The name “Moonlight Sonata” was given to this music by the German music critic and poet Ludwig Rellstab five years after Beethoven’s death.
This sonata consists of three movemens: Adagio sostenuto, allegretto and presto agitato.
It is significant that the layout of this work does not follow the traditional movement arrangement of fast–slow–fast. Instead, the first movement is played very quietly, and the loudest it gets is mezzo forte. The adagio sostenuto makes the most powerful impression on many listeners.
The second movement becomes somewhat faster and it is a bridge to the next movement. It plays a role of connecting the first and third movement together, which Franz List called it “a flower between two chasms”.
Beethoven placed the most important final stormy movement as the last. This movement contains lots of strongly accented notes and dynamic changes. Beethoven used crescendo a lot to move the music from very quiet to very loud and to create a sense of a very powerful impact.
Here is pianist Helene Grimaud to show you the end result:
