How many parts are there in Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata? “Moonlight Sonata” by L. Beethoven: history of creation

This romantic name for the sonata was given not by the author himself, but by music critic Ludwig Relstab in 1832, after Beethoven's death.

But the composer’s sonata had a more prosaic name:Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor, op. 27, no. 2.Then they began to add to this name in parentheses: “Lunar”. Moreover, this second name concerned only its first part, the music of which seemed to the critic to be similar to moonlight over Lake Firvaldstätt - this is a famous lake in Switzerland, which is also called Lucerne. This lake has nothing to do with the name of Beethoven, it’s just a game of associations.

So, " Moonlight Sonata».

Creation history and romantic overtones

Sonata No. 14 was written in 1802 and dedicated to Giulietta Guicciardi (Italian by birth). Beethoven gave music lessons to this 18-year-old girl in 1801 and was in love with her. Not just in love, but had serious intentions of marrying her, but she, unfortunately, fell in love with someone else and married him. She later became a famous Austrian pianist and singer.

Art historians believe that he even left a will in which he calls Juliet his “immortal beloved” - he sincerely believed that his love was mutual. This can be seen from Beethoven’s letter dated November 16, 1801: “The change that has now taken place in me is caused by a sweet, wonderful girl who loves me and is loved by me.”

But when you listen to the third movement of this sonata, you understand that at the time of writing the work, Beethoven no longer experienced any illusions regarding reciprocity on the part of Juliet. But first things first...

The form of this sonata is somewhat different from the classical one. sonata form. And Beethoven emphasized this in the subtitle “in the spirit of fantasy.”

Sonata form- this is such musical form, which consists of 3 main sections: the first section is called exposition, it contrasts the main and secondary parties. Second section – development, these themes are developed in it. Third section - reprise, the exposure is repeated with changes.

"Moonlight Sonata" consists of 3 parts.

Part 1 Adagio sostenuto- slow musical tempo. IN classic form sonatas this tempo is usually used in the middle movement. The music is slow and rather mournful, its rhythmic movement is somewhat monotonous, which does not really correspond to Beethoven's music. But the bass chords, melody and rhythm miraculously create a living harmony of sounds that so captivate any listener and remind of the magical moonlight.

part 2 Allegretto– moderately brisk pace. There is some kind of hope and uplifting feeling here. But it does not lead to a happy outcome, as the last, third part will show.

Part 3 Presto agitato– very fast, excited pace. In contrast to the playful mood of the Allegro tempo, Presto usually sounds bold and even aggressive, and its complexity requires a virtuoso level of mastery of the musical instrument. The writer Romain Rolland described the last part of Beethoven’s sonata interestingly and figuratively: “A man driven to the extreme falls silent, his breathing stops. And when, after a minute, breathing comes to life and the person rises, the futile efforts, sobs, and riots are over. Everything has been said, the soul is devastated. In the last bars, only majestic power remains, conquering, taming, accepting the flow.”

Indeed, this is a strong stream of feelings, in which there is despair, hope, frustration and the inability to express the pain that a person experiences. Amazing music!

Modern perception of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata

Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" is one of the most popular works in the world classical music. It is often performed at concerts, it is heard in many films, plays, figure skaters use it for their performances, and it sounds in the background in video games.

The performers of this sonata were the most famous pianists in the world: Glenn Gould, Vladimir Horowitz, Emil Gilels and many others.

The heroic-dramatic line does not exhaust all the versatility of Beethoven’s quest in the field piano sonata. The content of "Lunar" is connected with something else, lyric-dramatic type.

This work became one of the composer's most stunning spiritual revelations. At the tragic time of the collapse of love and the irreversible decline of hearing, he spoke here about himself.

The Moonlight Sonata is one of the works in which Beethoven was looking for new ways of development sonata cycle. He called her sonata-fantasy, thereby emphasizing the freedom of composition, which deviates far from the traditional scheme. The first movement is slow: the composer abandoned the usual sonata style in it. This is an Adagio, completely devoid of the figurative and thematic contrasts typical of Beethoven, and this is very far from the first part of the “Pathetique”. This is followed by a small Allegretto of a minuet nature. The sonata form, saturated with extreme drama, is “reserved” for the finale, and it is this that becomes the culmination of the entire composition.

The three parts of “Lunar” are three stages in the process of developing one idea:

• Part I (Adagio) - mournful awareness of life's tragedy;
• Part II (Allegretto) - pure joy that suddenly flashed before the mind's eye;
• Part III (Presto) - psychological reaction: mental storm, outburst of violent protest.

That immediate, pure, trusting thing that Allegretto brings with it instantly ignites Beethoven’s hero. Having awakened from his sorrowful thoughts, he is ready to act and fight. The last movement of the sonata turns out to be the center of drama. This is where everything is directed imaginative development, and even in Beethoven it is difficult to name another sonata cycle with a similar emotional buildup towards the end.

The rebellion of the finale, its extreme emotional intensity turns out to be reverse side silent sorrow Adagio. What is concentrated within itself in the Adagio breaks outward in the finale, this is the release of the internal tension of the first part (a manifestation of the principle of derivative contrast at the level of the relationship between the parts of the cycle).

Part 1

IN Adagio Beethoven's favorite principle of dialogical oppositions gave way to lyrical monologue - the one-theme principle of solo melody. This speech melody, which “sings while crying” (Asafiev), is perceived as a tragic confession. Not a single pathetic exclamation disturbs internal concentration, grief is strict and silent. In the philosophical fullness of the Adagio, in the very silence of grief, there is much in common with the drama of Bach’s minor preludes. Like Bach, the music is full of internal, psychological movement: the size of phrases is constantly changing, tonal-harmonic development is extremely active (with frequent modulations, intruding cadences, contrasts of the same modes E - e, h - H). Interval relationships sometimes become emphatically acute (m.9, b.7). The ostinato pulsation of the triplet accompaniment also originates from Bach’s free prelude forms, at times coming to the fore (the transition to the reprise). Another textured layer of Adagio is the bass, almost passacal, with a measured descending step.

There is something mournful in Adagio - the dotted rhythm, asserted with particular persistence in the conclusion, is perceived as the rhythm of a funeral procession. Form Adagio 3x-particular of developmental type.

part 2

Part II (Allegretto) is included in the “Lunar” cycle, like a bright interlude between two acts of the drama, highlighting their tragedy by contrast. It is designed in lively, serene colors, reminiscent of a graceful minuet with a perky dance tune. The complex 3x-partial form with trio and reprise da capo is also typical for the minuet. In terms of imagery, Allegretto is monolithic: the trio does not introduce contrast. Throughout the Allegretto, Des-dur is preserved, enharmonically equal to Cis-dur, the same key Adagio.

Final

The extremely tense finale is the central part of the sonata, the dramatic culmination of the cycle. The principle of derivative contrast manifested itself in the relationship between the extreme parts:

• despite their tonal unity, the color of the music is sharply different. The mutedness, transparency, and “delicacy” of Adagio are opposed by the frantic sound avalanche of Presto, full of sharp accents, pathetic exclamations, and emotional explosions. At the same time, the extreme emotional intensity of the finale is perceived as the tension of the first part breaking through in all its power;
• the extreme parts are combined with an arpeggiated texture. However, in Adagio she expressed contemplation and concentration, and in Presto she contributes to the embodiment of mental shock;
• original thematic core main party The finale is based on the same sounds as the melodious, undulating beginning of part 1.

The sonata form of the finale of “Lunarium” is interesting due to the unusual relationship of the main themes: the leading role from the very beginning is played by a secondary theme, while the main one is perceived as an improvisational introduction of a toccata nature. It is an image of confusion and protest, given in a rushing stream of rising waves of arpeggios, each of which ends abruptly with two accented chords. This type of movement comes from prelude improvisational forms. The enrichment of sonata drama with improvisation is observed in the future - in the free cadences of the reprise and especially the coda.

The melody of the side theme sounds not as a contrast, but as a natural continuation of the main part: the confusion and protest of one theme results in a passionate, extremely excited statement of another. The secondary theme, compared to the main one, is more individualized. It is based on pathetic, verbally expressive intonations. Accompanied by a secondary theme, the continuous toccata movement of the main part is maintained. The secondary key is gis-moll. This tonality is further consolidated in the final theme, in the offensive energy of which the heroic pulse is palpable. Thus, the tragic appearance of the finale is revealed already in its tonal plane (the exclusive dominance of the minor).

The predominant role of the side is also emphasized in the development, which is almost exclusively based on a single topic. It has 3 sections:

• introductory: this is a short, only six bars of the main theme.
• central: development of a side topic that takes place in different keys and registers, mostly in the low.
• big pre-reprise precursor.

The role of the climax of the entire sonata is played by code, its scale exceeding development. In the code, similar to the beginning of development, the image of the main part fleetingly appears, the development of which leads to a double “explosion” on a diminished seventh chord. And again a side topic follows. Such a persistent return to one topic is perceived as an obsession with one idea, as an inability to distance oneself from overwhelming feelings.

What you need to know about Beethoven, the suffering of Christ, Mozart's opera and romanticism to properly understand one of the world's most famous works, explains vice-rector Humanitarian Institute television and radio broadcasting, candidate of art history Olga Khvoina.

In the extensive repertoire of the world musical classics it would be difficult to find more famous essay than Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. You don’t have to be a musician, or even a big fan of classical music, to hear its first sounds and immediately recognize and easily name both the work and the author.

Sonata No. 14 or "Moonlight"

(C-sharp minor, op. 27, No. 2),
first part

Performed by: Claudio Arrau

One clarification, however, is required: for the inexperienced listener, the “Moonlight” sonata is exhausted by recognizable music. In fact, this is not the entire work, but only its first part. As befits a classical sonata, it also has a second and a third. So, while enjoying the recording of the “Moonlight” sonata, it is worth listening to not one, but three tracks - only then will we know the “end of the story” and be able to appreciate the entire composition.

First, let's set ourselves a modest task. Focusing on the well-known first part, let's try to understand what this exciting music that makes you come back to is fraught with.

The "Moonlight" sonata was written and published in 1801 and is among the works that open in musical art of the 19th century century Becoming popular immediately after its appearance, this composition gave rise to many interpretations during the composer’s lifetime.

Portrait of an unknown woman. The miniature, which belonged to Beethoven, presumably depicts Giulietta Guicciardi. Around 1810

The dedication of the sonata, recorded on the title page, to Giulietta Guicciardi - a young aristocrat, a student of Beethoven, with whom the musician in love dreamed in vain during this period - encouraged the audience to look for an expression of love experiences in the work.

Front page editions of Ludwig van Beethoven's piano sonata “In the Spirit of Fantasy” No. 14 (C-sharp minor, op. 27, No. 2) with dedication to Juliet Guicciardi. 1802

About a quarter of a century later, when european art turned out to be overwhelmed by romantic longing, the composer’s contemporary, writer Ludwig Relstab, compared the sonata with a painting moonlit night on Lake Firvaldstätt, describing this night landscape in the short story “Theodore” (1823); It was thanks to the Relshtab behind the work, famous professional musicians as sonata No. 14, or even more precisely, sonata in C sharp minor, opus 27, no. 2, the poetic definition “Moonlight” was established (Beethoven did not give his work such a name). In the Relshtab text, which seems to concentrate all the attributes romantic landscape(night, moon, lake, swans, mountains, ruins), the motif of “passionate unrequited love": shaken by the wind, the strings of an aeolian harp sing plaintively about her, filling the entire space of the mystical night with their mysterious sounds;

Having mentioned two very known variants interpretations of the content of the sonata, which are suggested by verbal sources (the author’s dedication to Juliet Guicciardi, Relshtab’s definition of “Lunar”), let us now turn to the expressive elements contained in the music itself, we will try to read and interpret the musical text.

Have you ever thought that the sounds by which the whole world recognizes the “Moonlight” Sonata are not a melody, but an accompaniment? Melody - it would seem main element musical speech, at least in the classical-romantic tradition ( avant-garde movements music of the 20th century does not count) - does not appear immediately in the Moonlight Sonata: this happens in romances and songs when the sound of the instrument precedes the singer’s introduction. But when the melody prepared in this way finally appears, our attention is completely focused on it. Now let’s try to remember (maybe even hum) this melody. Surprisingly, we will not find any melodic beauty in it (various turns, leaps at wide intervals or smooth progressive movement). The melody of the Moonlight Sonata is constrained, squeezed into a narrow range, hardly makes its way, is not sung at all, and only sometimes breathes a little more freely. Its beginning is especially significant. For some time the melody cannot break away from the original sound: before it moves even a little, it is repeated six times. But it is precisely this six-fold repetition that reveals the meaning of another expressive element - rhythm. The first six sounds of the melody reproduce a recognizable rhythmic formula twice - this is the rhythm of a funeral march.

Throughout the sonata, the initial rhythmic formula will return repeatedly, with the persistence of thought that has taken possession of the hero’s entire being. In the coda of the first movement, the original motif is finally established as the main musical idea, repeating itself again and again in a gloomy low register: the validity of associations with the thought of death leaves no doubt.

Returning to the beginning of the melody and following its gradual development, we discover another essential element. This is a motive of four closely related, as if crossed sounds, pronounced twice as a tense exclamation and emphasized by dissonance in the accompaniment. Listeners of the 19th century, and even more so today This melodic turn is not as familiar as the rhythm of a funeral march. However, in church music of the Baroque era (in German culture represented primarily by the genius of Bach, whose works Beethoven knew from childhood), he was the most important musical symbol. This is one of the variants of the motif of the Cross - a symbol of the dying sufferings of Jesus.

Those who are familiar with music theory will be interested to learn about one more circumstance that confirms that our guesses about the content of the first part of the Moonlight Sonata are correct. For his 14th sonata, Beethoven chose the key of C sharp minor, which is not often used in music. This key has four sharps. In German, “sharp” (a sign of raising the sound by a semitone) and “cross” are denoted by one word - Kreuz, and in the outline of the sharp there is a similarity with a cross - ♯. The fact that there are four sharps here further enhances the passionate symbolism.

Let's make a reservation again: working with similar meanings was inherent in church music of the Baroque era, and Beethoven's sonata is a secular work and was written in a different time. However, even during the period of classicism, tonalities remained tied to a certain range of content, as evidenced by musical treatises contemporary to Beethoven. As a rule, the characteristics given to tonalities in such treatises recorded the moods characteristic of the art of the New Age, but did not break ties with the associations recorded in previous era. Thus, one of Beethoven’s older contemporaries, composer and theorist Justin Heinrich Knecht, believed that C-sharp minor sounds “with an expression of despair.” However, Beethoven, when composing the first part of the sonata, as we see, was not satisfied with a generalized idea of ​​​​the nature of tonality. The composer felt the need to turn directly to the attributes of the ancient musical tradition(the motif of the Cross), which indicates his concentration on extremely serious topics - the Cross (as a destiny), suffering, death.

Autograph of Ludwig van Beethoven's piano sonata “In the Spirit of Fantasy” No. 14 (C sharp minor, op. 27, No. 2). 1801

Now let's turn to the beginning of the "Moonlight" sonata - to those very familiar sounds that attract our attention even before the melody appears. The accompaniment line consists of continuously repeating three-note figures, resonating with deep organ basses. The initial prototype of this sound is the plucking of strings (lyre, harp, lute, guitar), the birth of music, listening to it. It is easy to feel how the non-stop smooth movement (from the beginning to the end of the first movement of the sonata it is not interrupted for a moment) creates a meditative, almost hypnotic state of detachment from everything external, and the slowly, gradually descending bass enhances the effect of withdrawal into oneself. Returning to the picture painted in Relshtab’s short story, let us recall once again the image of the Aeolian harp: in the sounds produced by the strings only due to the blowing of the wind, mystically minded listeners often tried to grasp the secret, prophetic, fateful meaning.

For researchers theater music An 18th-century type of accompaniment reminiscent of the opening of the Moonlight Sonata is also known as ombra (Italian for “shadow”). For many decades, in opera performances, such sounds accompanied the appearance of spirits, ghosts, mysterious messengers of the afterlife, and, more broadly, reflections on death. It is reliably known that when creating the sonata, Beethoven was inspired by a very specific opera stage. In the sketch notebook, where the first sketches of the future masterpiece were recorded, the composer wrote out a fragment from Mozart’s opera “Don Giovanni”. It's short but very important episode- death of the Commander, wounded during a duel with Don Juan. In addition to the characters mentioned, Don Giovanni's servant Leporello participates in the scene, so that a terzetto is formed. The characters sing at the same time, but each about their own: the Commander says goodbye to life, Don Giovanni is full of remorse, the shocked Leporello abruptly comments on what is happening. Each of the characters not only has its own text, but also its own melody. Their remarks are united into a single whole by the sound of the orchestra, which not only accompanies the singers, but, stopping the external action, fixes the viewer’s attention on the moment when life is balancing on the brink of oblivion: measured, “dripping” sounds count down the last moments separating the Commander from death. The end of the episode is accompanied by the remarks "[The Commander] is dying" and "The moon is completely hidden behind the clouds." Beethoven will repeat the sound of the orchestra from this Mozart scene at the beginning of the Moonlight Sonata almost literally.

The first page of a letter from Ludwig van Beethoven to his brothers Carl and Johann. October 6, 1802

There are more than enough analogies. But is it possible to understand why the composer, who had barely crossed the threshold of his 30th birthday in 1801, was so deeply and truly concerned about the theme of death? The answer to this question is contained in a document whose text is no less poignant than the music of the Moonlight Sonata. It's about about the so-called “Heiligenstadt Testament”. It was found after Beethoven's death in 1827, but was written in October 1802, about a year after the creation of the Moonlight Sonata.
In fact, the “Heiligenstadt Testament” is an extensive suicide letter. Beethoven addressed it to his two brothers, indeed devoting several lines to instructions on the inheritance of property. Everything else is an extremely sincere story addressed to all contemporaries, and perhaps even descendants, about the suffering experienced, a confession in which the composer several times mentions the desire to die, expressing at the same time his determination to overcome these moods.

At the time of the creation of his will, Beethoven was in the Vienna suburb of Heiligenstadt, undergoing treatment for an illness that had tormented him for about six years. Not everyone knows that the first signs of hearing loss appeared in Beethoven not in mature years, and in the prime of youth, at the age of 27 years. By that time musical genius the composer had already been appreciated, he was accepted into best houses Vienna, he was patronized by patrons of the arts, he won the hearts of ladies. Beethoven perceived the illness as the collapse of all hopes. The fear of opening up to people, so natural for a young, self-loving, proud person, was almost more painfully experienced. The fear of discovering professional failure, fear of ridicule or, conversely, manifestations of pity forced Beethoven to limit communication and lead a lonely life. But the accusations of unsociability hurt him painfully with their injustice.

This whole complex range of experiences was reflected in the “Heiligenstadt Testament”, which recorded turning point in the mood of the composer. After several years of struggling with the disease, Beethoven realizes that hopes for a cure are futile, and vacillates between despair and stoic acceptance of his fate. However, in suffering he early gains wisdom. Reflecting on providence, deity, art (“only it... it held me back”), the composer comes to the conclusion that it is impossible to die without fully realizing his talent.

In his mature years, Beethoven would come to the idea that the best of people find joy through suffering. The "Moon" Sonata was written at a time when this milestone had not yet been passed.

But in the history of art it became one of best examples of how beauty can be born from suffering.

Sonata No. 14 or "Moonlight"

(C-sharp minor, op. 27, No. 2)

Performed by: Claudio Arrau

The sonata cycle of the fourteenth piano sonata consists of three parts. Each of them reveals one feeling in the richness of its gradations. The meditative state of the first movement gives way to a poetic, noble minuet. The finale is a “stormy bubbling of emotions”, a tragic outburst...it shocks with its uncontrollable energy and drama.
Figurative meaning the finale of the "Moon" sonata in a grandiose battle of emotion and will, in the great anger of the soul, which fails to master its passions. Not a trace remains of the enthusiastic and anxious dreaminess of the first part and the deceptive illusions of the second. But passion and suffering pierced my soul with a force never before experienced.

It could also be called an “alley sonata,” since, according to legend, it was written in the garden, in the half-burgher, half-rural environment that the young composer liked so much” (E. Herriot. The Life of L.V. Beethoven).

A. Rubinstein vigorously protested against the epithet “lunar” given by Ludwig Relstab. He wrote that moonlight requires something dreamy and melancholy, gently shining in musical expression. But the first part of the cis-moll sonata is tragic from the first to the last note, the last is stormy, passionate, it expresses something opposite to light. Only the second part can be interpreted as moonlight.

“The sonata contains more suffering and anger than love; the sonata’s music is gloomy and fiery,” says R. Rolland.

B. Asafiev wrote enthusiastically about the music of the sonata: “The emotional tone of this sonata is filled with strength and romantic pathos. The music, nervous and excited, then flares up with a bright flame, then sank into painful despair. The melody sings while crying. The deep warmth inherent in the sonata described makes it one of the most beloved and accessible. It’s hard not to be influenced by such sincere music – an expression of immediate feelings.”

Ludwig van Beethoven
Moonlight Sonata

This happened in 1801. The gloomy and unsociable composer fell in love. Who is she who won the heart of the brilliant creator? Sweet, spring-beautiful, with an angelic face and a divine smile, eyes in which you wanted to drown, sixteen-year-old aristocrat Juliet Guicciardi.

In a letter to Franz Wegeler, Beethoven asks a friend about his birth certificate, explaining that he is thinking about getting married. His chosen one was Juliet Guicciardi. Having rejected Beethoven, the inspiration for the Moonlight Sonata married a mediocre musician, young count Gallenberg, and went with him to Italy.

“Moonlight Sonata” was supposed to be an engagement gift with which Beethoven hoped to convince Giulietta Guicciardi to accept his marriage proposal. However, the matrimonial hopes of the composers had nothing to do with the birth of the sonata. "Moonlight" was one of two sonatas published under the title Opus 27, both of which were composed in the summer of 1801, the same year that Beethoven wrote his emotional and tragic letter to his friend. to a school friend Franz Wegeler in Bonn and admitted for the first time that he had begun to have hearing problems.

The "Moonlight Sonata" was originally called the "Garden Arbor Sonata", after its publication Beethoven gave it and the second sonata the general title "Quasi una Fantasia" (which can be translated as "Fantasy Sonata"); this gives us a clue to the mood of the composer at that time. Beethoven desperately wanted to take his mind off his impending deafness, while at the same time he met and fell in love with his student Juliet. Famous name“Lunar” arose almost by accident; it was given to the sonata by the German novelist, playwright and music critic Ludwig Relstab.

A German poet, novelist and music critic, Relstab met Beethoven in Vienna shortly before the composer's death. He sent Beethoven several of his poems in the hope that he would set them to music. Beethoven looked through the poems and even marked a few of them; but I didn’t have time to do anything more. During the posthumous performance of Beethoven's works, Relstab heard Opus 27 No. 2, and in his article enthusiastically noted that the beginning of the sonata reminded him of the game moonlight on the surface of Lake Lucerne. Since then, this work has been called “Moonlight Sonata”.

The first movement of the sonata is certainly one of the most famous works Beethoven, composed for piano. This passage shared the fate of Fur Elise and became a favorite piece of amateur pianists for the simple reason that they can perform it without much difficulty (of course, if they do it slowly enough).
This is slow and dark music, and Beethoven specifically states that the damper pedal should not be used here, since each note in this section must be clearly distinguishable.

But there is one strange thing here. Despite the worldwide fame of this movement and the widespread recognition of its first bars, if you try to hum or whistle it, you will almost certainly fail: you will find it almost impossible to catch the melody. And this is not the only case. This is characteristic feature Beethoven's music: he could create incredible popular works, in which there is no melody. Such works include the first movement of the Moonlight Sonata, as well as the no less famous fragment of the Fifth Symphony.

The second part is the complete opposite of the first - it is cheerful, almost happy music. But listen more closely, and you will notice shades of regret in it, as if happiness, even if it existed, turned out to be too fleeting. The third part bursts into anger and confusion. Non-professional musicians, who proudly perform the first part of the sonata, very rarely approach the second part and never attempt the third, which requires virtuoso skill.

No evidence has reached us that Giulietta Guicciardi ever played a sonata dedicated to her; most likely, this work disappointed her. The gloomy beginning of the sonata did not at all correspond to its light and cheerful character. As for the third movement, poor Juliet must have turned pale with fear at the sight of hundreds of notes, and finally realized that she would never be able to perform in front of her friends the sonata that the famous composer dedicated to her.

Subsequently, Juliet, with respectable honesty, told researchers of Beethoven’s life that the great composer did not think about her at all when creating his masterpiece. Guicciardi's evidence raises the possibility that Beethoven composed both sonatas Opus 27, as well as the String Quintet Opus 29, in an attempt to somehow come to terms with his impending deafness. This is also indicated by the fact that in November 1801, that is, several months after the previous letter and the writing of the “Moonlight Sonata,” Beethoven mentioned in a letter about Juliet Guicciardi, “ charming girl"Who loves me, and whom I love."

Beethoven himself was irritated by the unprecedented popularity of his Moonlight Sonata. “Everyone is talking about the C-sharp-minor sonata! I wrote the best things!” he once said angrily to his student Cherny.

Presentation

Included:
1. Presentation - 7 slides, ppsx;
2. Sounds of music:
Beethoven. Moonlight Sonata - I. Adagio sostenuto, mp3;
Beethoven. Moonlight Sonata - II. Allegretto, mp3;
Beethoven. Moonlight Sonata - III. Presto agitato, mp3;
Beethoven. Moonlight Sonata 1 part Symph. ork, mp3;
3. Accompanying article, docx.

Part one: Adagio sostenuto

Part two: Allegretto

Part three: Presto agitato

Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor, op. 27, No. 2 (Quasi fantasia, better known as “Lunar”) - piece of music, written by the German composer Ludwig van Beethoven in -1801. The first part of the sonata (Adagio sostenuto) was called “lunar” by the music critic Ludwig Rellstab in 1832, after the author’s death - he compared this work to “moonlight over Lake Firwaldstätt.”

The sonata is dedicated to 18-year-old Giulietta Guicciardi, to whom Beethoven gave music lessons in 1801. The composer was in love with the young countess and wanted to marry her.

The change that has taken place in me now is caused by a sweet, wonderful girl who loves me and is loved by me.

In March 1802, Sonata No. 14 - with a dedication to Juliet - was published in Bonn, although from the first months of 1802 Juliet showed a clear preference for the composer Wenzel Galenberg and eventually married him. Six months after writing the sonata, on October 6, 1802, Beethoven wrote the “Heiligenstadt Testament” in despair. Some Beethoven scholars believe that it was to Countess Guicciardi that the composer addressed a letter known as the letter “to the immortal beloved.” It was discovered after Beethoven's death in a hidden drawer in his wardrobe. Beethoven kept a miniature portrait of Juliet along with this letter and the Heiligenstadt Testament. The melancholy of unrequited love, the agony of hearing loss - all this was expressed by the composer in the “Moon” sonata.

The illusion did not last long, and already in the sonata one can see more suffering and anger than love.

The monument of love that he wanted to create with this sonata very naturally turned into a mausoleum. For a person like Beethoven, love could not be anything other than hope beyond the grave and sorrow, spiritual mourning here on earth.

Analysis

Both sonatas of opus 27 (Nos. and 14) have the subtitle “in the spirit of fantasy” (Italian: quasi una fantasia): Beethoven wanted to emphasize that the form of the sonatas differs from the composition of the classical sonata cycle adopted at the time of the creation of this sonata.

The sonata consists of three movements:

1. Adagio|Adagio sostenuto. The sonata begins with what in a classical sonata cycle is usually the middle part of a sonata cycle - slow, gloomy, rather mournful music. The famous music critic Alexander Serov finds an expression of “deadly despondency” in the first part of the sonata. In his methodical analysis and edition of the sonata, Professor A. B. Goldenweiser identified three key element, important for the analysis and performing interpretation of the part:

• General choral plan of texture, determined by the movement of bass octaves, which also includes:
• The harmonic triplet figuration, covering almost the entire movement, is a relatively rare example in Beethoven of a monotonous rhythmic movement sustained throughout the entire composition, more typical of the preludes of J. S. Bach
• A mournful, sedentary melodic voice, rhythmically almost coinciding with the bass line.

In sum, these three elements form a harmonious whole, but at the same time they function separately, forming a continuous living declamatory line, and not “playing along” only with their part to the leading voice.

2. Allegretto - the second movement of the sonata.

For insufficiently sensitive students, the “consoling” mood of the second movement easily turns into an entertaining scherzando, which is fundamentally contrary to the meaning of the work. I have heard this interpretation dozens, if not hundreds of times. In such cases, I usually remind the student of Liszt’s catchphrase about this allegretto: “This is a flower between two abysses,” and I try to prove to him that this allegory is not accidental, that it surprisingly accurately conveys not only the spirit, but also the form of the composition, because the first bars the melodies resemble the involuntarily opening cup of a flower, and the subsequent ones resemble leaves hanging on the stem. Please remember that I never “illustrate” music, that is, in in this case I'm not saying that this music is a flower - I'm saying that it can evoke a spiritual, visual impression of a flower, symbolize it, suggest to the imagination the image of a flower.

I forget to say that this sonata also contains a scherzo. One cannot help but wonder how this scherzo, which has nothing to do with either the previous or the subsequent one, got mixed up here. “It is a flower between two abysses,” said Leaf. Perhaps! But such a place, I believe, is not very impressive for a flower, so from this side Mr. Liszt’s metaphor may not be entirely wrong.

Alexander Serov

3. Presto agitato - third movement of the sonata.

A sudden adagio... piano... The man, driven to the extreme, falls silent, his breathing stops. And when, after a minute, breathing comes to life and the person rises, the futile efforts, sobs, and riots are over. Everything has been said, the soul is devastated. In the last bars, only majestic power remains, conquering, taming, accepting the flow.

Romain Rolland

Some interpretations

• Wilhelm Kempff, YouTube video ;