Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 14 ‘Moonlight Sonata’ | Daniel Barenboim

Enigmatic and passionate: The ‘Moonlight Sonata’ is one of Beethoven's most famous compositions for the piano. Here, the Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27, No. 2 is interpreted by Daniel Barenboim in the Palais Kinsky in Vienna. It is part of Barenboim’s complete recording of all 32 Beethoven piano sonatas from the years 1983 and 1984. This Beethoven cycle is considered a reference rendition. 00:00 I. Adagio sostenuto 06:45 II. Allegretto 09:00 III. Presto agitato Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) composed Piano Sonata No. 14 in 1801, when he complained increasingly of his worsening hearing, but was not personally unhappy. On November 16, 1801, he wrote to his childhood friend from Bonn, Gerhard Wegeler, "this change has been brought forth by a dear, enchanting girl, who loves me, and whom I love. There have been some blissful moments again for two years, and it is the first time that I feel that marriage could make me happy.” The “enchanting” girl was Countess Julie Guicciardi (1782–1856), to whom the “Moonlight Sonata” Op. 27, No. 2 is dedicated. Beethoven met her in 1800 and gave her piano lessons. But his dream was shattered in 1803 at the latest, when Julie married composer Wenzel Robert Graf von Gallenberg. Beethoven gave his work the title “Sonata quasi una fantasia” (Sonata almost a fantasy). “Fantasia” refers to a piece of music that has no fixed form and gives the impression of spontaneity. And the “Moonlight Sonata” is indeed surprising: In contrast to the classical sonata, it does not begin with a fast movement, but in a leisurely tempo (Adagio sostenuto), which lends the work drama and grandeur. The second movement (Allegretto), on the other hand, is rather sedate and conventional. Franz Liszt (1811-1886) compared the Allegretto to a “flower between two abysses”. The third and final movement (Presto agitato) leads back into these abysses. It is full of emotion. Beethoven outwardly preserves the sonata form here, but inwardly it seethes. The final movement is reminiscent of the first movement, except that everything is much faster here. The slow triplets become furious semiquavers. With its melancholy mood, the “Moonlight Sonata” is considered a precursor to musical Romanticism. The picturesque title, however, is not from Beethoven. Long after the composer had died, music critic Ludwig Rellstab heard the famous first movement and had a clear image in his mind’s eye: a night-time boat trip on Lake Lucerne. Thus, Rellstab gave the “Moonlight Sonata” its popular name. One expert who has examined Beethoven’s piano sonatas since his childhood is famed pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim (b. 1942). Barenboim was considered a prodigy. As a young man, he studied in Rome under the instruction of pianist and music teacher Carlo Zecci. At the age of 15, he made his first recordings of a few of Beethoven’s piano sonatas, including the “Pathétique.” In addition, he was already playing with the New York Philharmonic at that young age. Five years later, Barenboim conducted the London Symphony Orchestra in New York. From that point on, the doors of the greatest stages in the world stood open to him. From 1992 to 2023, the Argentinian-Israeli pianist and conductor was the General Music Director of the Berlin State Opera. The Staatskapelle Berlin designated him the lifetime Principal Conductor in 2000. Since 1999, he has also been advocating for a peaceful resolution of the Middle East conflict between Israelis and Palestinians with the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra. Pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim dedicated a total of five complete recordings to Beethoven’s piano sonatas in the course of his career. He played the final cycle to mark the occasion of the composer’s 250th birthday (2020) during the COVID-19 pandemic for the Deutsche Grammophon classical music label and stated at the time, “No matter how often you play them, there are always new, personal perspectives to discover.” © 1984 EuroArts Music International Watch more concerts in your personal concert hall: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_SdnzPd3eBV5A14dyRWy1KSkwcG8LEey Find the best of Beethoven here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_SdnzPd3eBWcX1eOXH-w75x-_-7gRF-w check out more piano sonatas here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_SdnzPd3eBV8VQOtGGTUYSryvB_k8Wl- and some great piano concertos here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_SdnzPd3eBU7k2TJgrgNCc9aygnNkaGZ Subscribe to DW Classical Music: https://www.youtube.com/dwclassicalmusic #moonlightsonata #beethoven #pianosonata