The girl won my heart young composer and then brutally smashed it. But it is to Juliet that we owe the fact that we can listen to the music of the best sonata of the brilliant composer, which penetrates so deeply into the soul.
The full title of the sonata is “Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor, op. 27, No. 2." The first movement of the sonata is called “Lunar”; this name was not given by Beethoven himself. German musical critic, poet and friend of Beethoven, Ludwig Relstab compared the first movement of the sonata with “moonlight over Lake Firwaldstätt” after the author’s death. This “nickname” turned out to be so successful that it instantly strengthened throughout the world, and to this day most people believe that “ Moonlight Sonata" - and this is the real name.
The sonata has another name: “Sonata – Gazebo” or “Sonata of a Garden House”. According to one version, Beethoven began writing it in the gazebo of the Brunvikov aristocratic park in Korompa.
The music of the sonata seems simple, laconic, clear, natural, while it is full of sensuality and goes “from heart to heart” (these are the words of Beethoven himself). Love, betrayal, hope, suffering, everything is reflected in “Moonlight Sonata”. But one of the main ideas is a person’s ability to overcome difficulties, the ability to regenerate, this main topic all the music of Ludwig van Beethoven.
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) was born in the German city of Bonn. The childhood years can be called the most difficult in the life of the future composer. It was difficult for the proud and independent boy to cope with the fact that his father, a rude and despotic man, noticing his son’s musical talent, decided to use him for selfish purposes. Forcing little Ludwig to sit at the harpsichord from morning to night, he did not think that his son needed childhood so much. At the age of eight, Beethoven earned his first money - he gave a public concert, and by the age of twelve the boy was fluent in playing the violin and organ. Along with success came isolation, a need for solitude and unsociability for the young musician. At the same time, Nefe, his wise and kind mentor, appeared in the life of the future composer. It was he who instilled in the boy a sense of beauty, taught him to understand nature, art, and understand human life. Nefe taught Ludwig ancient languages, philosophy, literature, history, and ethics. Subsequently, being a deeply and broadly thinking person, Beethoven became an adherent of the principles of freedom, humanism, and equality of all people.
In 1787, young Beethoven left Bonn and went to Vienna.
Beautiful Vienna - a city of theaters and cathedrals, street orchestras and love serenades under the windows - won the heart of the young genius.
But it was there that the young musician was struck by deafness: at first the sounds seemed muffled to him, then he repeated unheard phrases several times, then he realized that he was completely losing his hearing. “I drag out a bitter existence,” Beethoven wrote to his friend. - I'm deaf. With my profession, nothing could be more terrible... Oh, if I could get rid of this disease, I would embrace the whole world.”
But the horror of progressive deafness was replaced by happiness from meeting a young aristocrat, Italian by birth, Giulietta Guicciardi (1784-1856). Juliet, daughter of the rich and noble Count Guicciardi, arrived in Vienna in 1800. She was not even seventeen then, but the young girl’s love of life and charm captivated the thirty-year-old composer, and he immediately admitted to his friends that he had fallen in love ardently and passionately. He was sure that the same tender feelings arose in the heart of the mocking coquette. In a letter to his friend, Beethoven emphasized: “This wonderful girl is so loved by me and loves me that I observe an amazing change in myself precisely because of her.”
Giulietta Guicciardi (1784-1856)
A few months after their first meeting, Beethoven invited Juliet to take some free piano lessons from him. She happily accepted this offer, and in return for such a generous gift, she presented her teacher with several shirts embroidered by her. Beethoven was a strict teacher. When he didn’t like Juliet’s playing, frustrated, he threw the notes on the floor, pointedly turned away from the girl, and she silently collected the notebooks from the floor. Six months later, at the peak of his feelings, Beethoven began creating a new sonata, which after his death would be called “Moonlight”. It is dedicated to Countess Guicciardi and was started in the state great love, delight and hope.
In mental turmoil in October 1802, Beethoven left Vienna and went to Heiligenstadt, where he wrote the famous “Heiligenstadt Testament”: “Oh, you people who think that I am evil, stubborn, ill-mannered, how unfair you are to me; you do not know the secret reason for what seems to you. In my heart and mind, since childhood, I have been predisposed to a tender sense of kindness, I have always been ready to accomplish great things. But just think that for six years now I have been in an unfortunate state... I am completely deaf..."
Fear and the collapse of hopes give rise to thoughts of suicide in the composer. But Beethoven gathered his strength and decided to start new life and in almost absolute deafness he created great masterpieces.
Several years passed, and Juliet returned to Austria and came to Beethoven’s apartment. Crying, she recalled the wonderful time when the composer was her teacher, talked about the poverty and difficulties of her family, asked to forgive her and help with money. Being a kind and noble man, the maestro gave her a significant amount, but asked her to leave and never appear in his house. Beethoven seemed indifferent and indifferent. But who knows what was going on in his heart, tormented by numerous disappointments. At the end of his life, the composer will write: “I was very loved by her and more than ever, I was her husband...”
Brunswick sisters Teresa (2) and Josephine (3)
Trying to erase his beloved from his memory forever, the composer dated other women. One day, seeing the beautiful Josephine Brunswick, he immediately confessed his love to her, but in response he received only a polite but unequivocal refusal. Then, in desperation, Beethoven proposed to Josephine's older sister, Teresa. But she did the same, coming up with a beautiful fairy tale about the impossibility of meeting the composer.
The genius more than once recalled how women humiliated him. One day, a young singer from a Viennese theater, when asked to meet with her, responded mockingly that “the composer is so ugly in his appearance, and besides, it seems too strange to her” that she does not intend to meet with him. Ludwig van Beethoven really did not take care of his appearance and often remained unkempt. He could hardly be called independent in everyday life; he required constant care from a woman. When Giulietta Guicciardi, still a student of the maestro, and noticing that Beethoven’s silk bow was not tied properly, tied it up, kissing his forehead, the composer did not take off this bow and did not change his clothes for several weeks, until friends hinted at his not quite fresh appearance suit.
Too sincere and open, disdainful of hypocrisy and servility, Beethoven often seemed rude and ill-mannered. He often expressed himself obscenely, which is why many considered him a plebeian and an ignorant boor, although the composer was simply telling the truth.
In the autumn of 1826, Beethoven fell ill. Grueling treatment and three complex operations could not get the composer back on his feet. All winter, without getting out of bed, completely deaf, he suffered from the fact that... he could not continue to work.
Last years The composer's life is even more difficult than his first. He is completely deaf, he is haunted by loneliness, illness, and poverty. Family life did not work out. He gives all his unspent love to his nephew, who could have replaced his son, but grew up to be a deceitful, two-faced slacker and spendthrift, who shortened Beethoven’s life.
The composer died from a serious, painful illness on March 26, 1827.
Beethoven's grave in Vienna
After his death, a letter “To the immortal beloved” was found in a desk drawer (This is how Beethoven himself titled the letter (A.R. Sardaryan): “My angel, my everything, my self... Why is there deep sadness where necessity reigns? Is it ours? love can only endure at the cost of sacrifice by refusing completeness; can’t you change the situation in which you are not entirely mine and I am not entirely yours? What a life without you, so far away! to you - to you, my life, my everything...”
Many will then argue about who exactly the message is addressed to. But a small fact points specifically to Juliet Guicciardi: next to the letter was kept a tiny portrait of Beethoven’s beloved, made by an unknown master
The heroic-dramatic line does not exhaust all the versatility of Beethoven's quest in the field of the piano sonata. The content of "Lunar" is connected with something else, lyric-dramatic type.
This work became one of the composer's most stunning spiritual revelations. At the tragic time of the collapse of love and the irreversible decline of hearing, he spoke here about himself.
The Moonlight Sonata is one of the works in which Beethoven sought new ways to develop the sonata cycle. He called her sonata-fantasy, thereby emphasizing the freedom of composition, which deviates far from the traditional scheme. The first movement is slow: the composer abandoned the usual sonata style in it. This is an Adagio, completely devoid of the figurative and thematic contrasts typical of Beethoven, and this is very far from the first part of the “Pathetique”. This is followed by a small Allegretto of a minuet nature. The sonata form, saturated with extreme drama, is “reserved” for the finale, and it is this that becomes the culmination of the entire composition.
The three parts of “Lunar” are three stages in the process of developing one idea:
- Part I (Adagio) - mournful awareness of life's tragedy;
- Part II (Allegretto) - pure joy that suddenly flashed before the mind's eye;
- Part III (Presto) - psychological reaction: mental storm, outburst of violent protest.
That immediate, pure, trusting thing that Allegretto brings with it instantly ignites Beethoven’s hero. Having woken up from his sorrowful thoughts, he is ready to act and fight. The last movement of the sonata turns out to be the center of drama. This is where everything is directed imaginative development, and even in Beethoven it is difficult to name another sonata cycle with a similar emotional buildup towards the end.
The rebellion of the finale, its extreme emotional intensity turns out to be the other side of the silent grief of Adagio. What is concentrated within itself in the Adagio breaks outward in the finale, this is the release of the internal tension of the first part (a manifestation of the principle of derivative contrast at the level of the relationship between the parts of the cycle).
1 part
IN Adagio Beethoven's favorite principle of dialogical oppositions gave way to lyrical monologue - the one-theme principle of solo melody. This speech melody, which “sings while crying” (Asafiev), is perceived as a tragic confession. Not a single pathetic exclamation disturbs inner concentration, grief is strict and silent. In the philosophical fullness of the Adagio, in the very silence of grief, there is much in common with the drama of Bach’s minor preludes. Like Bach, the music is full of internal, psychological movement: the size of phrases is constantly changing, tonal-harmonic development is extremely active (with frequent modulations, intruding cadences, contrasts of the same modes E - e, h - H). Interval relationships sometimes become emphatically acute (m.9, b.7). The ostinato pulsation of the triplet accompaniment also originates from Bach’s free prelude forms, at times coming to the fore (the transition to the reprise). Another textured layer of Adagio is the bass, almost passacal, with a measured descending step.
There is something mournful in Adagio - the dotted rhythm, asserted with particular insistence in the conclusion, is perceived as the rhythm of a funeral procession. Form Adagio 3x-particular of developmental type.
part 2
Part II (Allegretto) is included in the “Lunar” cycle, like a bright interlude between two acts of the drama, highlighting their tragedy by contrast. It is designed in lively, serene colors, reminiscent of a graceful minuet with a perky dance tune. The complex 3x-partial form with trio and reprise da capo is also typical for the minuet. In terms of imagery, Allegretto is monolithic: the trio does not introduce contrast. Throughout the Allegretto, Des-dur is preserved, enharmonically equal to Cis-dur, the same name of the Adagio key.
The final
The extremely tense finale is the central part of the sonata, the dramatic culmination of the cycle. The principle of derivative contrast manifested itself in the relationship between the extreme parts:
- despite their tonal unity, the color of the music is sharply different. The mutedness, transparency, and “delicacy” of Adagio are opposed by the frantic sound avalanche of Presto, full of sharp accents, pathetic exclamations, and emotional explosions. At the same time, the extreme emotional intensity of the finale is perceived as the tension of the first part breaking through in all its power;
- the extreme parts are combined with an arpeggiated texture. However, in Adagio she expressed contemplation and concentration, and in Presto she contributes to the embodiment of mental shock;
- original thematic core main party The finale is based on the same sounds as the melodious, undulating beginning of part 1.
The sonata form of the finale of “Lunarium” is interesting due to the unusual relationship of the main themes: the leading role from the very beginning is played by a secondary theme, while the main one is perceived as an improvisational introduction of a toccata nature. It is an image of confusion and protest, given in a rushing stream of rising waves of arpeggios, each of which ends abruptly with two accented chords. This type of movement comes from prelude improvisational forms. The enrichment of sonata drama with improvisation is observed in the future - in the free cadences of the reprise and especially the coda.
The melody of the side theme sounds not as a contrast, but as a natural continuation of the main part: the confusion and protest of one theme results in a passionate, extremely excited statement of another. The secondary theme, compared to the main one, is more individualized. It is based on pathetic, verbally expressive intonations. Accompanied by a secondary theme, the continuous toccata movement of the main part is maintained. The secondary key is gis-moll. This tonality is further consolidated in the final theme, in the offensive energy of which the heroic pulse is palpable. Thus, the tragic appearance of the finale is revealed already in its tonal plane (the exclusive dominance of the minor).
The predominant role of the side is also emphasized in the development, which is almost exclusively based on a single topic. It has 3 sections:
- introductory: this is a short, only six bars of the main theme.
- central: development of a secondary theme, which takes place in different keys and registers, mainly in low.
- big pre-reprise precursor.
The role of the climax of the entire sonata is played by code, its scale exceeding development. In the code, similar to the beginning of development, the image of the main part fleetingly appears, the development of which leads to a double “explosion” on a diminished seventh chord. And again a side topic follows. Such a persistent return to one topic is perceived as an obsession with one idea, as an inability to distance oneself from overwhelming feelings.
The story of the creation of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata is closely connected with his biography, as well as with hearing loss. While writing my famous work experienced serious health problems, although he was at the top of his popularity. He was a welcome guest in aristocratic salons, worked a lot and was considered a fashionable musician. He already had many works to his credit, including sonatas. However, it is the essay in question that is considered one of the most successful in his work.
Meet Giulietta Guicciardi
The history of the creation of Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” is directly related to this woman, since it was to her that he dedicated his new creation. She was a countess and at the time she met famous composer was at a very young age.
Together with her cousins, the girl began to take lessons from him and captivated her teacher with her cheerfulness, good nature and sociability. Beethoven fell in love with her and dreamed of marrying the young beauty. This new feeling caused a creative surge in him, and he enthusiastically began working on the work, which has now acquired cult status.
Gap
The history of the creation of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, in fact, repeats all the vicissitudes of this personal drama of the composer. Juliet loved her teacher, and at first it seemed that things were heading towards marriage. However, the young coquette subsequently chose a prominent count over the poor musician, whom she eventually married. This was a heavy blow for the composer, which was reflected in the second part of the work in question. It conveys pain, anger and despair, which contrasts sharply with the serene sound of the first movement. The author's depression was also aggravated by hearing loss.
Disease
The history of the creation of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata is as dramatic as the fate of its author. He experienced serious problems due to inflammation of the auditory nerve, which led to almost complete hearing loss. He was forced to stand close to the stage in order to hear the sounds. This could not but affect his work.
Beethoven was famous for his ability to accurately select the right notes, choosing the necessary musical shades and tonality from the rich palette of the orchestra. Now it was becoming more and more difficult for him to work every day. The composer's gloomy mood was also reflected in the work under consideration, in the second part of which there is a motif of a rebellious impulse that seems to find no outlet. Undoubtedly, this theme is connected with the torment that the composer experienced when writing the melody.
Name
The history of the creation of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata is of great importance for understanding the composer's work. Briefly about this event, we can say the following: it testifies to the impressionability of the composer, as well as how close he took this personal tragedy to his heart. Therefore, the second part of the essay is written in an angry tone, which is why many believe that the title does not correspond to the content.
However, it reminded the composer’s friend, poet and music critic Ludwig Relstab, of the image of a night lake at moonlight. The second version of the origin of the name is due to the fact that at the time in question there was a prevailing fashion for everything that was in one way or another connected with the moon, so contemporaries willingly accepted this beautiful epithet.
Further fate
The history of the creation of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata should be briefly considered in the context of the composer's biography, since unrequited love had an impact on his entire subsequent life. After breaking up with Juliet, he left Vienna and moved to the city, where he wrote his famous will. In it he poured out those bitter feelings that were reflected in his work. The composer wrote that, despite his apparent gloom and gloom, he was predisposed to kindness and tenderness. He also complained about his deafness.
The history of the creation of Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” 14 helps in many ways to understand further events in his destiny. Out of despair, he almost decided to commit suicide, but in the end he pulled himself together and, being almost completely deaf, wrote his most famous works. A few years later, the lovers met again. It is significant that Juliet was the first to come to the composer.
She recalled her happy youth, complained about poverty and asked for money. Beethoven lent her a significant amount, but asked her not to meet with him again. In 1826, the maestro became seriously ill and suffered for several months, but not so much from physical pain as from the consciousness that he could not work. He died the following year, and after his death a tender letter was found dedicated to Juliet, proving that great musician retained a feeling of love for the woman who inspired him to create his most famous composition. So, one of the most prominent representatives was Ludwig Van Beethoven. "Moonlight Sonata", the history of which was briefly revealed in this essay, is still performed on best scenes Worldwide.
Today we will get acquainted with piano sonata No. 14, better known as “Moonlight” or “Sonata moonlight».
- Page 1:
- Introduction. The phenomenon of popularity of this work
- Why was the sonata called “Moonlight” (the myth of Beethoven and the “blind girl”, the real story behind the name)
- General characteristics of the “Moonlight Sonata” (brief description of the work with the opportunity to listen to the performance on video)
- A brief description of each part of the sonata - we comment on the features of all three parts of the work.
Introduction
I welcome everyone who is interested in Beethoven's work! My name is Yuri Vanyan, and I am the editor of the site you are on now. For more than a year now, I have been publishing detailed and sometimes short introductory articles about a variety of works by the great composer.
However, to my shame, the frequency of publication of new articles on our website has dropped significantly due to my personal employment in Lately, which I promise to fix in the near future (I will probably have to involve other authors). But I am even more ashamed that so far this resource has not published a single article about the “calling card” of Beethoven’s work - the famous “Moonlight Sonata”. In today's episode I will finally try to fill this significant gap.
The phenomenon of popularity of this work
I called the work for a reason « business card» composer, because for most people, especially for those who are far from classical music, it is with the “Moonlight Sonata” that the name of one of the most influential composers of all times is primarily associated.
The popularity of this piano sonata has reached incredible heights! Even right now, typing this text, I just asked myself for a second: “What works of Beethoven could eclipse Lunar in terms of popularity?” - And you know what’s the funniest thing? I cannot now, in real time, remember at least one such work!
Look for yourself - in April 2018, in the search bar of the Yandex network alone, the phrase “Beethoven Moonlight Sonata” was mentioned in a variety of declensions more than 35 thousand once. So that you can roughly understand how big number, below I will present monthly statistics of requests, but for other famous works of the composer (requests were compared in the format “Beethoven + Title of the work”):
- Sonata No. 17— 2,392 requests
- Pathetic Sonata— almost 6000 requests
- Appassionata— 1500 requests...
- Symphony No. 5— about 25,000 requests
- Symphony No. 9— less than 7000 requests
- Heroic Symphony— just over 3000 requests per month
As you can see, the popularity of “Lunar” significantly exceeds the popularity of other, no less outstanding works of Beethoven. Only the famous “Fifth Symphony” came closest to the mark of 35 thousand requests per month. It is worth noting that the popularity of the sonata was already at its height. during the composer's lifetime, which Beethoven himself even complained about to his student, Karl Czerny.
After all, according to Beethoven, among his creations were much more outstanding works, which I personally absolutely agree with. In particular, it remains a mystery to me why, for example, the same “Ninth Symphony” is much less popular on the Internet than the “Moonlight Sonata”.
I wonder what data we will get if we compare the above-mentioned frequency of requests with the most famous works others great composers? Let's check it out now that we've already started:
- Symphony No. 40 (Mozart)- 30,688 requests,
- Requiem (Mozart)- 30,253 requests,
- Hallelujah (Handel)— just over 1000 requests,
- Concerto No. 2 (Rachmaninov)- 11,991 requests,
- Concert No. 1 (Tchaikovsky) - 6 930,
- Chopin's Nocturnes(sum of all combined) - 13,383 requests...
As you can see, in the Russian-speaking audience of Yandex, finding a competitor to “Moonlight Sonata” is very difficult, if at all possible. I think the situation abroad is not much different either!
We can talk endlessly about the popularity of “Lunarium”. Therefore, I promise that this issue will not be the only one, and from time to time we will update the site with new interesting details related to this wonderful work.
Today I will try to tell as succinctly as possible (if possible) what I know about the history of the creation of this work, I will try to dispel some myths associated with the origin of its name, and I will also share recommendations for beginning pianists who want to perform this sonata.
The history of the creation of the Moonlight Sonata. Juliet Guicciardi
In one of the articles I mentioned a letter from November 16, 1801 year, which Beethoven sent to his old friend - Wegeler(more about this episode of the biography:).
In that same letter, the composer complained to Wegeler about dubious and unpleasant treatment methods prescribed to him by his attending physician to prevent hearing loss (let me remind you that Beethoven was not completely deaf by that time, but had long since discovered that he was losing his hearing, and Wegeler, in his In turn, he was a professional doctor and, moreover, one of the first people to whom the young composer confessed to the development of deafness).
Further, in the same letter, Beethoven talks about "to the sweet and charming girl whom he loves and who loves him" . But Beethoven immediately makes it clear that this girl is higher than him in social status, which means he needs "actively act" so that there is an opportunity to marry her.
Under the word "act" I understand, first of all, Beethoven’s desire to overcome developing deafness as quickly as possible and, consequently, to significantly improve his financial situation through more intensive creativity and touring. Thus, it seems to me, the composer was trying to achieve marriage with a girl from an aristocratic family.
After all, even despite the young composer’s lack of any title, fame and money could equalize his chances of marrying the young countess in comparison with some potential competitor from a noble family (at least that’s how, in my opinion, he reasoned young composer).
Who is Moonlight Sonata dedicated to?
The girl discussed above was a young countess, by name - the piano sonata “Opus 27, No. 2”, which we now know as “Moonlight”, was dedicated to her.
I'll tell you in a nutshell biographies this girl, although very little is known about her. So, Countess Giulietta Guicciardi was born on November 23, 1782 (and not 1784, as is often mistakenly written) in the town Premysl(at that time he was part of Kingdoms of Galicia and Lodomeria, and is now located in Poland) in the family of an Italian count Francesco Giuseppe Guicciardi And Suzanne Guicciardi.
I do not know about the biographical details of this girl’s childhood and early youth, but it is known that in 1800 Juliet and her family moved from Trieste, Italy, to Vienna. At that time, Beethoven was in close contact with the young Hungarian count Franz Brunswik and his sisters - Teresa, Josephine And Carolina(Charlotte).
Beethoven loved this family very much, because, despite the high social status and a decent financial condition, the young count and his sisters were not too “spoiled” by the luxury of aristocratic life, but, on the contrary, communicated with the young and far from rich composer on an absolutely equal basis, bypassing any psychological difference in class. And, of course, they all admired the talent of Beethoven, who by that time had already established himself not only as one of the best pianists in Europe, but also quite famous as a composer.
Moreover, Franz Brunswik and his sisters were themselves fond of music. The young count played the cello well, and Beethoven himself taught piano lessons to his older sisters, Teresa and Josephine, and, as far as I know, he did it for free. At the same time, the girls were quite talented pianists - the older sister, Teresa, was especially successful in this. Well, in a few years the composer will start an affair with Josephine, but that’s another story.
We will talk about members of the Brunswick family in separate issues. I mention them here only for the reason that it was through the Brunswik family that the young Countess Giulietta Guicciardi met Beethoven, since Juliet's mother, Susanna Guicciardi (maiden name Brunsvik), was the aunt of Franz and his siblings. Well, Juliet, therefore, was their cousin.
In general, upon arriving in Vienna, the charming Juliet quickly joined this company. The close connection of her relatives with Beethoven, their sincere friendship and unconditional recognition of the talent of the young composer in this family one way or another contributed to Juliet’s acquaintance with Ludwig.
However, unfortunately, I cannot give the exact date of this acquaintance. Western sources usually write that the composer met the young countess at the end of 1801, but, in my opinion, this is not entirely true. At least, I know for sure that in the late spring of 1800, Ludwig spent time on the Brunswick estate. The point is that Juliet was also in this place at that time, and, therefore, by that time the young people should have, if not been friends, then at least met. Moreover, already in June the girl moved to Vienna, and, given her close connection with Beethoven’s friends, I very much doubt that the young people really did not meet until 1801.
Other events date back to the end of 1801 - most likely, it was at this time that Juliet takes his first piano lessons from Beethoven, for which, as is known, the teacher did not take money. Beethoven took any attempts to pay for music lessons as a personal insult. It is known that one day Juliet's mother, Suzanne Guicciardi, sent Ludwig shirts as a gift. Beethoven, taking this gift as payment for his daughter’s education (perhaps this was so), wrote a rather emotional letter to his “potential mother-in-law” (January 23, 1802), in which he expressed his indignation and resentment, and made it clear that he was engaged with Juliet not at all for the sake of material reward, and also asked the countess not to do such things again, otherwise he "won't appear in their house again" .
As various biographers note, Beethoven’s new student wouldStro attracts him with her beauty, charm and talent (let me remind you that beautiful and talented pianists were one of Beethoven’s most pronounced weaknesses). At the same time, withit is read that this sympathy was mutual, and later turned into a fairly strong romance. It is worth noting that Juliet was much younger than Beethoven - at the time of sending the above-mentioned letter to Wegeler (let me remind you, it was November 16, 1801) she was only seventeen years old. However, apparently, the girl was not particularly worried about the age difference (Beethoven was 30 at the time).
Has Juliet and Ludwig's relationship progressed to a marriage proposal? - Most biographers believe that this really happened, citing mainly the famous Beethoven scholar - Alexandra Wheelock Thayer. I quote the latter (the translation is not exact, but approximate):
A careful analysis and comparison of both published data and personal habits and hints received during several years of stay in Vienna leads to the opinion that Beethoven nevertheless decided to propose marriage to Countess Julia, and that she did not object, and that one parent agreed to this marriage, but the other parent, probably the father, expressed his refusal.
(A.W. Thayer, Part 1, page 292)
In the quote I marked the word in red opinion, since Thayer himself emphasized this and emphasized in parentheses that this note is not a fact based on competent evidence, but his personal conclusion obtained through the analysis of a variety of data. But the fact is that it was precisely this opinion (which I am in no way trying to dispute) of such an authoritative Beethoven scholar as Thayer, which became the most popular in the works of other biographers.
Thayer further emphasized that the refusal of the second parent (father) was primarily due to Beethoven's lack of any rank (probably means “title”), status, permanent position and so on. In principle, if Thayer's assumption is correct, then Juliet's father can be understood! After all, the Guicciardi family, despite the count's title, was far from rich, and the pragmatism of Juliet's father did not allow him to give his beautiful daughter into the hands of a poor musician, whose constant income at that time was only a patronage allowance of 600 florins a year (and that, thanks to Prince Likhnovsky).
One way or another, even if Thayer’s assumption was inaccurate (which I doubt, however), and the matter did not come to a marriage proposal, then the romance of Ludwig and Juliet was still not destined to move to another level.
If in the summer of 1801 young people had a great time in Krompachy * , and in the fall Beethoven sends that same letter, where he tells his old friend about his feelings and shares his dream of marriage, then already in 1802 romantic relationship The relationship between the composer and the young countess is noticeably fading (and, first of all, on the part of the girl, because the composer was still in love with her). * Krompachy is a small town in what is now Slovakia, and at that time it was part of Hungary. The Brunswicks' Hungarian estate was located there, including the gazebo where Beethoven is believed to have worked on the Moonlight Sonata.
The turning point in these relations was the appearance of a third person in them - the young count Wenzel Robert Gallenberg (December 28, 1783 - March 13, 1839), an Austrian amateur composer who, despite the lack of any impressive fortune, was able to attract the attention of the young and frivolous Juliet and, thereby, became a competitor to Beethoven, gradually pushing him into the background.
Beethoven will never forgive Juliet for this betrayal. The girl he was crazy about, and for whom he lived, not only preferred another man to him, but also preferred Gallenberg as a composer.
For Beethoven this was a double blow, because Gallenberg's talent as a composer was so mediocre that it was openly reported in the Viennese press. And even studying with such a wonderful teacher as Albrechtsberger (whom, let me remind you, Beethoven himself had previously studied with), did not contribute to the development of Gallenberg’s musical thinkingniya, as evidenced by the obvious theft (plagiarism) by the young count musical techniques from more famous composers.
As a result, around this time the publishing house Giovanni Cappi, finally publishes the sonata “Opus 27, No. 2” with a dedication to Giulietta Guicciardi.
It is important to note that Beethoven composed this work completely not for Juliet. Previously, the composer had to dedicate a completely different work to this girl (Rondo “G Major”, Opus 51 No. 2), a work much brighter and more cheerful. However, for technical reasons (completely unrelated to the relationship between Juliet and Ludwig), that work had to be dedicated to Princess Likhnovskaya.
Well, now, when “Juliet’s turn has come” again, this time Beethoven dedicates to the girl not a cheerful work at all (in memory of the happy summer of 1801, spent together in Hungary), but that same “C-sharp-minor” sonata, the first part of which has a clearly expressed mourning character(yes, exactly “mourning”, but not “romantic”, as many people think - we will talk about this in more detail on the second page).
In conclusion, it should be noted that the relationship between Juliet and Count Gallenberg reached the point of legal marriage, which took place on November 3, 1803, and in the spring of 1806 the couple moved to Italy (more precisely, to Naples), where Gallenberg continued to compose his music and even what - for the time being he staged ballets in the theater at the court of Joseph Bonaparte (the elder brother of that same Napoleon, at that time he was the king of Naples, and later became the king of Spain).
In 1821, the famous opera impresario Domenico Barbaia, who directed the above-mentioned theater, became the manager of the famous Viennese theater with an unpronounceable name "Kerntnertor"(it was there that the final edition of Beethoven’s opera Fidelio was staged, and the premiere of the Ninth Symphony took place) and, apparently, “dragged along” Gallenberg, who got a job in the administration of this theater and became responsible for the music archives, Well, from January 1829 (that is, after Beethoven’s death), he himself rented the Kärntnertor Theater. However, by May of the following year the contract was terminated due to Gallenberg's financial difficulties.
There is evidence that Juliet, who moved to Vienna with her husband, who had serious financial problems, dared to ask Beethoven for financial help. The latter, surprisingly, helped her with a considerable sum of 500 florins, although he himself was forced to borrow this money from another rich man (I can’t say who exactly it was). Beethoven himself let slip about this in a dialogue with Anton Schindler. Beethoven also noted that Juliet asked him for reconciliation, but he did not forgive her.
Why was the sonata called “Moonlight”
As the name was popularized and finally consolidated in German society "Moonlight Sonata" people came up with various myths and romantic stories about the origin of both this name and the work itself.
Unfortunately, even in our smart age of the Internet, these myths can sometimes be interpreted as real sources answering the questions of certain network users.
Due to the technical and regulatory features of using the network, we cannot filter “incorrect” information from the Internet that misleads readers (probably this is for the best, since freedom of opinion is an important part of modern democratic society) and find only “reliable information”. Therefore, we will just try to add to the Internet a little of that very “reliable” information, which, I hope, will help at least a few readers to separate myths from real facts.
The most popular myth on the history of the origin of the “Moonlight Sonata” (both the work and its title) is the good old anecdote according to which Beethoven allegedly composed this sonata, being impressed after playing for a blind girl in a room illuminated by moonlight.
I will not copy the full text of the story - you can find it on the Internet. I am only concerned about one thing, namely the fear that many people can (and do) perceive this anecdote as real story the emergence of a sonata!
After all, this seemingly harmless fictional story, popular in the 19th century, never bothered me until I began to notice it on various Internet resources, posted as an illustration supposedly true history origin of "Moonlight Sonata". I have also heard rumors that this story is being used in a "collection of expositions" in school curriculum in the Russian language - which means, given that such a beautiful legend can easily be imprinted in the minds of children who can take this myth as truth, we simply have to add a little authenticity and note that this story is fictional.
Let me clarify: I have nothing against this story, which, in my opinion, is very nice. However, if in the 19th century this anecdote was the subject of only folklore and artistic references (for example, the picture below shows the very first version of this myth, where her brother, a shoemaker, was in the room with the composer and the blind girl), now many people consider it a real biographical fact, and I cannot allow this.So I just want to point out that famous story about Beethoven and the blind girl is, although cute, but still fictional.
To verify this, it is enough to study any manual on the biography of Beethoven and make sure that the composer composed this sonata at the age of thirty, while in Hungary (probably partly in Vienna), and in the above-mentioned anecdote the action takes place in Bonn, a city that the composer finally left at the age of 21, when there was no talk of any “Moonlight Sonata” (at that time Beethoven had not yet written even the “first” piano sonata, let alone the “fourteenth”).
How did Beethoven feel about the title?
Another myth associated with the name of the piano Sonata No. 14 is the positive or negative attitude of Beethoven himself towards the name “Moonlight Sonata”.
I’ll explain what I’m talking about: several times, while studying Western forums, I came across discussions where one user asked a question like the following: “How did the composer feel about the title “Moonlight Sonata.” At the same time, other participants who answered this question, as a rule, , were divided into two camps.
- The participants of the “first” answered that Beethoven did not like this title, in contrast, for example, to the same “Pathetique” sonata.
- Participants in the “second camp” argued that Beethoven could not have related to the name “Moonlight Sonata” or, moreover, “Moonlight Sonata”, since these names originated a few years after death composer - in 1832 year (the composer died in 1827). At the same time, they noted that this work, indeed, was quite popular during Beethoven’s lifetime (the composer didn’t even like it), but they were talking about the work itself, and not about its title, which could not have existed during the composer’s lifetime.
I would like to note on my own that the participants in the “second camp” are closest to the truth, but there is also an important nuance here, which I will talk about in the next paragraph.
Who came up with the name?
The “nuance” mentioned above is the fact that in fact the first connection between the movement of the “first movement” of the sonata and moonlight was still made during Beethoven’s lifetime, namely in 1823, and not in 1832, as is usually said.
It's about the work "Theodore: a musical study", where at one point the author of this short story compares the first movement (adagio) of the sonata with the following picture:
By “lake” in the screenshot above we mean lake Lucerne(aka “Firvaldstetskoye”, located in Switzerland), but I borrowed the quote itself from Larisa Kirillina (first volume, page 231), who, in turn, refers to Grundman (pages 53-54).
The description of the Relshtab cited above certainly gave first prerequisites to the popularization of associations of the first movement of the sonata with lunar landscapes. However, in fairness, it should be noted that these associations did not initially produce a significant take-up in society, and, as noted above, During Beethoven’s lifetime this sonata was still not spoken of as “Moonlight”.
Most rapidly, this connection between “adagio” and moonlight began to take hold in society as early as 1852, when the words of Relshtab were suddenly remembered by the famous music critic Wilhelm von Lenz(who referred to the same associations with “lunar landscapes on the lake”, but, apparently, mistakenly gave the date not 1823, but 1832), after which in musical society went new wave propaganda of Relshtab associations and, as a consequence, the gradual formation of the now famous name.
Already in 1860, Lenz himself used the term “Moonlight Sonata”, after which this name was finally fixed and used both in the press and in folklore, and, as a result, in society.
Brief description of “Moonlight Sonata”
And now, knowing the history of the creation of the work and the origin of its name, you can finally familiarize yourself with it briefly. I warn you right away: carry out a volumetric musical analysis we won’t, because I still won’t be able to do it better than professional musicologists, whose detailed analyzes of this work you can find on the Internet (Goldenweiser, Kremlev, Kirillina, Bobrovsky and others).
I will only give you the opportunity to listen to this sonata performed by professional pianists, and along the way I will also give my brief comments and advice for beginning pianists who want to perform this sonata. I should note that I am not a professional pianist, but I think that I can give a couple of useful tips for beginners.
So, as noted earlier, this sonata was published under the catalog title "Opus 27, No. 2", and among the thirty-two piano sonatas it is the “fourteenth”. Let me remind you that the “thirteenth” piano sonata (Opus 27, No. 1) was also published under the same opus.
Both of these sonatas share a freer form compared to most other classical sonatas, as the composer’s author’s note openly indicates to us. "Sonata in the manner of fantasy" on the title pages of both sonatas.
Sonata No. 14 consists of three movements:
- Slow part "Adagio sostenuto" in C sharp minor
- Calm "Allegretto" minuet character
- Stormy and swift « "Presto agitato"
Oddly enough, in my opinion, sonata No. 13 deviates much more from the classical sonata form than “Moonlight”. Moreover, even the twelfth sonata (opus 26), where the first movement uses theme and variations, I consider much more revolutionary in terms of form, although this work did not receive the mark “in the manner of fantasy.”
For clarification, let's remember what we talked about in the episode about "". I quote:
“The formula for the structure of Beethoven’s first four-movement sonatas was, as a rule, based on the following template:
- Part 1 - Quick “Allegro”;
- Part 2 - Slow Motion;
- Movement 3 - Minuet or Scherzo;
- Part 4 - The ending is usually quick."
Now imagine what will happen if we cut off the first part of this template and start, as it were, right away with the second. In this case, we will end up with the following three-part sonata template:
- Part 1 - Slow Motion;
- Movement 2 - Minuet or Scherzo;
- Part 3 - The ending is usually quick.
Doesn't remind you of anything? As you can see, the form of the Moonlight Sonata is actually not that revolutionary and is in fact very similar to the form of Beethoven's very first sonatas.
It just feels as if Beethoven, while composing this work, simply decided: “Why don’t I start the sonata right away with the second movement?” and turned this idea into reality - it looks exactly like this (at least in my opinion).
Listen to recordings
Now, finally, I suggest you take a closer look at the work. To begin with, I recommend listening to “audio recordings” of the performance of Sonata No. 14 by professional pianists.
Part 1(performed by Evgeny Kisin):
Part 2(performed by Wilhelm Kempff):
Part 3(performed by Yenyo Yando):
The history of the creation of L. Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata"Important!
On next page we will look at each part of the “Moonlight Sonata”, where I will give my comments along the way.
At the very end of the 18th century, Ludwig van Beethoven was in the prime of his life, he was incredibly popular, led an active social life, and he could rightfully be called the idol of the youth of that time. But one circumstance began to darken the composer’s life - his gradually fading hearing. “I drag out a bitter existence,” Beethoven wrote to his friend. “I am deaf. With my profession, nothing could be more terrible... Oh, if I could get rid of this disease, I would embrace the whole world.”
In 1800, Beethoven met the Guicciardi aristocrats who came from Italy to Vienna. The daughter of a respectable family, sixteen-year-old Juliet, had good musical abilities and wished to take piano lessons from the idol of the Viennese aristocracy. Beethoven does not charge the young countess, and she, in turn, gives him a dozen shirts that she sewed herself.
Beethoven was a strict teacher. When he didn’t like Juliet’s playing, frustrated, he threw the notes on the floor, pointedly turned away from the girl, and she silently collected the notebooks from the floor.
Juliet was pretty, young, sociable and flirtatious with her 30-year-old teacher. And Beethoven succumbed to her charm. “Now I am in society more often, and therefore my life has become more fun,” he wrote to Franz Wegeler in November 1800. - This change was made in me by my dear, charming girl who loves me and whom I love. I have bright moments again, and I come to the conviction that marriage can make a person happy.” Beethoven thought about marriage despite the fact that the girl belonged to an aristocratic family. But the composer in love consoled himself with the thought that he would give concerts, achieve independence, and then marriage would become possible.
He spent the summer of 1801 in Hungary on the estate of the Hungarian counts of Brunswick, relatives of Juliet's mother, in Korompa. The summer spent with his beloved was the happiest time for Beethoven.
At the peak of his feelings, the composer began to create a new sonata. The gazebo where, according to legend, Beethoven composed magical music, has survived to this day. In the homeland of the work, in Austria, it is known as “Garden House Sonata” or “Gazebo Sonata”.
The sonata began in a state of great love, delight and hope. Beethoven was sure that Juliet had the most tender feelings for him. Many years later, in 1823, Beethoven, then already deaf and communicating with the help of speaking notebooks, talking with Schindler, wrote: “I was very loved by her and more than ever, I was her husband...”
In the winter of 1801 - 1802, Beethoven completed the composition of a new work. And in March 1802, Sonata No. 14, which the composer called quasi una Fantasia, that is, “in the spirit of fantasy,” was published in Bonn with the dedication “Alla Damigella Contessa Giullietta Guicciardri” (“Dedicated to Countess Giulietta Guicciardi”).
The composer finished his masterpiece in anger, rage and extreme resentment: from the first months of 1802, the flighty coquette showed a clear preference for the eighteen-year-old Count Robert von Gallenberg, who was also fond of music and composed very mediocre musical opuses. However, to Juliet, Gallenberg seemed like a genius.
The composer conveys the entire storm of human emotions that was in Beethoven’s soul at that time in his sonata. This is grief, doubt, jealousy, doom, passion, hope, longing, tenderness and, of course, love.
Beethoven and Juliet separated. And even later, the composer received a letter. It was ending cruel words: “I am leaving a genius who has already won, to a genius who is still struggling for recognition. I want to be his guardian angel." It was a “double blow” - as a man and as a musician. In 1803, Giulietta Guicciardi married Gallenberg and left for Italy.
In mental turmoil in October 1802, Beethoven left Vienna and went to Heiligenstadt, where he wrote the famous “Heiligenstadt Testament” (October 6, 1802): “Oh, you people who think that I am evil, stubborn, ill-mannered, how do you they are unfair to me; you do not know the secret reason for what seems to you. In my heart and mind, since childhood, I have been predisposed to a tender sense of kindness, I have always been ready to accomplish great things. But just think that for six years now I have been in an unfortunate state... I am completely deaf..."
Fear and the collapse of hopes give rise to thoughts of suicide in the composer. But Beethoven pulled himself together, decided to start a new life, and in almost absolute deafness created great masterpieces.
In 1821, Juliet returned to Austria and came to Beethoven’s apartment. Crying, she recalled the wonderful time when the composer was her teacher, talked about the poverty and difficulties of her family, asked to forgive her and help with money. Being a kind and noble man, the maestro gave her a significant amount, but asked her to leave and never appear in his house. Beethoven seemed indifferent and indifferent. But who knows what was going on in his heart, tormented by numerous disappointments.
“I despised her,” Beethoven recalled much later. “After all, if I wanted to give my life to this love, what would be left for the noble, for the highest?”
In the autumn of 1826, Beethoven fell ill. Grueling treatment and three complex operations could not get the composer back on his feet. All winter, without getting out of bed, completely deaf, he suffered because... he could not continue to work. On March 26, 1827, the great musical genius Ludwig van Beethoven died.
After his death, a letter “To the Immortal Beloved” was found in a secret wardrobe drawer (as Beethoven himself titled the letter): “My angel, my everything, my self... Why is there deep sadness where necessity reigns? Can our love survive only at the cost of sacrifice by refusing completeness? Can't you change the situation in which you are not entirely mine and I am not entirely yours? What a life! Without you! So close! So far! What longing and tears for you - you - you, my life, my everything...” Many will then argue about who exactly the message is addressed to. But a small fact points specifically to Juliet Guicciardi: next to the letter was kept a tiny portrait of Beethoven’s beloved, made by an unknown master, and the “Heiligenstadt Testament.”
Be that as it may, it was Juliet who inspired Beethoven to write his immortal masterpiece.
“The monument of love that he wanted to create with this sonata very naturally turned into a mausoleum. For a person like Beethoven, love could not be anything other than hope beyond the grave and sorrow, spiritual mourning here on earth” (Alexander Serov, composer and music critic).
The sonata “in the spirit of fantasy” was at first simply Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor, which consisted of three movements - Adagio, Allegro and Finale. In 1832, the German poet Ludwig Relstab, one of Beethoven's friends, saw in the first part of the work an image of Lake Lucerne on a quiet night, with moonlight reflecting from the surface. He suggested the name “Lunarium”. Years will pass, and the first measured part of the work: “Adagio of Sonata No. 14 quasi una fantasia” will become known to the whole world under the name “Moonlight Sonata”.