Moonlight Sonata Analysis

Ludwig Van Beethoven, a German music prodigy, composed a variety of music, from symphonies to sonatas that are still popular to this day. Beethoven is famously known for the “Piano Sonata No.14 in C# minor ‘quasi una fantasia’”, or as others may know this piece as “Moonlight Sonata”. I am going to focus on the first movement in this piece that lasts for approximately six minutes, and discuss my opinions and findings. This homophonic piece as a whole has a steady tempo in quadruple meter, with the bass accompanying the main melody. Upon first listening to “Moonlight Sonata”, I felt sadness and despair, and after researching about this composition my thoughts for this piece did not change.

The beginning of this piece starts off very quietly,

During the process of researching, I found out that the name “Moonlight Sonata” was not named by the composer Beethoven himself. As a matter of fact, Ludwig Rellstab, a “German music critic, poet, librettist and novelist was the first to associate the name ‘moonlight’ to Beethoven’s piece” (Kerman). He described the sonata as “a boat visiting, by moonlight, the primitive landscapes of Vierwaldstättersee in Switzerland” (Kerman). Thus, the universally known name “Moonlight Sonata” does not reflect Beethoven’s thoughts and intentions when he composed this piece.

Beethoven originally named his sonata ‘quasi una fantasia’, which translates to “sonata in the manner of a fantasy” (“Quasi”). Furthermore, Beethoven dedicated ‘quasi una fantasia’ to Countess Julie Giulietta Guicciardi, one of his “piano students whom he was in love with” (Kerman). At that time in 1801, Beethoven grew “realization that his deafness was progressive and probably incurable” so he “ceased to attend any social functions and was miserable.” (Kerman) That was before Beethoven met the “dear charming girl” (Kerman) Julie Guicciardi. Beethoven thought “for the first time marriage with Julie might bring [him] happiness” (Kerman) so he “proposed to her” (Murphy) Unfortunately, Julie was “not quite 17, she was still too young and too spoilt to take Beethoven’s devotion seriously” and Beethoven stated himself that “[Julie] was not of [his] class.” (Kerman)

He was already at the early stages of deafness and his relationship with Julie did not go well. These tragic events are directly linked to the context of his composition. The sorrowfulness of the piece reflects his emotions he was feeling at that time. Beethoven knew that his disease cannot be cured, and when he met Julie, a light shinning in his dark tunnel, he thought he could feel happiness again. Although, reality struck and he knew they could never be together. Hearing the undulating melody again symbolizes Beethoven’s dream to live a happy life, although every time the melody descends, we are left with anguish and disappointment. After listening to this music again, I can feel Beethoven’s misery and his desperation to gain purpose into his life again.

Beethoven’s piano sonata ‘quasi una fantasia’ gives listeners an emotional journey through his complicated life. When I first listened to this song I felt a wave of sadness as I can sense this piece was related to a tragic event. After researching more, I was able to understand Beethoven and sympathize with him in another level, how as individuals we can never control and protect what we care about in our lives, and eventually we realize that it is not possible to achieve a happily ever