Beethoven's 14th Piano Sonata from 1801 is easily one of the most famous pieces of music ever composed. It is instantly recognizable by name and intimately associated with Beethoven. For most people, it is exceeded only by his 5th and 9th Symphonies as signature works. Its sobriquet, "Moonlight," was only acquired after Beethoven's death and … Continue reading Demystifying the Moonlight
Category: Beethoven
Soaked in Mozart
In 1787, a 17-year old Beethoven left his home in Bonn, Germany and traveled to Vienna with the express purpose of meeting and studying with Mozart, the greatest composer in Europe. Whether Beethoven actually met Mozart is debatable--the famous quotation attributed to Mozart ("Stanzi, Stanzi, watch out for that boy. One day he will give … Continue reading Soaked in Mozart
Classical Music IV: Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
THE great debate in music is whether Beethoven was a Classical or Romantic composer. Heck, I had to write a paper on this very question for my high school music theory class. I took the position that Beethoven had clearly been a Classical composer at the start of his career, but by 1803 had evolved … Continue reading Classical Music IV: Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
A Gertus History of Music 