ENTRY FOUR
IS THE “MOONLIGHT” SONATA OVERPLAYED?
A friend of mine recently asked me, “What do you think of the third movement of ‘Moonlight’ Sonata?” It was certainly a welcomed question, considering she does not share the same rabid interest in classical music as I do. I said something along the lines of, “It is one of my favorite pieces ever written.” Of course I continued the conversation and inquired about how she came across this piece, and apparently it’s trending on TikTok with people showing off by playing the third movement. That’s wonderful; I’m glad that classical music at all seems to get the slightest bit of attention on social media platforms. But, the popularity of that work is nothing new. After all, the “Moonlight” Sonata has remained one of the most famous pieces ever since its creation in 1801. Formally known as the Sonata in C-sharp Minor, Op. 27, No. 2 “Quasi una fantasia,” I personally attribute the sonata’s popularity to its nickname “Moonlight.” This name originated not from the composer himself (Ludwig van Beethoven’s (1770-1827)), but from a music critic who believed the first movement evoked the imagery of the moon’s reflection on Lake Lucerne. Yes, the piece is technically titled “Sonata in C-sharp Minor, Op. 27, No. 2,” but everyone just calls it the “Moonlight” Sonata. And I’m okay with that. The name is short and simple, but also unique in the realm of classical repertoire.
However, from a musical standpoint, the third movement is what seizes the attention of listeners, especially the younger ones who are eager to learn it and eventually show off their technical brilliance and endurance at the piano. I believe it is “trending” on social media, too. In all seriousness, the sonata-allegro structure within the third movement certainly helps the listener follow along and understand what is happening in the music. To put it simply, there are two contrasting themes: the first is a lyrical melody that outlines a longer phrase, and the second is characterized by quick, repetitive chords. All the other stuff is a bunch of arpeggios and broken chords that give the piece its unrelenting, agitated spirit. The third movement of the “Moonlight” Sonata has got it all: the fame, the difficulty, the satisfaction of playing/practicing, and the easiness of listening to.
So the piece must be great, right? Well, if you search “Moonlight Sonata” on YouTube, then you’ll find a video that has a whopping 213 million views (holy bejeezus). I guess the piece is so great for that many people who wanted to listen to it. And that’s just on YouTube; I didn’t even bother looking up the statistics on other streaming services like Spotify, Amazon Music, etc. Now, consider this — because Beethoven’s masterpiece is incredibly well-known, not a lot of concert pianists include it in their programs. How ironic. After all, such pianists probably thought, “Why should I play a piece that everyone already knows and is probably seeking other music to listen to?” And from there, they presumably prepare relatively more obscure pieces that they believe “no one really knows,” like the Mazurkas by Karol Szymanowski (1882-1937). I’m sure those are great pieces, by the way; I just haven’t listened to them. Anyway, back to the “Moonlight” Sonata: Not a lot of concert pianists perform it on stage because of this strange misconception that everyone plays the piece. And, so what if that were true? There ought to be zero shame with sharing the “popular classics” in the concert hall. Thankfully, my former teacher Sean Chen (2013 Van Cliburn medalist) shared the same sentiment and allowed me to perform the “Moonlight” Sonata in one of my graduate degree solo recitals. In fact, he encouraged it.
There is a sad affiliation between classical music and elitism, as if the genre ought to be enjoyed only by certain demographics. If we really want to share the beauty of classical music with others, especially those whom we know are not particularly fond of such art, then we have to gracefully share with them something that they are much more likely to enjoy listening to, no matter how “overplayed” or how “overrated” we think the music is. It is up to the broader audience as to whether they enjoy it, but — more importantly and consequentially — the choice of music we share with them is up to us as scholars and/or performers.