Beethoven: Sonata in C-sharp minor (Moonlight) – Boris Giltburg | Beethoven 32 project

Last week I wrote about sonata No. 13 that, for me, it was the true hidden gem of the cycle. The fault for its being a *hidden* gem lies at least partially with its sister, the incommensurably more popular ‘Moonlight’ Sonata, Op. 27, No. 2. The nickname was coined by Ludwig Rellstab, a German poet and influential music critic, some five years after Beethoven’s death, but its colossal popularity certainly dated back to Beethoven’s lifetime. Even without a nickname, the starkly painted landscape of its first movement, the forlorn melody, the quiet grief embodied in the accompanying triplets, the fateful descent of the bass line – all those gripped the imagination of the listeners. A middle movement of exquisite, fragile beauty, and a dark whirlwind of a finale with its rage and despair strengthened the impact that much more. And the fact that the first movement is relatively technically undemanding could only increase the work’s popularity. Seen as part of Op. 27, the ‘Moonlight’ is like a dark shadow b