Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata is one of the most famous pieces of classical music. It is played in films and commercials, and is even sampled in some modern songs. It is also regarded as one of the most difficult pieces in the piano repertoire. It was the first piece that I completely mastered(all movements). I initially started learning the piece out of interest, as I really enjoyed listening to the first movement of the piece. The first movement is relatively simple compared to the other two movements. It is slow and not technically complex. However, it is very important that the dynamics are controlled and meticulous. When playing it, I had to keep the slow and soft tone throughout the piece. The second movement on the hand is much more cheerful and light. It has some tricky jumps, but it overall it is straightforward. It is not as popular as the other movements, but I like it because it is short and fun to play. The third movement is completely different. It is not only incredibly fast but also long. It had so many notes and pages that it took me months to learn it. It was certainly a great challenge for me. The third movement has so many different techniques throughout it that really helped me improve as a pianist. For example, it introduced me to dominant seventh chords and arpeggios. Mastering the Moonlight Sonata will always be one of my favorite pieces of music and I will always look at it as one of my greatest accomplishments.
Here is the First Movement:
Here is the 2nd Movement:
Here is the 3rd Movement: