• Moonlight Sonata Composer
• Moonlight Sonata 3rd Movement
• Moonlight Sonata Tab

What is the story behind the name, Moonlight sonata? Beethoven’s famous Moonlight. The first Movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. The first movement, in C♯ minor, is written in an approximate truncated sonata form. The movement opens with an octave in the left hand and a triplet figuration in the right. A melody that Hector Berlioz called a 'lamentation', mostly by the right hand, is played against an.

Moonlight Sonata is a 1937 British drama film directed by Lothar Mendes and written by E. M. Delafield and Edward Knoblock.^[1] The film stars Ignacy Jan Paderewski, Charles Farrell, Marie Tempest, Barbara Greene and Eric Portman. The film was released on 11 February 1937, by United Artists^[2][3][4]and re-released in 1943 as The Charmer (shortened).^[5]

Plot[edit]

Moonlight Sonata Composer

In Sweden, Eric Molander (Charles Farrell) professes his love for Ingrid (Barbara Greene), the beautiful young granddaughter of baroness Lindenborg (Marie Tempest). Meanwhile, in the nearby countryside, a plane with Paderewski and two other passengers on board is forced to land due to mechanical problems. The travellers take refuge at the baroness's country estate; one of them, worldly Mario de la Costa (Eric Portman), steals the naive young Ingrid away from her lover. With Paderewski's help – he plays a hauntingly beautiful rendition of Beethoven's 'Moonlight Sonata' which soothingly calms the flighty-minded Ingrid and allows her to come to her senses – Eric exposes Mario as a shameless fortune-hunter who already has a wife, and the young hero and heroine are reunited. Seen at the beginning of the film as a happily married couple who are attending one of Mr. Paderewski's packed piano recitals, Eric and Ingrid have become the joyful parents of an adorable curly-headed little damsel who herself gets to meet the great artist in person at the concert; at Ingrid's request, he then plays the Moonlight Sonata as his finale. It is also revealed that Mr. Paderewski's playing of this very same lovely melody two decades earlier had fortuitously brought Ingrid's own parents together, as well.

Cast[edit]

• Ignacy Jan Paderewski as Himself
• Charles Farrell as Eric Molander
• Marie Tempest as Baroness Lindenborg
• Barbara Greene as Ingrid Hansen
• Eric Portman as Mario de la Costa
• W. Graham Brown as Dr. Kurt Broman
• Queenie Leonard as Margit
• Laurence Hanray as Mr. Bishop
• Binkie Stuart as Eric and Ingrid's Child

Critical reception[edit]

The New York Times wrote, 'LONDON has at last seen 'Moonlight Sonata,' the film which Paderewski made at Denham last Summer for Lothar Mendez. It is an elegant little picture, set in a beautiful villa among the Swedish firs, and made with a dignity and simplicity worthy of the great figure for whom it was composed. The film begins with a concert at which Paderewski plays the whole of Liszt's Second Hungarian Rhapsody and the first movement of the Moonlight Sonata. Later in the film he plays his own Minuet. The recording of these pieces is excellent and the close-ups of the great pianist and of his hands are fascinating. For the rest he fits simply and unobtrusively into a simple story, speaking with slow precision and acting as naturally as if he were playing his part in real life' ;^[6] while Leonard Maltin gave the film two and a half out of four stars, and noted 'Well-made but stodgy romance, set in household of Swedish baroness, is excuse for screen appearance by famous concert pianist.'^[2]

References[edit]

1. ^http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6b0c2147
2. ^ ^ab'Moonlight Sonata (1937) - Overview - TCM.com'. Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
3. ^'Moonlight Sonata'. TV Guide. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
4. ^'PADEREWSKI BECOMES A MOVIE STAR'. The New York Times. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
5. ^[1]
6. ^https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9E06E3DE1739E733A25755C0A9609C946694D6CF

External links[edit]

• Moonlight Sonata at IMDb

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1.Beethoven: The Universal Composer by Edmund Morris

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Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata

The Moonlight Sonata was composed in the summer of 1801 in Hungary, on an estate belonging to the Brunswick family. The composition was published in 1802 and was dedicated to Beethoven’s pupil and passion, 17 years old Countess Giulietta Gucciardi.

Moonlight Sonata 3rd Movement

The Sonata is one of the most popular piano sonatas from Beethoven’s creation. It is also named The Moonlight Sonata by poet Ludwig Rellstab who, in 1832, had this inspiration on a moon lit night on the banks of the Lucerna River. Some biographers make the connection between the unshared love the composer held for Giulietta Guicciardi and the sonorities of the first part. Even more so, this sonata was dedicated to Giulietta, the musical theme of the first part being borrowed from a German ballad as Wyzewa observed.

Moonlight Sonata Tab

According to Fischer, this image has no connection with Beethoven’s intentions. He rather attributes this atmosphere to the feeling that overwhelmed the composer when he took watch at the side of a friend who prematurely left the world of the living. In one of Beethoven’s manuscripts there are several notes from Mozart’s Don Juan, notes that follow the killing of the Commander by Don Juan, and lower, this passage is rendered in C sharp minor in absolute resemblance to the first part of the sonata in C sharp minor. Analyzing and comparing, one could realize that it cannot be the case of a romantic moon lit night, but rather of a solemn funeral hymn.

The piano sonata has three parts

I. Adagio Sostenuto

II. Allegretto

III. Presto Agitato

The parts of the sonata give the impression of a whole first of all through the elaboration of themes and motifs. Consequently, the main musical theme of the first part becomes very elaborate in the second part, and the second motif of the main theme will be encountered in the first theme of part III.

Part I – Adagio Sostenuto - is based on an accompanying motif in triplet rhythm that, together with a accented notes motif, creates the impression of a grave, meditative state of mind. The composer adds the following direction at the beginning of the first part: 'Si deve suonare tutto pezzo delicatissimamente e senza sordino' which means that the performer should play the part with great delicacy and without dampers. It is also true that the modern piano has a much longer sustain time than the instruments of Beethoven's day. Therefore, his instruction cannot be followed by pianists playing modern instruments without creating an unpleasantly dissonant sound. (Wikipedia, The Moonlight Sonata Page)

The second part - Allegretto - is very small in size which leads to the idea that it was conceived more as a connection between the first and third part, rather than a part all by itself. The feeling is now denser in consistency, and the fairly meditative character of the first part gradually fades away, preparing the tumult of the third part.

The third part – Presto Agitato - is twice as long as the first two parts. Fischer felt this part as being the representation of a storm. A very impetuous storm, if we take into account the fact that at the time when he was composing the sonata, Beethoven was madly in love with Giulietta with whom he had hopes of getting married. The listener can distinguish two themes in this part: a tempestuous one built on arpeggios and strongly accented notes and a second theme, more lyrical in form which comes into contrast with the first one. Both themes are magnificently interlaced and create the impetuous storm emotion Fischer experienced.

This is one of the most well known piano sonatas by Beethoven. The Moonlight Sonata was written in 1801 and today, more than ever, it remaines one of the most popular pieces of piano music in history.

Download the complete Moonlight Sonata music sheet from here.

Download Part I of the Moonlight Sonata

Download Part II of the Moonlight Sonata

Download Part III of the Moonlight Sonata

Read more about Beethoven's Piano sonatas

1. Sonata in A major, op. 10, no. 2
2. Sonata in D major, op. 10, no. 3
3. Sonata in E flat major, op. 27, nr. 1

1. Sonata in E flat major, op. 31, no. 3
2. Sonata in F major, op.54
3. Sonata in F sharp major, op. 78
4. Sonata in G major, op. 79
5. Sonata in E minor, op. 90
6. Sonata in A major, op. 101
7. Sonata in E major, op. 109
8. Sonata in A flat major, op. 110

Read more about Beethoven's music

• Beethoven Symphonies - Each of the nine Beethoven symphonies analyzed.
• Trios - General discussion regarding Beethoven's trios for various instruments and ensembles.
• Sonatas for Cello and Piano - Discussion about Beethoven's five cello and piano sonatas.
• Sonatas for Violin and Piano - Overview of Beethoven's ten sonatas for violin and piano.
• String Quartets - Brief analysis of Beethoven's seventeen string quartets.
• The Opera 'Fidelio' - The background, subject and influences of Beethoven's only opera.
• The Concertos - Beethoven's five piano concertos, his violin concerto and triple concerto analyzed.
• The Overtures - Brief overview of some of the most important Beethoven overtures.