Introduction
Lesson time: (2min 48sec)
Dejan Lazić introduces the Moonlight Sonata's second movement - the dance-like Allegretto that Liszt called 'the flower between two abysses'.
Course preview
This lesson is part of the course Master Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven: Movements I, II, and III
Watch a preview of the full course below.
Lesson transcript:
Welcome Back to the Course!
So hi, welcome back to the course where we are exploring Beethoven's famous Sonata in C# Minor, No. 14, Opus 27, No. 2, better known as the Moonlight Sonata.
Second Movement Overview
This time, we'll talk about the second movement, referred to as "the flower between the two abysses," as Franz Liszt called it.
Key Characteristics
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Shortest Movement: It is the only movement that is in A major key, and in D flat major, which is harmonic to C# minor (C# and D flat being the same key).
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Dance-Like Quality: The D flat major section is a dance-like movement. It is marked Allegretto by Beethoven, which means it is:
- Not too fast
- Not too slow
- Somewhere in the middle
Dance Form
This movement is typical of a dance called Minuet.
- Some might call it Scherzo, but Scherzo is much faster.
- Beethoven revolutionized the music world by incorporating Scherzo instead of Minuet in his symphonies, string quartets, and chamber music.
Gallant Movement
However, I think with this tempo, we are still in the gallant minuet world.
- There have been many differences between the Italian Menuetto, German Menuett (with two T's), and various forms and variations of this dance.
- We can safely say this is the most gallant movement in this sonata.
Upcoming Lessons
In upcoming lessons, we will discuss:
- The impacts of this D flat major
- Voicing techniques
- Its very peculiar, very stubborn trio, which is in complete contrast to the main section.
I will also show you a few impacts on sf markings for zato and fp for the piano, discussing the differences between the two.
So we'll have a lot of fun, and I look forward to it!
About the instructor
Dejan Lazić's fresh interpretations of the repertoire have established him as one of the most unique and unusual soloists of his generation. He regularly performs with the world's leading orchestras, including the Boston and Chicago Symphony Orchestras, Budapest Festival Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, London Philharmonic, Philharmonia Orchestra, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, as well as the Australian, Basel, and Netherlands Chamber Orchestras, and has built close collaborations with conductors including Giovanni Antonini, Iván Fischer, Michael Francis, Andris Nelsons, Ivan Repušić, Thomas Søndergård, Robert Spano, John Storgårds, Krzysztof Urbański, and Jan Willem de Vriend. Dejan Lazić has released many CDs with Channel Classics and Onyx Classics, and a recording of Beethoven's Triple Concerto for Sony Classical. His live recording of Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2 with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Kirill Petrenko received the German "Echo Klassik" Award. He also has a strong following in the Far East and is active as a recitalist and chamber musician, appearing regularly at major international festivals. Dejan Lazić's compositions receive increasing recognition, and he was signed as a composer by the Sikorski Music Publishing Group in 2015. His arrangement of Brahms' Violin Concerto as a Piano Concerto "No. 3" was premiered and recorded with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Robert Spano in 2009 and has enjoyed much ongoing success, at the BBC Proms, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Hamburg Easter Festival, and Chopin Festival Warsaw, in both Americas and in Japan. His Piano Concerto in Istrian Style (Op. 18) was premiered at the Aspen Music Festival in 2014 and has since been performed throughout Europe and in the USA. Other works include various orchestral, chamber, and piano music, cadenzas, as well as several arrangements of works by Mozart, Schubert, R. Strauss, Wagner, and Debussy. Dejan Lazić was born in Zagreb, Croatia, into a family of musicians. He grew up in Salzburg, Austria, where he studied at the Mozarteum (piano, clarinet and composition). His early encounters with Zoltán Kocsis and Imre Rohmann at the Bartók Festival in Hungary were decisive for his artistic career, as was the significant influence of Peter Eötvös. Dejan Lazić lives in Amsterdam. In Master Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven, Dejan shares the insight behind those acclaimed interpretations, guiding you through all three movements of one of the best-loved works in the piano repertoire so you can shape it with genuine understanding rather than imitation. www.dejanlazic.com read more