Ludwig van Beethoven - Piano Sonata No 14 in C# Minor Op. 27, No. 2 - 1st Movement MOONLIGHT SONATA

This video is made using MAGIX Move Edit Pro MX Plus.
Earlier in this series of videos, I published, then rescheduled, David Phelps' short adaptation of this Sonata called Moonlight with lyrics. However I have rescheduled it for Friday 20th October, 2023. Here, now, is the full First Movement of this Sonata for your enjoyment.

The 'Sonata quasi una fantasia,' now commonly known as the 'Moonlight Sonata', was Ludwig Van Beethoven's 14th piano sonata, Opus 27, Number 2. He wrote and published it in 1801-1802 during the Classical music era.

Beethoven wrote this masterpiece at a difficult time when his hearing had begun to deteriorate seriously. There were many speculations on the cause of his deafness, but many people thought that it could have been a consequence of his habitual plunging his head into cold water to remain awake. Beethoven had mastered almost every keynote despite his deafening ears and could make out most of what the music would sound like.

Beethoven dedicated the 'Moonlight' sonata to his 16-year old lover and student, Giulietta Guicciardi, whom he had fallen in love with at around that time. He proposed marriage to her, but her father forbade her from marrying him as he was without rank. Even though their love didn’t prosper, Giulietta admits that the Sonata always reminded her of Beethoven.

Beethoven composed the 'Moonlight' sonata like he would write other songs and gave it a pedestrian title that would describe a fantasy style. He didn't think that the piece would become as popular as it did. In this unpleasant surprise, he wrote to his friend expressing his disappointment. Part of the letter read, "Everybody is talking about the C-sharp Minor Sonata! Surely, I have written better things.”

There are three movements in this 14th Piano Sonata - They are
1. Adagio Sostenuto
2. Allegreto
3. Presto Agitato
The first movement of the Moonlight sonata was more popular than the other two movements. Probably because of the style of creation and the atmosphere it brought. While this could be true, it's difficult to tell whether the listeners were triggered by the music itself or how Beethoven distorted the whole sonata pattern and created a unique piece.

Beethoven had designed this composition to be like a fantasy, just like he described it in the title. That's why he used contrasting textures that listeners would easily pick up on. The theme-filled first movement allowed the audience to grasp the theme of the Sonata and could easily flow with it.

The popularity of the Moonlight sonata peaked after the nickname ‘Moonlight’ was invented. The handle easily creates imagery in people's thoughts and associates the song with the beautiful moonlight shining over the vast waters, which is a great starting point for a song.

It's also possible to associate the song's popularity with Beethoven's deafness, as people wondered how he could create such a masterpiece without proper hearing. Even though the deafness was at its early stages, the progression was pretty fast as he's reported to break several pianos trying to make out the sound of the keys.

Link to the movie on Ludwig van Beethoven, called "Immortal Beloved" and starring, Garry Oldfield as Beethoven. Worth watching.

• Immortal Beloved