Guzman 1

Jenesis Guzman

Professor Lane

MSH 114

8 April 2021

Concert Report: Moonlight

For my report I decided to listen to Buchbinder - Beethoven Sonata op.27 no.2

"Moonlight" in C# minor. At the beginning of the piece the music is very mellow and very

emotional and to me gives off or radiates a sentimental feeling almost as though it is coming

straight from the heart. Personally this piece from start to finish calls my name especially the way

Buchbinder plays it. Especially the change at 6:03, although the change is very noticeable the way

the pieces flow together give a sense of conjointment even though the tempo and aggressiveness in

the way the notes are being played change you can feel the same rush of emotions through the

whole performance and honestly its breath taking and mind blowing hoe music can just consume

you. Not only the music but the performer and the way he lets himself feel what he is playing and

also the way he presents himself.

When Buchbinder walks onto the stage he takes in the applause he is getting from the

audience in the room. He also bows to the audience as a way to say thank you to the people. Now

the moment Buchbinder starts to play you can see with the way he moves his body that he gets into

the music from the very beginning. Hes facial expressions also express what he is feeling while

playing the piece. Throughout the performance he is swaying his body conveying the idea that he

is not just playing to play. He is letting the music control his emotions. In fact, most of the first six

minutes you could see that Buchbinder is feeling every note he is playing he looks as though he is

going to cry and is in such pain. The soloist and the instrument are acting as one to portray the
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message. The music drives me to feel pain and anguish from minute one to minute 6(6:03). After

the start of minute six the music starts to speed up in pace and the music itself sounds a little more

happy and you can assume the musician is happy as well because in parts of the video he is caught

smiling. Like at the beginning the instrument and the musician are one. At minute eight with

eleven seconds the music becomes more presto. At which point Buchbinder is playing more

aggressively which can be interpreted as though the mood or the emotions is being switched.

Honestly the fact that Buchbinder and the piano can become one the way he does is a key part to

the way the audience is supposed to feel.

Like I’ve mentioned before the concert breaks into three different sections all having a

different tempo giving off different emotions at different parts of the concerto. From the start to

minute 6, (6:03) is described as slow and sustained also known as adagio sostenuto. The music is

very slow and does not progress at a faster speed the whole six minutes it's the same and the music

guides you to feel sad and a little bit worried. At minute 6 the tempo of the concerto changes and it

becomes Allegretto which could be described as a medium to fast beat. The music is a little bit

more lively and makes you feel a little less worried and more upbeat. The music made me feel a

little happier or more content at this point in time. Now the last change happens at 8:11, the music

is noticeably faster and louder. The terms used to describe this section would be presto agitato.

Although the music is fast paced the music makes you feel as though you should be upset or

annoyed at something. The music is being played very aggressively which also sets its own tone or

mood. The part most enjoyed from this concerto would be the first six minutes, adagio sostenuto. I

most enjoyed this part because the music makes me feel safe or at ease with whatever is around

me. The way the music just flows makes me want to be in a dream at all times, almost a surreal

thought.
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The whole concerto comes together when Buchbinder plays. He lets his emotions and body

be controlled by the music which adds to the emotion being conveyed and the energy that the

music gives out. All the different tempos add their own little element to the purpose of the

concerto, but at the end the entire comes together to become an emotional 15 minute roller coaster.

Each section with its own surprise. The piece is absolutely stunning.