Whenever I think about Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata I think mainly about the opening movement (this could be due to many episodes of Peanuts). If we stop only at the first movement then this piece gives a mysterious feel. However, after listening to the movement all the way through I was surprised to hear the joyfulness displayed in the second piece. Furthermore, in many pieces the fast, upbeat sections are toward the beginning while here the fast, upbeat sections do not begin until the 2nd movement (and continue on into the final movement).
If I were to write a story about this piece, it would be about two lovers whose love is forbidden (think Anakin Skywalker and Padme or Romeo and Juliet). In the first movement, the male character comes calling for his girl under the moonlight in order to prevent her parents from knowing about their forbidden love. The girl escapes her room and joins her man. As the first movement transitions, they both become more comfortable that they are out of reach of those who try to prevent their love. The second movement is the part of the movie that makes us feel good inside. The girl and the guy get a few happy and joyous moments of time together frolicking in the woods under the moonlight before one of them turns to the dark side and breaks the others heart on a fiery planet in the third movement.
I really like this intermediate movement. I categorize it with other lesser-known Beethoven movements in famous pieces, such as the 2nd movement of the Appasionatta or the finale of his 3rd symphony.
ReplyDeleteI also like as you mentioned the deviation from the Classical fast-slow-fast progression of movements.
The movement is quite unsettling. It's written in 3/4, but starts with a quarter pick-up note. This gives the feeling that the staccato notes are on the 2nd beat, instead of the 1st as for a waltz. Whereas in reality they are on the 1st beat.
https://youtu.be/VfJOf8pHVKY
ReplyDeleteI appreciate Nels' story context, great visual. Tyler pointing out the shifting of the strong beat or rather the perception made we search for the above score version to see for myself. The rest measures continue the pick-up beat feel throughout the A section. I enjoy the simplicity of the B section and how the peddle tones are placed on the "1" of each measure but also feel off beat. I don't think type of syncopated is "allowed" for a few more decades so Beethoven may have cheated the system.
I have to admit I am not a big fan of mvt 2 of Moonlight though I love mvt 1 and 3 of very much. I don't know why I have never warmed to mvt 2 but for some reason it does not move me in the same way mvt 1 or 3 does. I have always felt like Beethoven mailed it in for this movement. Movement 1 was the piece that inspired me to study piano and learn to play so I could play it and Movement 3 is what inspired me to keep working on learning piano as sort of the ultimate goal. I remember Charlotte Kinnister playing it for me every time I visited many years ago and that piece was what inspired me along with the third movement of the emperor concerto to stay with piano. Unfortunately for mvt 2, I felt nothing and usually I just skip it and play mvt 1 and 3 or just 1 or just 3.. After reading this I'm thinking perhaps I should give mvt 2 another chance and today I will play it several times. I will try to appreciate it more instead of thinking of it as something to skip or to just get over so I can to get to the real fire, mvt 3. It is sort of like a boring and thankfully reasonably short hill you have to go up before you go over the top of an exciting and dangerous roller coaster where you then have wonderful exciting ups and downs and twists and turns. It's hard to appreciate the hill but today I will try.
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