“Moonlight” Sonata Op. 27 No. 2: I. Adagio sostenuto

Ludwig van Beethoven · Level 5 (Advanced) · Classical · Piano

The first movement of the “Moonlight” Sonata (1801): continuous triplets beneath a very slow melody. A piano work by Beethoven, between the Classical legacy of Haydn and Mozart and the Romantic impulse. C♯ minor, 2/2, 69 bars (about 5 minutes), complete score.

▶ Play this piece with the interactive score

How to practise it

• Listen first: the site plays it while the score scrolls.
• Wait mode: the score waits for you at every note, at your own pace.
• Tempo challenge: play in time, with a score and a map of the bars you got right.
• Respect Beethoven’s contrasts: sudden dynamics, accents and rests are part of the music. Key signature with 4 sharps: name them aloud before playing and spot the places where accidentals cancel them. One hand sometimes plays two voices: hold the long notes for their full value and let the main line sing louder than the accompaniment. Triplets and other tuplets must be perfectly even: count them aloud with the metronome.

More pieces by Ludwig van Beethoven

• Sonata Op. 49 No. 2: I. Allegro ma non troppo
• Sonata Op. 49 No. 2: II. Tempo di menuetto
• Minuet in E-flat major WoO 82
• Sonata Op. 49 No. 1: I. Andante
• Prelude in F minor WoO 55
• Sonata No. 25 (1st Movement: Presto alla tedesca) (Op. 79)
• Sonata Op. 79: II. Andante
• Sonata Op. 2 No. 1: III. Menuetto

Source : Mutopia Project · CC BY-SA 2.5