jan 1, 1801 - Moonlight Sonata

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Year:1801

Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven was initially known as “Sonata quasi una fantasia” which would translate to “Sonata in the matter of fantasy” but eventually after Beethoven passed away it would gain the current name of Moonlight Sonata. The instrument used in this piece is the piano and its sonata. The origin of this piece was connected to one of Beethoven’s students, Countess Giulietta Guicciardi. “Beethoven falls in love with Countess Giulietta Guicciardi, and dedicates the Sonata quasi una Fantasia to her” (Elliot, entry 1801). This piece by Beethoven consists of 3 movements. The first movement starts very sombre with low dynamics change and a very peaceful and harmonic mood with a soft timbre. The second movement picks up the mood and feels more joyful with the notes and pace speeding up just a little bit. The dynamics do pick up in parts of this piece such as 6:45 - 7:00 but just a little bit. The third and final movement of this piece immediately starts off way faster than the last two and keeps this pace up as if Beethoven is in a rush to chase someone. The mood is still playful and not as sombre/sad as the first movement. This piece being one of Beethoven’s most well known compositions highlights the different style he has and how he can convey moods in his pieces.

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