Ludwig von Beethoven and I are friends on some level, although I’m not sure which one. I just know he haunts me in terms of my piano development. So I’ve returned to his “Moonlight Sonata” in an attempt to cull its many mysteries and reconnect with the composer.
I first attempted the Sonata about three years ago. I loved it then; I love it now. And I hope that what I’ve learned in the interim will enable me to play it better and make Beethoven proud.
That first time around it took me a year to dissect the nuances of the work; this time I hope to do it in three months. If muscle memory is indeed a fact, I should be fine. That said, I think I’ve also earned the right to complain.
The thing is “Moonlight Sonata” is not a rote piece of music. By that I mean that almost every measure has some change in the notes, whereas other music tends to repeat notes and chords. This means that Beethoven’s work requires more attention to detail, more scrutiny to note changes in a measure, more mental acuity. Which is why three months for a review is not unreasonable.
I just want to put Ludwig on notice that the next time I review his work, I plan to do it in record time.
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