Listen to this when
Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27, No. 2 ('Moonlight'): I. Adagio sostenuto
Not every sad night needs fixing. Some just need company that stays quiet with you. 🌙🎹
Who it's for
This movement never rises above soft: Beethoven marks it very quiet throughout and asks for it to be played with the utmost delicacy, so there are no sudden jolts to startle an already frayed nervous system.
Feelings it meets
What it is
This is the first movement, Adagio sostenuto, of Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, completed in 1801, published in Vienna in 1802, and dedicated to his pupil Countess Giulietta Guicciardi. The movement stays very quiet throughout, and Beethoven asks for it to be played with the utmost delicacy, with a steady triplet figure running under a slow, mournful melody.
Where to find it
Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music (widely available); recorded by many pianists, so choose a recording of the first movement alone.
Before you start
Heads up: Mournful mood may deepen sadness.
Age: All ages
Laugh, and the world laughs with you; Weep, and you weep alone.Ella Wheeler Wilcox, “Solitude”
