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9-Bookkeeping

MUSIC LOG Q2

Moonlight Sonata No. 14 in C# minor

Ludwig Van Beethoven

One of the Greatest works of Beethoven is his sonata called “The Moonlight Sonata” that was
composed on 1801 and published on 1802. His sonata wasn’t always called “Moonlight Sonata”.
When the sonata was first composed, it was name as “Sonata quasi una fantasia” which translates
to “Sonata in the manner of a fantasia”. It was then changed into “Moonlight Sonata” after a
German music critic Ludwig Rellstab made a comment that the first movement reminded him of
“moonlight shining on Lake Lucerne”. The remark then became popular, prompting the
publishers to change the name to “Moonlight Sonata”.

The Moonlight sonata was a piano sonata, meaning the composition only requires a piano to
play. This works perfectly with the piece as it captures a more raw, and somber feeling to it.

In the original title of the sonata which is “Sonata quasi una fantasia” or “Sonata in the manner
of a fantasia”, a fantasia was mentioned. Fantasia is a way to express music freely without being
tied to structure. The composter has more freedom to compose the piece and it roots in
improvisation. Beethoven used this technique which is more evident in the first movement of the
Sonata.

Forms:

The sonata was written in three movements, the adagio sostenuto, allegretto and Presto agitato.
In a typical sonata that was written in the classical period, the tempo usually goes as fast, slow,
fast. However, Beethoven is known for bending and breaking the rules of structures and music.
Instead of the usual tempo, he made the sonata goes to slow, medium and fast.

The first movement: Adagio Sostenuto

This is probably one of the most heard and famous movement of all time. The iconic slow and
sombre feeling to it that made it so popular. There are many interpretations on what Beethoven
was thinking when he composed this movement, but we will get into that later. For now, lets
learn and breakdown the first movement of Moonlight Sonata.

The first movement is divided into three parts: exposition, development and recapitulation and it
is played in C# minor. The sonata starts out slow, which is unusual for sonatas (as mentioned
from earlier, the tempos of sonatas usually goes from fast-slow-fast). The tempo is in adagio
sostenuto and alla beve (2/2 or counting two in a beat. Adagio Sostenuto means “slow and
sustained”. The first movement was played in a slow manner yet a steady beat. Beethoven also
noted “Si deve suonare tutto questo pezzo delicatissimamente e Senza Sordino” meaning that the
composition should be played delicately but without sordino (dampers).

The first 1-5 bars are an introduction to the 1 st theme of the movement. Here, we can see

Beethoven’s triplet pattern that continues through out the whole movement which gives a rolling
or a motion feeling. Beethoven used a technique called “triplets ostinato” which is the repetition
of the same motif. In bars 1-3, the same triplet notes were repeated over and over again, giving a
feeling of swaying back and forth, it then gradually changes in the 4th bar.
The highlighted parts are bars 5-9, which showcases the first theme of the movement. This is
also the part where the melody is introduced. The melody is subtle, almost unrecognizable if the
listener doesn’t listen properly. The melody in here was gradually introduced, the triples ostinato
still playing with its melodic accompaniment.

The highlighted part are bars 10-15 which showcases the bridge between the first theme and the
second theme.
The second theme was introduced after bar 15. The second theme plays through bars 15 to bars
23.

After the second theme, the development was introduced. It is much shorter than the usual
development, which only played from bars 23 to 42.
After the development, we were then moved to the recapitulation. The first theme and the second
theme where brought back, with key changes in the second theme.

As we can see in the picture above, this is the second theme in the recapitulation. We can see
there are some key changes from the second theme in the development section and the second
theme in the recapitulation.
We then reach the coda (bars 60-69) which is the final part of of the first movement. It ends with
a solemn deep note.

The second movement: Allegretto

We can hear that the 2nd movement is different from the 1st movement. From the cold, lonely
tone of the first movement, it then turned into something lively, warm but still having that feeling
of loneliness that was hidden and overpowered by an overwhelming positive vibe, albeit short-
lived. The 2nd movement is shorter than the rest of the movement which is only 2 minutes long.

Franz Liszt describes this movement as “a flower between two chasms” referencing that the 2 nd
movement is almost non-existent compared to the 1st and 3rd movement, but it is still an
underrated beauty.
The 2nd movement is a combination of minuetto/minuet and a triplet. Minuetto/minuet is a type
of music usually used for dance in the 17 th century. According to the free dictionary, a
minuetto/minuet is “a slow, stately pattern dance in ¾ time for groups of couples, originating
from the 17th-century France” (thefreedictionary.com). The 2nd movement is played in the key of
Dflat major.

Bars 1-9 (which is highlighted in yellow) introduces the 1st theme of the 2nd movement. As we
can see, it is in a form of a minuet. Bars 9-17 (which is highlighted in orange) is also just a repeat
of the 1st theme but there are some few changes.
After the 1st theme, bars 18-26 introduces the 2nd theme of the 2nd movement.

Now, another unusual thing about the 2nd movement is that both the minuetto and the triplet is
played on the same key. Beethoven kept the 2nd movement simple, as if Beethoven is preparing
the listeners to the next movement.

[bars 1-5] - minuet [bars 1-4] - trio

The Dflat minor and the C# minor also sounds the same. These notes are called “enharmonic”
where two different keys just sound the same. In the minuet part of the 2 nd movement, even if the
piece is showing that it is played in the C# minor keys, it was noted as a D flat major so it is
easier to digest and play. So that’s why when we listen to the minuet and the trio part, it sounds
the same even though it is played in two different keys.
The third movement: Presto Agitato
The 3rd movement is when the composition started to go crazy. A stark contrast to the solemn
tone of the 1st movement and the positive tone of the 2nd movement. Beethoven surprises us with
a fast tempo, which is played in the key of C# minor. This movement has 3 different parts, the
same with the other movements: the exposition, development and recapitulation.
The highlighted part are bars 1-14, where the first theme of the third movement is introduced.
This is the part where the tempo is fast and it is all running notes.

Start of 2nd
theme

End of 2nd
theme

The second theme is introduced in bars 21-63. If we’re going to compare it in the 1 st theme, it is
calmer than the first one.
If we listened closely, the exposition and development almost have the same part and sounds the
same but with a little twists and turn. Especially in the start of both exposition and development,
the running notes sounds the same but the exposition started with a major note.

Most of the 3rd movement consists of running notes, it seems like its on motion, continuously
moving.

Interpretation:

There were theories on who’s the song is dedicated for or what/who is the muse of the sonata.
Some people theorized that the romantic song was written for his 17-year old student Giulietta
who he has fallen inlove to.

Although there is another speculation that the sonata is not a romantic song but a funeral song. In
the first movement, the melody sounded the same as the scene from Mozart’s Opera, where a
character, Don Juan killed their own commander. Beethoven also noted this in the manuscript,
saying that the 1st movement was inspired of that scene.

The first movement have a solemn quiet tone. It feels like sailing into a wide lake with no light
source other than the moon. It is oddly peaceful despite the fact that its sad. In my own
interpretation it feels like a person was trying to come in the terms of a tragic event. It was oddly
peaceful, with nothing but the light of the moon comforting and preventing the person from
slipping away from his sanity.

In the second movement, it became more lively. Almost as if we were taken from a different
world. It was a contrast to the first movement, where instead of tranquil solemn feeling, it was
replaced by a lively tone. It was almost dream-like but it was short lived.

In the third movement, it was like the person was suddenly brought back to reality. The person
was rushing, desperately reaching for the short-lived happiness, they keep reaching for
something warm, but only the coldness engulfed the person’s body. When I was listening to this,
it felt like the person was desperate as it reaches the lowness of its sanity.
The pace was fast, but as the 3rd movement progresses we can see the tempo slows down, as if
the person is growing tired before it pushes again into another fast tempo before finally hitting its
end.

Listening to the sonata feels like washing the waves clash. At first it was peaceful and slow and
as it progresses, the waves grew, it was like it came alive, but it was still merciful. In the end, it
grew stronger. The waves in the 3rd movement were harsher and unforgiving.

Judgement:

The one thing I like about this sonata is the pacing. The sonata tells a story without directly
telling it, instead it was expressed in melody and tunes. From the slow, solemn tune to a fast
unforgiving tempo, the sonata proves that you don’t have to follow a rule to create something
impactful.

The first movement was a beauty. It captures the sad feeling well and was able to express that to
the listeners. I feel like the reason why it is so popular is because it was able to express an
emotion in a raw way. It feels genuine and organic.

The second movement, although not as popular as the other two, was still an amazing part. It was
quite underrated since it doesn’t have the same dramatic effect the 1st and 3rd movement has.
However, I can say that this part is still a very impactful movement. It was like a bridge
connecting the 1st and the 3rd movement, and even though the 2nd movement seems out of place
from the piece, the ideas that Beethoven wanted to express wouldn’t be the same without it.

The third movement is probably the best in my opinion. It contrasted really well from the 1 st
movement and the 2nd movement. It was surprising and jaw-dropping. I think it captures the
emotion of “insanity” throughout the whole movement. It was like the cherry-on top of a great
sonata.

Overall, the “Moonlight Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor” is a great sonata. You can clearly see
that Beethoven is a genius and it is very evident in this sonata. Even though Beethoven’s hearing
is not that great when he was writing the Moonlight Sonata, he was still able to produce such
amazing sonata that has a great impact to generations to come.
References:

https://corcoran.gwu.edu/sites/g/files/zaxdzs2941/f/downloads/20200001-3%20Albertson
%20Program.pdf

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Moonlight-Sonata

https://you.stonybrook.edu/elainethebest/2015/02/25/instrumental-storytelling-reflection-the-
moonlight-sonata-by-ludwig-van-beethoven/

https://www.popularbeethoven.com/beethoven-piano-sonata-no-14-moonlight-sonata/

https://www.pianotv.net/2017/04/moonlight-sonata-by-beethoven-an-analysis/

https://blog.prepscholar.com/moonlight-sonata-beethoven

https://www.britannica.com/art/fantasia-music

Music sheets used:

https://musescore.com/classicman/scores/55352 - 1st movement

https://musescore.com/classicman/scores/49144 - 2nd movement

https://musescore.com/classicman/scores/33715 - 3rd movement