven: Piano Sonatas

Artur Schnabel

  • Song: Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor ("Moonlight"), Op. 27/2
  • from Beethoven: Piano Sonatas

Artur Schnabel's recordings of Beethoven sonatas still remain definitive; his brisk "Moonlight" was waxed in 1934.

Cover for Annie Fischer

Annie Fischer

The Hungarian pianist Annie Fischer recorded this enduring version in late 1958 and early 1959.

Cover for Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos. Pathétique, Mondschein, Appassionata

Emil Grigoryevich Gilels

  • from Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos. Pathétique, Mondschein, Appassionata

Originally from the Ukraine, Emil Gilels performed this slower interpretation live in Moscow in 1968.

Cover for Beethoven: Favourite Piano Sonatas

Vladimir Ashkenazy

  • from Beethoven: Favourite Piano Sonatas

Before Russian pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy branched out into conducting, he cut this classic 1978 study.

Cover for Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos. 13, 14, 17, 21

Maurizio Pollini

  • from Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos. 13, 14, 17, 21

The Italian pianist Maurizio Pollini ventured this version of Beethoven's Opus 27, No. 2 in 1991.

Related NPR Stories

Classics in concert, loving 'leonore': beethoven's neglected opera, concert hall curveballs (featuring alfred brendel).

  • Ludwig van Beethoven

Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven: An Analysis

beethoven moonlight sonata essay

I can’t believe this channel has existed for over 2 years and we haven’t yet done an analysis on Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven, probably one of the most famous piano pieces of all time. But today’s the day!

In today’s video, we’re going to look at all three movements – yes, there are three movements, beyond the iconic slow first movement – and talk a little history and analysis.

The purpose of this video is to give you a deeper insight into this lovely sonata, whether or not you’re a music nerd or everyday general music fan. We’ll play clips from the piece so you can get a sense of what it sounds like, and talk a bit of history, theory and style.

Let’s get to it!

Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven: General info

The actual title for Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven is “Piano Sonata no. 14 in C# minor, op. 27 no. 2”. It was written in 1801, and aside from being popular over 200 years later, it was pretty well-loved in Beethoven’s day as well.

It wasn’t always called “Moonlight Sonata” – on the first edition, Beethoven gave the piece an Italian subtitle, “ Sonata quasi una fantasia”, which translates to something like “Sonata almost like a fantasy” (A fantasy is another music genre, and much more improvisational).

beethoven moonlight sonata essay

Shortly after Beethoven’s death, a well-known music critic named Ludwig Rellstab made the comment that the first movement sounded like moonlight shining upon Lake Lucerne. That comment caught fire, and within a decade it was already being published as “Moonlight Sonata”.

Inspiration for Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven

Frederic Chopin was said to have been inspired to write his Fantaisie-Impromtu because of this piece, as a tribute to Beethoven. I love this quote by Enst Oster, who writes,

“… With the aid of the Fantaisie-Impromptu we can at least recognize what particular features of the C♯ minor Sonata struck fire in Chopin. We can actually regard Chopin as our teacher as he points to the coda and says, ‘Look here, this is great. Take heed of this example!’ … The Fantaisie-Impromptu is perhaps the only instance where one genius discloses to us — if only by means of a composition of his own — what he actually hears in the work of another genius.”

The title “Moonlight” sonata makes it sound like this is a rather romantic sonata, and people have speculated that it was meant as a sort of love song to Giulietta Guicciardi, Beethoven’s 17-year old piano student who he dedicated the piece to.

beethoven moonlight sonata essay

However, it’s much more likely that the inspiration came from a darker place. In one of the original manuscripts, Beethoven had notes from Mozart’s Don Juan, also in C# minor, from the scene where Don Juan kills the commander. This indicates to us that Beethoven envisioned more of a funeral feel to this movement, as opposed to a romantic feel.

beethoven moonlight sonata essay

It was also written in his early thirties, around the time he was starting to deal with his hearing loss and his music style was changing. When I listen to this, I don’t hear a story of lost love – I hear a story of death and turmoil.

So Beethoven was heavily influenced by Mozart’s death scene in Don Giovanni , and Chopin was later inspired by Moonlight Sonata for his Fantaisie-Impromtu. Ahh, the cycle of (music) life!

Overall structure of Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven

So let’s look at the overarching structure of this work, which generally runs about 20 minutes. It’s got three movements:

beethoven moonlight sonata essay

This is typical of the Classical-era genre – sonatas are almost always 3-4 movements long. What is unusual about this sonata is the tempo choices. Usually sonatas are fast-slow-fast, with the slow movement sandwiched in the middle. The first and last movement are almost always quite brisk.

But Beethoven goes slow-medium-fast in this sonata, which was really unusual, and a testament to his rule-breaking. He enjoyed saving the most important movement for last, and did so in other sonatas (op. 27 no. 1, and op. 101).

1 st movement: Adagio sostenuto

The first movement of Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven is the one that most people are familiar with – you’ll recognize it right away when we take a listen.

The movement as a whole is quite quiet and somber, mainly piano/pianissimo with a few crescendos – it never grows beyond that, which is really quite restrained for passionate Beethoven.

Some famous musicians, such as Hector Berlioz, really loved the movement, saying,

“It is one of those poems that human language does not know how to qualify.”

Carl Czerny, Beethoven’s piano student, also quite enjoyed it, as did many listeners in Beethoven’s time. This actually frustrated Beethoven, who said to Czerny, “Surely I’ve written better things.” It’s like Radiohead with Creep all over again.

Let’s take a quick listen to a little bit of the introduction and first subject, to get the tune in your head while we talk.

beethoven moonlight sonata essay

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEMViAPLyrI[/embedyt]

Moonlight Sonata: Rhythmic Ostinato

Throughout the movement, we have a rhythmic ostinato – Beethoven’s triplet pattern that continues without fail throughout the entire movement. This gives the piece a “rolling” feeling – it feels as though it’s swaying back and forth.

The melody of this movement is very fleeting – it creates a feeling of little peeks of light shining through the pitch-black lower notes. The melody practically glistens.

On a personal note, learning this movement was a revelatory piano experience – some of you have probably experienced this with pieces you’ve learned. That magical feeling like you’re witnessing pure genius, as you unfold it note by note, chord by chord. I remember the first time I learned to play the tense second theme, and being completely blown away by the brilliant harmonies.

That’s one of the reasons I’m such a fan of playing Classical music. When else do you get to personally witness such genius, up close and in your own home? I get the same way when I go to art galleries – it can bring you to tears.

1st movement: Technical details

So let’s get into some technical details. The first movement is in a weird version of sonata form (for a normal version of sonata form, check out this video). It’s got a first subject (mm. 1-5) and a second subject (mm. 15-23) in the exposition.

beethoven moonlight sonata essay

The development section is really short (mm. 23-42), which is one thing that sets it apart from other more regular sonatas. We usually expect the development section to take the themes from the exposition and spend time twisting them around, but Beethoven doesn’t go there. This part is almost like a short bridge.

beethoven moonlight sonata essay

And then we have the recapitulation, where the first theme (mm. 42-46) and second theme (mm. 51-60) are brought back, with the second theme being in a different key the second time around.

beethoven moonlight sonata essay

Finally, we have the coda (ending) from mm. 60-65, bringing the movement to a close.

Fantasy-esque Cadenza

We’ve already mentioned that Beethoven intended this movement to be “almost like a fantasy”, which means it has an improvisational feel to it. This means he decided to shirk a lot of the common harmonic progressions and “rules” of sonata form, which gives this movement a much freer feel.

There’s a passage in the middle (the development section) where the melody drops and the notes run up and down the keyboard – this, to me, has a really distinct improvisational flair to it, almost like a little cadenza. Play around with rubato (flexible tempo) and expression in this part especially.

Let’s take a quick listen to that part from the development section – it’s full of diminished chords, and very tense.

Performed by Allysia

1st movement: Recapitulation

The final clip I want you to listen to is from the recapitulation. It’s the second theme, which we haven’t yet listened to. You’re all probably familiar with the famous first theme (which we started the listening with), but this second theme is my favorite. It’s really powerful, and always feels exciting to play.

beethoven moonlight sonata essay

Some practice suggestions

If you’re learning this on the piano, or plan to soon, it’s a great place to experiment with the una corda, or “first pedal”. This is most of my students’ first introduction to using the softening first pedal, and sounds great in the pianissimo sections. And you want to use this pedal while simultaneously using the damper pedal as well.

Another challenge of playing this is that the melody notes in the right hand are mainly performed with the pinky, and, as such, it’s really easy for that note to disappear, instead of cutting through the accompaniment like it’s meant to.

I was personally inspired by Claudio Arrau for my interpretation of this movement – he plays very slow, and with incredible expression. The triplet pattern never sounds mechanical, and his melody is so clear.

2 nd movement: Allegretto

Of the three movements, this is the one that people are generally the least familiar with. It’s your average minuetto and trio, and pretty unremarkable.

This movement reminds me of a palate cleanser. The first movement has a really strong flavor, so you need a little plain food and drink to reset your palate for the equally strong flavor of the final movement.

So I don’t think it’s unremarkable because Beethoven was phoning it in – I think it’s unremarkable very deliberately. Anything more would have been “too much”, too overwhelming.

Franz Liszt described the second movement as a “flower between two chasms”, which is much more poetic than my food analogy.

On the technical side of things, this minuetto and trio is a little unusual because both the minuetto part and the trio part are in the same key. Usually the composers will switch up the keys, but Beethoven kept things really simple.

beethoven moonlight sonata essay

It’s interesting, too, that this minuetto and trio is in the key of Db major. The first and third movements are in C# minor, which, if you picture a keyboard, is actually the exact same note as Db. We call these keys “enharmonic”, meaning they’re different names for the exact same note on the piano.

The reason many composers choose to write in Db major instead of C# major is because it’s easier to digest. Look at the following:

beethoven moonlight sonata essay

The flat version has a couple white keys, whereas in the sharp version, literally every note is played sharp. It’s hard to mentally digest that.

The same goes for writing in C# minor versus Db minor. So if you’ve ever wondered why composers write in enharmonic keys (C# instead of Db), that’s usually why.

Let’s take a quick listen to the minuetto (first part), and we’ll follow it directly with a clip from the trio (second part).

See credits at end of this post

3 rd movement: Presto agitato

This is a really exciting movement, and one that I featured in the video “ Classical Music for People who don’t Like Classical Music ”. The mood is dark and heavy like the first movement, except this time it’s loud and fast and exciting.

It’s best described as ferocious, powerful and passionate, and it’s the movement that requires the most skill. The first movements are pretty doable for a late intermediate student, but this last movement is quite advanced (something you’ll be able to tell when you listen to it).

Let’s take a quick listen to the start of the exposition (this movement is in sonata form, which we’ll talk about shortly), so you can get the tune in your head.

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zucBfXpCA6s[/embedyt]

3rd movement: Analysis

Interestingly, you’d think this would be a movement littered with fortissimos, blasting out through the whole piece. But the powerful sound of this movement isn’t achieved by blasting out a stream of loud notes – rather, it’s a few well-chosen accents in a sea of quiet playing (with the odd, short fortissimo section) that makes it have impact.

Valentina Lisitsa’s interpretation of the final movement is my favorite – it’s so fast and fluid and exciting. I urge you to check it out!

Let’s jump to the technical side of this movement. Like the first movement, it’s written in sonata form. You’ve got the exposition (mm. 1-65), development (mm. 66-102), recapitulation (mm. 103-158), and coda (158 to end).

beethoven moonlight sonata essay

It’s an incredibly cool movement and I urge you to check it out in full, but for now let’s take a quick listen to the development section. I want you to take a listen to all the parallels from the exposition – it starts off virtually identical, except with some twists and turns. For example, the development section blasts off on a major chord.

When you listen to the full version, you’ll hear all the ways in which the development section completely turns the exposition on its head.

After the development, the recapitulation occurs, which is basically identical to the exposition, with a few minor changes.

If you enjoyed this video analysis of Moonlight Sonata, you might want to check out some of our other similar videos:

Clair de Lune by Debussy Goldberg Variations by Bach Canon in D by Pachelbel

And don’t forget to check out some of our Beethoven videos, such as:

A Brief History of Beethoven The Music of Beethoven: Six Favorites

xo, Allysia

Join the PianoTV mailing list today to receive exclusive updates and a free e-book!

Attribution.

Credit to: Performed by Paul Pitman on piano (2 nd and 3 rd movement), published by Palo Alto: Musopen, 2014

Credit to: Allysia Kerney (1 st movement) and Rob Hillstead.

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Discover the story behind Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight’ Sonata which is one of the most famous pieces of piano music.

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beethoven moonlight sonata essay

Beethoven ‘ s ‘Moonlight’ Sonata (aka ‘Piano Sonata No.14 in C sharp minor Op.27/2’) is one of the most famous pieces of music ever written for the piano. But how did it acquire its famous nickname – and where have you heard it before? Our masterpiece guide to Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight’ Sonata has the answers, plus more on the work’s background.

Murray Perahia – Beethoven: "Moonlight" Piano Sonata No.14 In C Sharp Minor, Op. 27 No. 2

Why the name?

That title, naturally, is probably not Beethoven’s. The coiner of the sticky ‘moonlight’ label, so to speak, is supposed to have been the poet and music critic Ludwig Rellstab, who remarked in 1836 that the first movement reminded him of moonlight on Lake Lucerne, Switzerland.

The nickname has done the sonata few favors, masking – maybe belittling – its groundbreaking nature and emotional power. Its heading ‘Sonata Quasi Una Fantasia’ (shared with its sister sonata, Op.27 No.1) releases Beethoven from any expectations of traditional form.

Need to know

Beethoven composed the sonata in 1801 and dedicated it to one of his pupils, Countess Giulietta Guicciardi – once thought to have been Beethoven’s mysterious ‘ Immortal Beloved ’ (though now the musicological finger points more strongly towards Antonie Brentano).

The first, hypnotic, movement is the most well-known; the dotted rhythm of its minimal melody evokes the tradition of ‘Trauermusik’ (funeral music). Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight’ Sonata dates from the year before the so-called Heiligenstadt Testament, the document in which Beethoven described to his brother the devastating impact of his deafness.

Some associate the introspective, funereal quality of this music with Beethoven’s state of mind as he faced the onset of this cruel malady. There seems, though, little limit to the theories on this sonata that abound; there may yet be further surprises in store.

Murray Perahia noted, “A few of the emotions, the pain of that first movement I think is becoming manifest in many of his works. Also, it might be the oncoming of the deafness, it might be the ‘Immortal Beloved’ – knowing that that love, like the loves of Romeo and Juliet, would never be lived. That might have prefigured this emotionally.”

Murray Perahia - Beethoven: Piano Sonatas (Interview #1) - The "Moonlight" Sonata

Where have I heard it before?

The work’s exceptional popularity dates back to Beethoven’s own day. He even commented in a letter that its runaway success puzzled him; he was sure he had written better pieces than this. Yet its appeal has never dimmed. The nature of the music, so strongly defined, speaks its message to every age.

The use of Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight’ Sonata in film has helped to keep it in the public gaze; Persuasion , Interview With The Vampire , Rosa Luxembourg , The Pianist , Love Story, and even Sid And Nancy (about Sid Vicious of The Sex Pistols) are just a few of the many movies that include a dose of moonlight.

Can I play it?

At the piano, I’ve found Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight’ Sonata difficult to play, but not always in the way one might expect. The final movement, with its furious outbursts, sounds like the hardest; more difficult, though, is to balance the texture and the melody of the opening movement, to maintain the evenness of tone, and to create the appropriate atmosphere. Its unusual pedaling indication – that the entire movement should be played without once damping the sustaining pedal – can create occasional havoc as modern pianists explore ways to evoke this effect on a very different instrument from Beethoven’s own.

Recommended Recording

Murray Perahia’s Beethoven: Piano Sonatas op. 106 ‘Hammerklavier’ & op. 27/2 ‘Moonlight’

Gramophone noted, “Murray Perahia, one of today’s very finest pianists, brings intelligence, grace and virtuosity to these most well-known of sonatas – a superb recording of real drama and beauty …Murray Perahia on formidable form …with interpretations that stand among the finest available …musically remarkable and, in terms of its exploration of the composer’s tempest-tossed inner life, extraordinarily fascinating addition to the Beethoven discography.”

Buy or stream Murray Perahia’s Beethoven: Piano Sonatas op. 106 ‘Hammerklavier’ & op. 27/2 ‘Moonlight’ here .

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Beethoven at 250

The Woman at the Heart of Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight’ Sonata

A coming novel tells the story of the piano student who was the dedicatee of one of classical music’s most famous works.

beethoven moonlight sonata essay

By Patricia Morrisroe

Four years ago, I was having lunch with an editor who mentioned that Beethoven had fallen in love with one of his piano students. She was the woman to whom the great master had dedicated the “Moonlight” Sonata. The editor thought it would make a good novel. Was I interested?

I was intrigued, but intimidated. Wagner once described Beethoven as a “titan, wrestling with the gods.” Did I want to wrestle with a titan? I’d never written historical fiction, didn’t read German and knew nothing about early-19th-century Vienna. Though I’d studied piano for 12 years, my teacher thought Beethoven’s music was too “agitating” for someone with my “high-strung” temperament.

When I got home from lunch, I listened to Maurizio Pollini play the “Moonlight .” I’d heard the sorrowful first movement before, but it suddenly touched me differently. Both my parents had recently died, but with a heavy workload and my childhood home to sell, I hadn’t given myself time to grieve. Now Beethoven was encouraging me to mourn, hypnotizing me with doleful, dronelike melody.

But just as I was settling in for a good cry, he yanked me into the second movement’s lively Allegretto, before pushing me headfirst into the explosive Presto. In 16 minutes, I’d gone from sorrow to happiness to defiance.

Over the next two weeks, I listened to nothing but Beethoven. Soon, the titan had taken over my life. I wrestled with his music. I wrestled with his dozens of biographies. I didn’t have to wrestle with the decision to write the novel that became “The Woman in the Moonlight”; it felt like Beethoven had decided for me.

Her name was Countess Julie Guicciardi. When the “Moonlight” Sonata was first published, the dedication page was in Italian, so she’s been known as Giulietta ever since.

She left no diaries and few letters. I could find only three suspected likenesses: a bust, a lithograph and a portrait miniature showing a young woman with large eyes, lush lips and hair “à la Titus ,” the daringly short style then popular among Vienna’s fashionable set. Some once thought she was the “Immortal Beloved,” the anonymous woman to whom Beethoven wrote a passionate letter that was discovered after he died. (Today, far likelier candidates are the composer’s friend, Antonie Brentano, and Julie’s cousin, Josephine von Brunswick.)

Beethoven began giving Julie lessons in 1801, when she was 18 and so beautiful that people called her “La Bella Guicciardi .” He was 30, with intense brown eyes and a volatile temperament.

They probably met through the Brunswicks, who had made Beethoven’s acquaintance two years earlier. Julie’s aunt had come to Vienna from Hungary to marry off one of her daughters. In order to attract suitable husbands, aristocratic women were encouraged to play an instrument. The cello sat between the legs, and the violin required rigorous slicing movements; the piano was considered far more ladylike.

Josephine von Brunswick and her sister, Therese, got Beethoven to teach them. He admired the lovely Josephine, but she quickly found a husband, and Beethoven turned his attention to Julie.

It was an agonizing period in his life. For the previous four years, he’d been suffering from tinnitus, a ringing and buzzing in his ears, and was having trouble discerning high notes. He feared the situation was irreversible and tried to keep it secret. He became reclusive, afraid of what people would say when they learned that Vienna’s foremost piano virtuoso was going deaf. Apart from the social stigma, he knew that it would probably end his brilliant performing career.

Julie helped lift his despair. It’s generally agreed that she is the “dear, enchanting girl” he refers to in a letter to his friend Franz Wegeler. He confided to Wegeler that he was thinking of marriage, but that the aristocratic young woman wasn’t of his station.

At some point in 1801, he completed the “Moonlight” Sonata. It’s difficult to pinpoint the exact date; he recorded his compositional process in sketchbooks, and many pages related to the “Moonlight” have been lost. When it was published in March 1802, it had only a generic name; its romantic title emerged after Beethoven’s death. In 1823, the writer Ludwig Rellstab described the first movement as a lake reposing in the faint shimmer of the moon, and that association eventually caught on.

Even before it became the “Moonlight,” however, the sonata was a hit; the dreamy first movement was played so often that Beethoven grew tired of it. He complained to his student, the composer Carl Czerny, that it seemed to be all anyone wanted to hear.

One imagines that Julie would have been thrilled to be its dedicatee, but in 1852, when Otto Jahn interviewed her for his biography of Beethoven, she painted a different picture. She told Jahn that Beethoven had originally given her his Rondo in G, but when he suddenly needed to dedicate that work to the sister of his foremost patron, he offered Julie the “Moonlight” instead. (The story doesn’t quite add up. The Rondo had been written several years earlier and was published after the “Moonlight.” Perhaps Jahn didn’t gain Julie’s trust — the rest of the interview is relatively uninformative — or perhaps, having already been suggested as the “Immortal Beloved,” she didn’t want any more scrutiny.)

In November 1803, Julie wed Count Wenzel Robert von Gallenberg, a composer of modest talents and limited means, with whom she moved to Naples. There her life, never dull, became even more dramatic. She met Joachim Murat, the King of Naples, and his wife, Caroline, Napoleon’s youngest sister. In October 1814, Julie appeared at the Congress of Vienna, the assembly that reorganized Europe after the Napoleonic Wars. According to local police records, she was an “emissary” for the Murats, who wanted to make sure they’d keep their kingdom.

In a city teeming with spies, Julie was one of many, but she had certain advantages. Her sister-in-law, Countess Eleonora von Fuchs, was married to an imperial chamberlain, and, according to the Viennese police, Julie was the mistress of a prominent Saxon diplomat. Did she see Beethoven during the trip? There’s no record of it, but he was the musical star of the Congress, conducting his bombastic “Wellington’s Victory” and Seventh Symphony before a crowd of luminaries. It’s hard to believe that Julie wouldn’t have encountered him.

Their lives intersected again in 1822, when Julie and Gallenberg moved back to Vienna, where he’d been hired at the Theater am Kärntnertor. The Kärntnertor will always be remembered for one event in particular: the 1824 premiere of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Was Julie sitting in a box that night to listen to the soaring “Ode to Joy”? Again, there’s no evidence.

But Anton Schindler, Beethoven’s secretary and early biographer, met Gallenberg at the Kärntnertor. This prompted Beethoven to reminisce about Julie: he claimed that Julie loved him more than her husband, and that after her wedding, she’d come to him crying but he had spurned her. Knowing of her financial hardships, though, he’d arranged through a friend to give Gallenberg money.

It would seem that he hadn’t entirely forgotten his “dear, enchanting girl.” After Beethoven’s death in 1827, friends discovered several items tucked away in a secret compartment of a desk drawer. Among them was the “Immortal Beloved” letter and two portrait miniatures. One was that “à la Titus” image believed to be Julie Guicciardi.

Patricia Morrisroe is the author of “Mapplethorpe: A Biography” and the novel “The Woman in the Moonlight,” coming in September.

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Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata

This work became one of the most amazing spiritual revelations of the composer. The “Moonlight” sonata is one of the works in which Beethoven was looking for new ways to develop the sonata cycle. He called it a fantasy sonata, emphasizing the freedom of composition, which deviates far from the traditional scheme. Of all of Beethoven’s compositions, I liked the Moonlight Sonata the most because it is famous for its complex structure. The first movement is slow: the composer abandoned the usual sonata. This is an Adagio, completely devoid of the figurative-thematic contrasts typical of Beethoven, and this is very far from the first part of the “Pathetic” (Stanley, 2021). This is followed by a small Allegretto of a minuet character. The sonata form, saturated with unnecessary drama, is “reserved” for the finale, and he becomes the culmination of the entire composition (Milner-Gulland & Sobolev, 2021). In Adagio, Beethoven’s favorite principle of dialogic oppositions gave way to lyrical monologue – the one-tone principle of solo melody. The second part (Allegretto) is included in the cycle of “Moonlight,” like a light interlude between two drama acts, by contrast shading their tragedy. It is designed in lively, serene tones, resembling a graceful minuet with a perky dance melody.

In conclusion, Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata is among the composer’s most popular works. Moreover, it is one of the brightest compositions of all world music. All three parts of this work are an indissoluble feeling that grows into a real formidable storm. The heroes of this drama and their feelings are alive to this day, thanks to this wonderful music and an immortal work of art created by one of the greatest composers.

Milner-Gulland, R., & Sobolev, O. (2021). ‘What Is Music? What Does It Do?’: A Collective Analysis of The Kreutzer Sonata. In Tolstoi and the Evolution of His Artistic World (pp. 265-286). Brill. Web.

Stanley, G. (2021). Voices and their Rhythms in the First Movement of Beethoven’s Piano Sonata Op. 109: Some Thoughts on the Performance and Analysis of a Late-Style Work. In Beethoven and his World (pp. 88-123). Princeton University Press. Web.

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Home / Essay Samples / Entertainment / Music / Sonata

The Analysis of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata

Essay details

Entertainment

Movies , Music

Moonlight , Sonata

  • Words: 1826 (4 pages)

The Analysis of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata

Please note! This essay has been submitted by a student.

Table of Contents

  • 4 overtures
  • 4 solo concerti
  • 5 sets of piano variations
  • 5 string quartets
  • 6 string sonatas
  • 6 symphonies
  • 7 piano sonatas

1st Movement – Adagio Sostenuto

2nd movement – allegretto, 3rd movement – presto agitato.

  • Beatsperminuteonline.com. (2019). Tap BPM - Online Beats Per Minute Calculator and Counter. [online] Available at: http://www.beatsperminuteonline.com/ [Accessed 12 Mar. 2019].
  • Biography. (2019). Ludwig van Beethoven. [online] Available at: https://www.biography.com/people/ludwig-van-beethoven-9204862 [Accessed 12 Mar. 2019]. Encyclopedia Britannica. (2019). Moonlight Sonata | work by Beethoven. [online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Moonlight-Sonata [Accessed 12 Mar. 2019].
  • Mutopiaproject.org. (2019). [online] Available at: https://www.mutopiaproject.org/ftp/BeethovenLv/O27/moonlight/moonlight-a4.pdf [Accessed 12 Mar. 2019].
  • PianoTV.net. (2019). Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven: An Analysis - PianoTV.net. [online] Available at: https://www.pianotv.net/2017/04/moonlight-sonata-by-beethoven-an-analysis/ [Accessed 12 Mar. 2019].
  • YouTube. (2019). Beethoven - Moonlight Sonata (FULL). [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Tr0otuiQuU [Accessed 12 Mar. 2019].

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Home / Essay Samples / Music / Ludwig Van Beethoven / Ludwig Van Beethoven And His Moonlight Sonata

Ludwig Van Beethoven And His Moonlight Sonata

  • Category: Music
  • Topic: Classical Music , Ludwig Van Beethoven , Sonata

Pages: 2 (795 words)

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  • Budden, J. M., & Knapp, R. L. (2019). Ludwig van Beethoven. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ludwig-van-Beethoven
  • Learning, L. (n.d.). Music Appreciation 1: Classical Instrumental and Chamber Music, L. Beethoven. Retrieved from https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-musicappreciationtheory/chapter/ludwig-van-beethoven/)
  • Ludwig van Beethoven Biography. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.biography.com/musician/ludwig-van-beethoven
  • Schwarm, B. (2016). Moonlight Sonata. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Moonlight-Sonata

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