Masterclass on Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata 1 Movement

[@hendrixny9186]

I listen to a Claudio Arrau version of Moonlight almost every night before I go to sleep. It’s hard not to think of it as the most achingly beautiful song ever written. To me it sounds like mournful angels surrounded by love but unable to grasp that treasure in the pitch black. Yes, it’s dark. But I think it was a glorious love song to The Maestro as the darkness would fit him so well. I came to Beethoven in depth late in life. I was having a terrible time of it professionally and, having played guitar all my life, I began a lifelong dream of learning the piano. Inspired by Moonlight, I asked my instructor for a book about Beethoven and that reading, and his music, carried me on a journey of a lifetime. His poignant story and true genius kept me from losing my mind and all hope. I’m forever grateful. Now, I can’t get enough of him. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and wisdom regarding this remarkable work of art. It’s like the Sistine Chapel of sonatas.

[@canapesalmon8855]

Now my little grand daughter wants to learn and these clips have really helped. I just can't thank you enough.

[@ryansijberden9038]

My right ear really enjoyed this

[@yeohi]

Your wearing your headphones backwards.

[@ssenaratne]

This is amazing. Hereafter my appreciation of this Sonata will be completely on a different level. Thank so much for your changing the moonlight perception of this.

[@elisabethmartini8222]

A beautiful masterclass with the clair de lune from Beethoven. Lots of questions with humanity. THANKS a lot. And a Merry Christmas to you.

[@hansfijlstra5932]

Interesting masterclass and interpretation. There are many but I like your focus on detail and your interpretation/story on the first movement. Thanks!

[@juliachaplin2201]

Such a pleasure to have done this project! Please let me know if you have any questions!!Would be delighted to connect.

[@kimg4589]

You are awesome!!! It’s a privilege to hear a wonderful performer like you articulate in words what the music is about…. This session explained so much what I felt but couldn’t put in words. Also the pedalling! I always thought I was doing it wrong as I’d use the pedal intuitively and realised it was not as marked in the score!! I recently acquired my “dream” piano and it is able to do a lot of that sort of pedalling without sounding muddled! I also realised from your description why I always feel emotional exhausted after playing the Moonlight. It’s gorgeous but not something I can play too often!! Thank you 🙏

[@princeofsword]

This was the greatest masterclass ever! Thank so much to go deeper and deeper in the details. The no. 14 was my first piano sonata learned, and with your lesson i've just felt more soul to it then never before!

[@paulkalus41]

Beautiful playing and delivery. You have gave ideas on improving my playing of this piece.

[@juliachaplin2201]

it is so wonderful to hear from you - i am very glad it was helpful!

[@kenbrowning6271]

Love your masterclass and interpretation of this piece. You put into words my feelings on what this music is about and how to play. I interpret it in a similar way. I like the reference to an "echo". I hadn't conciously thought of it in that way. You made me cry with your descriptions and presentation of the piece in full.

[@BryanPersaud-p2e]

Beautiful interpretation and impressions.

[@brimosimo]

What a wonderful masterclass. Thank you very much for these insights, your lovely presentation and playing.

[@juliachaplin2201]

Thank you so much for your kind words!!

[@juliachaplin2201]

that's so kind, so glad you enjoyed it!

[@miss88keys7]

Thank you for this awesome lesson! ❤️

[@noelwilde]

Love the piano. and the playing too....

[@johnbell913]

Very beautiful, great sound, very emotional. Thank you from California.

[@AJBTemplar]

Excellent masterclass. I like the views on the various editions too. I agree full with your phrasing and I play it in the same way. Personally I never understood this piece properly until I had learnt the much more difficult third movement. That put everything into much clearer perspective. I've tried several editions myself, including an early Forster, but for performance of the entire three part sonata, Henle is my go to even though I don't always agree with the fingering.

[@chiaramalek1529]

And wonderful interpretation thank you♥️

[@juliachaplin2201]

thank you !!

[@beepingtay]

Thank you for your interpretation and love the pedalling explaination

[@leeroyhansson4733]

Thank you! Learning this now

[@josegilvazquez7660]

Enhorabuena por el tutorial, una maravilla en lo didáctico y artístico. 👏👏👏👏

[@poeda6637]

Wonderful. Thank you very much

[@MrOmarLebbe]

Mesmerizing; Thank you 🥰

[@tabeaspiano]

Extraordinary, the best interpretation of this piece ever.

[@susanwaters1542]

Your insights are very helpful.😊

[@noelwilde]

Love your comparison to the 4th Concerto. Like the Orchestra and piano are having 2 different conversations...

[@winterheat]

this is great. I feel the same way as Yulia for many parts. There is one part I feel somewhat different, which is I'd feel Beethoven wouldn't ask for help, but rather, stuck in his pride that he is a genius and why is he treated that way by the nobleman, asking him to play in front of them, yet see him low and not worthy of marrying his daughter. This translate into some kind of sorrow and despair, and disappointment is human race. Also some parts of this piece I'd play it slowly, because I feel I am in the sorrow, and sorrow to me is slow, agonizing, so it cannot be going fast. It is like he went back to the place he lived, and feeling sad, and it is a torturing feeling, and it just went on and on, so it is a slow painful process

[@themukhtalef]

Great lesson 🤍

[@DamonMacready]

The melody switch to natural "d" in the latter half of bar 39 usually fills me with horror, in a fantastic way! If sostenuto is added rightly, it leaves this tritone-ish background behind the melody, floating thru the gloomy atmosphere.

[@osvaldoleite2544]

lindo e preciosas dicas.

[@pianoforte5890]

Nice!

[@juliachaplin2201]

thank you!!

[@noelwilde]

Does music make you cry with its beauty?

[@ivannvillanueva4778]

Thank you for the tips. I have been playing the adagio in a petrof upright and do not seem the hear the piece correctly. Is it possible to play the adagio in a upright piano?

[@tabeaspiano]

This poem from Dahlberg is so useful. Would you mind to share it here in written and give some references (Book, poem title,etc.)?

[@mrdarbab]

I have a book called the joy of beethoven. I want the mozart and chopin versions too.

[@winterheat]

can you write the name of the two books... trying to find it on Amazon but can't... maybe I didn't get the spelling right

[@Mercy_Pants]

Is this a 280vc?

[@chiaramalek1529]

Like you technical idea Playing without finger

[@juliachaplin2201]

thank you! that was also suggested in Henle's edition

[@JohnSmith-oe5kx]

You could have offered technical insight about how to voice the melody, many students have trouble with it

[@UFO6600]

Thank you for the nice explanations. Personally, I hate classical music, because I was forced to play the piano when I was young. Now, as an old man, I like to play rock and love songs with the guitar. But I also like to play the moonlight sonata together with the piano, as the sustain on the piano is much easier to achieve then on the guitar. In this way much room for different interpretations are possible 🤓 😋.

[@juliachaplin2201]

thank you so much for your comment - i am so happy people find it helpful and am so happy you enjoy different interpretations - probably very beautiful with the guitar

[@yeohi]

Skip the first 9 minutes.

[@carlosmcse]

Too slow. Try it at 70 bpm.

[@bh5606]

Takes her forever to get started teaching…useless.

[@jdbrown371]

My best masterclass on this first movement would be to strongly advise people who simply aren't ready not to play it. Until you have around 10 or so classical sonatas under your belt, you have no way to even begin playing this piece sensibly. You should already know the finer points of pedaling, this is simply not the piece to learn pedaling. You should be well past the stage of basic insecurities about your technique. Lastly, there are three movements to this sonata and you should play all three and exercise care and attention to every passage that they are all of uniform quality and can be played with confidence. Do all that first and maybe we can have a masterclass.

[@jdbrown371]

Play Beethoven's op 10 or op 14 instead.

[@user-us1fx9gm2z]

And here I am. I began playing last year and this is the song I asked my teacher to teach me. 😂 I’m half way done learning, though you are absolutely correct. I am not satisfied with my peddling and spend 2-3 hours a day practicing.

[@karlstice7482]

That famous dotted eigth/sixteenth figue starting in the fifth measure : why do most pianists play the sixteenth not too slow, and also hesitate slightly after that note before playing the first note of the next measure ? Almost like they are playing it like a triplet rather than dotted eigth/sixteenth ? Instead of DAH..deDAH , they play it more DAH..DAHDAH. One pianist who playes it better to the spirit of dotted eigth/sixteenth, more in the "chopin funeral march " style, is Wilhlm Kempff : kzbin.info/www/bejne/lYvHfqt8nrqZb7M . Would you like to comment on that, Yulia ? ( by the way, you play wonderfully ! )