Now, "Moonlight"! The title "Moonlight" is quite right for the first movement, but for the rest of the piece, it is far from the impression it gives. The title "Moonlight" is not given by the maestro, so it is not surprising. However, the first movement is so famous that anyone can imagine the melody. Therefore, I hesitated to perform it, and at first, I left it out of my list. However, I decided to try again to play this Beethoven's Piano Sonata on New Year's Day this year, thinking that it is inevitable.
I would say that the difficulty of the first movement is less than that of the second movement, and the third movement is less than that of the third movement. It is said that even beginners can play the first movement if they want to, but it is completely different when it comes to music that can be heard. After I tried to play it seriously, I realized how difficult even this first movement is. It begins with the master's instruction "Si deve suonare tutto questo pezzo delicatissimamente e senza sordino". His instruction is "to play the entire piece as delicately as possible and without the sordino". The character of sound is quite different between the piano of that time and the piano of today, so it is necessary to consider this from the pedaling method. In addition, I thought that the treatment of the triplets that run throughout the piece to support the soprano and bass would be especially crucial.
The first movement, which began without sonata form, is followed by second movement with "Atcca" continuously , and finally the third movement expands into an intense movement that is even designated as “Presto Agitato” (fast and furious). In this way, the image of "Moonlight" is far away from the original one. The final coda seems to sum up the maestro's rather intense assertion. However, this piece was not written to express the image of "moonlight reflected on the surface of a lake," so please do not stop listening to the first movement alone, but listen to the last three movements. I am sure you will feel that it is an "expression of the heart" of the master musician who has lost his hearing.
Title: Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor Op. 27, No. 2
Sound Source: Ivory3
Audio file format：mp3（for those who listen directly on a PC)
YouTube:. Beethoven Piano Sonata No.14