Ludwig van Beethoven
Sonata 14 (Moonlight)
in C-sharp Minor, Op. 27 No. 2
The soothingly beautiful sadness of Beethoven’s most beloved piano sonata can almost place a listener into a state of hypnosis.
Year: 1801
Period: Classical
Piano score: PS Urtext 
Audiovisual Study Tool
Sonata 14 (Moonlight) Op. 27 No. 2 - FREE SAMPLE 
Hypnotic calm before the storm
The "Moonlight" Sonata is one of Beethoven's most popular piano works, especially the haunting first movement with its sad melody played against the familiar ostinato triplet rhythm. It's the kind of soothingly beautiful but sad movement that can almost place a listener into a state of hypnosis. To create this hypnotic beauty, the pianist needs to excercise great control of the three different layers of music: bass line, triplet accompaniment, and melody. Less well known but indeed well worth exploring is the comparatively cheerful second movement - a Scherzo and trio in D-flat major, fairly straightforward but with interesting syncopated rhythms. Liszt called this movement "a flower beetween abysses". In the stormy third movement Presto, the broken chord triplets of the first movement are transformed into violently erupting arpeggios, covering three octaves. This dramatic composition, with typical Beethovenian sharp accents, presents substantial technical difficulties.Background
The Piano Sonata op. 27 no. 2 in C-sharp minor has been better known as the Moonlight Sonata ever since Ludwig Rellstab, a German critic and poet, likened it to moonlight shining upon Lake Lucerne. The sonata was completed in 1801 and dedicated to the Countess Giulietta Guicciardi, a pupil of Beethoven, in 1802.Practice & Performance Tips:
Beethoven instructs the performer to depress the sustain pedal for the entire duration of the first movement. ("Si deve suonare tutto questo pezzo delicatissimamente e senza sordino"). On most modern instruments, however, the effect will probably be too blurred if there are no pedal changes at all. But if that other main instruction is followed - to play softly and delicately throughout - it becomes possible to experiment a bit with the right pedal to achieve the sort of half-blurring that Beethoven was after.The next two movements are more difficult, but don’t hesitate to try the second movement Allegretto if you are an intermediate player, as it is a beautiful piece of music as well as an excellent exercise in articulation, rhythm, balance and control of touch.
The last movement is really only for the most advanced pianists. The piece is like an erupting volcano, and it’s quite a feat to keep these continual explosions under control. However, focusing on the steadiness of the left hand part will help you to stay on top of... Sign up for a Gold membership to read the practice tips.
Forum posts about this piece:
Piano Performance: How Far Can Average Skills Take You? by anthonythompson
I’ve been pondering a question about the piano and the extent to which someone with “average” abilities can excel in it. In chess, for example, there’s the ELO rating system to gauge a player’s skill....
Moonlight sonata, third movement by ravelfan07
How would one go about practicing this first...
Please help me on this question by liszt-and-the-galops
Can you rank these pieces from easiest to hardest? Fantaisie-Impromtu Moonlight Sonata (Movement 1 only) Raindrop Prelude (Chopin's, I'm expecting this to be the easiest.)
Fractional (half) pedalling on an upright piano by sebbysteiny
All I watched a fascinating video about one of my favourite pieces that I learnt to play decades ago, suggesting I was playing it all wrong, Beethoven's Piano Sonata No 14 in C#. I...
Struggling to find my next work by rolvetheprotogen
I'm mostly self taught, and just can't seem to find another work to pursue. So far under my belt I have Moonlight Sonata first movement, and Chopin's E minor prelude. I also worked on his C sharp...
Moonlight Sonata - how to learn by joshua1849
I've always wanted to learn this extraordinary sonata and have finally decided to pick it up - it is certainly possible for me to learn (technically speaking). However, I was wondering how to go about...
Inter-practice pieces by bradderz
I am currently completing my grade 7 (ABRSM) in roughly two weeks. I have been practicing consistently 5-10 hours a day, which some consider too much but I enjoy it so its fine; at least, that's not the...
What piece do you guys suggest? by pianoguy2009
Hi, I am a pianist who just passed grade 6(with distinction)ABRSM and I’m about to start grade 8(yes, I skipped grade 7) and I’m looking for some classical pieces to practice so I can perform, however,...
Is this plan feasible? by henk de potvis
My (advanced) repertoire is the third movement of the moonlight sonata, and fantasie impromptu. I finished Fantasie impromptu in a month after not playing for a while. I would like to play la campanella, but...
What level of repertoire should I really be playing? by doubleconcerto
Recently I have come to the realization that I might need to seriously reconsider how I learn piano if I want to continue making progress when I start college and will have less time to practice.
What Pieces are Similar in Difficulty to Moonlight Sonata 3rd Movement? by droprenstein
I am mostly self-taught. I recently finished learning the Moonlight sonata 3rd movement, it took me a few weeks to be able to play it by memory without much difficulty. I can't seem to find pieces that are...
Moonlight Sonata is overrated. Or is it just me?... by leigh anne
Is it just me or is Moonlight Sonata really overrated? No offense to those moonlight sonata fans, I think Moonlight Sonata is a nice piece but don't you think people's reactions are too much when they...
Am I skilled enough to play Appassionata 3rd movement? by classicalstudent1
I have learned piano for about 5 years. Some of the harder pieces I can play are moonlight sonata 3rd mov and chopin's revolutionary etude(without mistake). I thinking of trying appassionata 3rd mov, but...
Great crowdpleaser pieces with substance? by youngpianist
Hello. Can you suggest some pieces that are great crowdpleasers, but are not just empty displays of virtuosity? I'd like to add some good ones to my repertoire now that you can perform again. At least in my...
Next piano piece by pius02
Hi! I am from Germany and playing since 7 Years and i would say I’m an advanced Player, but i can definitely improve. In recent years I have made very little progress and i want to change that...
Can mechanical attributes of the instrument affect playing? by uv147
as the title says, can the mechanical attributes of the instrument being played affect playing? for example, are there pianos that are easier to play fast on while others make it harder to play fast...
Does anyone else feel the Moonlight Sonata is kind of overrated? by youngpianist
I have played this piece in the past but I have to get something off my chest. Isn't this piece kind of overrated? It's kind of beautiful I guess but people act like it's the most mind blowing...
Moonlight Mvt. 2 difficulty by mmateas
Hi there! First of all, I just want to clarify the fact that I almost finished studying the piece I'm writing about. I'm just curious, what's your opinion regarding the 2nd movement of...
Favourite piece(s) of all time? by lelle
As the title says - what is your favourite piece or pieces of all time? I was thinking today about what some of my favourite pieces are, and I am really looking forward to practising some of them again once I...
Learning Sheet music by teelo17
I'm not new to instruments, I have played saxophone, Trumbone, Flute, Drums and Guitar for most of my childhood, I am now 17 and have just got a piano for christmas, I can play 20-30 songs on...
Sonata 14 (Moonlight) Op. 27 No. 2 in C-sharp Minor, a composition by the classical composer Ludwig van Beethoven. The piano score of this piece was first published in 1801 and is part of Sonatas by Beethoven.