October "Beethoven Moonlight Sonata" video challenge

[Antonmb]

Depending on how you like your Beethoven, this one could be the winner. Those two need to get a room.

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by Antonmb

Depending on how you like your Beethoven, this one could be the winner. Those two need to get a room.

Agreed... The chemistry and pheromones must have been intense

[SAM992]

Originally Posted by PHC1

The Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op.27, No. 2, popularly known as the Moonlight Sonata

There is a reason why it's so famous, and that's because it sounds like a profound meditation of the soul. It captures listener's imaginations like few other pieces of music! The legend is that Beethoven was first inspired to write his moonlight sonata whilst visiting a lake in Hungary.

The name "Moonlight" Sonata derives from an 1832 description of the first movement by music critic Ludwig Rellstab, who compared it to moonlight shining upon Lake Lucerne. The Moonlight Sonata was composed in the summer of 1801 in Hungary, on an estate belonging to the Brunswick family.

The title “Moonlight” sonata makes it sound like this is a rather romantic sonata, and people have speculated that it was meant as a sort of love song to Giulietta Guicciardi, Beethoven’s 17-year old piano student who he dedicated the piece to.


Challenge: Post your favorite youtube video performance of the Moonlight Sonata.

Why video, not an album? Thought we'd try something different and not everyone is still streaming so may not be able to pull up the album that you are suggesting. Besides, a visual can often be even more powerful than just music.

To many the Moonlight Sonata is very familiar, to some it may be a new direction in music!

Let's give it a try as an experiment?

Let's see what we come up with!

Have you found the ideal recording of this piece yet? I can't seem to find the ideal one... my favorite is Wilhelm Kempf, but finding a good hi-fi (digital) versio has eluded me... And when I do find a high resolution version, its by someone who's either playing too fast or too slow for me... I feel Kempf was a bench mark on how it should be played.. as if he's there's a Teutonic connection between him and Beethoven.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6txOvK-mAk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqSulR9Fymg

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by SAM992

Have you found the ideal recording of this piece yet? I can't seem to find the ideal one... my favorite is Wilhelm Kempf, but finding a good hi-fi (digital) versio has eluded me... And when I do find a high resolution version, its by someone who's either playing too fast or too slow for me... I feel Kempf was a bench mark on how it should be played.. as if he's there's a Teutonic connection between him and Beethoven.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6txOvK-mAk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqSulR9Fymg

It is a very subjective topic. The experts have been debating it since it has been written and performed by someone other than Beethoven himself...

But on a serious note, the time that I spent looking into it, it boils down to personal preference of course and what really emotionally grabs and connects with you.

Technically speaking,
I think the biggest difference is in the famous "triplets" and how they are played. The micro seconds of attack and sustain of the keys makes all the difference in the world.

For me, besides Tony's entry of Murray Perahia, it would be:

Stephen Kovacevich
https://youtu.be/EsRg3h99uXQ

Radu Lupu
https://youtu.be/799oXQfHx_c

Emil Gilels
https://youtu.be/UmAfVwYakbs

[SAM992]

Originally Posted by PHC1

It is a very subjective topic. The experts have been debating it since it has been written and performed by someone other than Beethoven himself...

You mean someone wasn't there in the 1830's with a 16 channel mixing board and word clock synced A to D converter recording it in direct DSD and then achieving it for us to hear on Qobuz???

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by SAM992

You mean someone wasn't there in the 1830's with a 16 channel mixing board and word clock synced A to D converter recording it in direct DSD and then achieving it for us to hear on Qobuz???

Perhaps they have in the future but we would not know it now...

[SAM992]

Originally Posted by PHC1

Perhaps they have in the future but we would not know it now...

well, that's a bit of a mind F% to contemplate