IDAGIO | Beethoven, L. Van: Piano Works (Complete), Vol. 4

Featuring

Ronald Brautigam
Ludwig van Beethoven

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Composer Biography

Beethoven dedicated his Sonata No. 14, the 'Moonlight' Sonata, to Countess Giulietta Guicciardi, a sixteen-year-old piano student with whom he was infatuated.

Critical Reception

The nickname 'Moonlight' for Sonata No. 14 was first used by pianist Wilhelm von Lenz in 1852, referring to poet Ludwig Rellstab's description of the Adagio as a boat on a moonlit lake.

Composition History

The 'Moonlight' Sonata was given to Giulietta Guicciardi as compensation after Beethoven had to reclaim a different Rondo (Op. 51) he had initially intended for her, to dedicate it to his protector Count Lichnowsky.

Composer Biography

By 1801, Beethoven's hearing was seriously affected; he wrote to his friend Franz Wegeler that a 'dear fascinating girl' (Giulietta Guicciardi) had brought about a change in his miserable life.

Compositional Technique

Beethoven was the first to transfer the grand French revolutionary music, typically for orchestra, to the keyboard, demonstrating a new symphonic approach to the piano.

Compositional Technique

The 'Moonlight' Sonata's Adagio has an unmistakable similarity to the accompanying strings in the scene where the Commendatore succumbs in Mozart's opera Don Giovanni.

Performer Biography

Ronald Brautigam, one of Holland's leading musicians, is known for his virtuosity, musicality, and eclectic interests, including a passion for the fortepiano.