It’s interesting how the homogeneity of the triplets that pervades the entire movement from beginning to end does not exhaust the listener as a result of the remarkable and surprising harmonic progressions. The linear movement in the bass line largely through half steps and whole steps is also very satisfying.
I thought it was interesting that he chose to sustain that powerful mood indirectly by frequently alternating minor with major and modulating keys, rather than sustaining the minor tonality directly, but I have not seen the rest of the piece.
I've always loved Beethoven's work. This first movement has always struck me as being the result of "stream of conscious" composing. It seems to me that (considering Beethoven's usual preferences and biases) once Beethoven had settled on the form and structure of the first measure, the piece practically wrote itself. Beethoven (like Bach and Mozart before him) followed (what I consider to be ) the first rule of good composition -- when a good piece seems to be writing itself, DON'T get in the way. Great analysis! I'm going to have to sit down and watch your analysis of Pathetique. It may be my favorite of the Beethoven piano sonatas. Thanks!
First of all nice hair cut🙂 I have been listening and practicing this piece of music for a long time but first time I realized how wonderfully it has been thought & crafted. Thanks Gareth for enlighten me.
Wonderful video and analysis. Also hilarious at 3:11 "Phew the second bar has arrived! And by the third bar you've lost your will to live..." I would pay handsomely just to watch a whole performance with those comments
Thank you for your precious explaination concerning Beethoven's piano sonata called Moon light. As I am learning this 1st. movement, so your explaination is useful to me. I can discover new important elements through your explaination. Thank you again.
Beethoven is, more than any other composer, the one that went from almost obscurity to absolute love for me. When I was young, like 9 or so, I could not appreciate what Beethoven was doing like I could with say Mozart, so I didn't really like his music. At 12, this started to change, I started to be able to appreciate his craftsmanship. When I became a teenager, I developed the bias towards minor key pieces that I still have to this day. This set in motion a cascade of events that eventually led to Beethoven becoming my favorite composer. This sonata is one of those pieces that I heard as a child and for which my opinion completely changed. The Fifth Symphony is another one.
I play this piece and Bach's air about every 2 days just for me to 'listen' to using my headsets (piano only). This is gold, so much appreciated from me.
Your explanation really helping me to understand this sonata. I was analyzing myself with very minimal knowledge. Appreciate your explanation with deep knowledge.
Thank you very much Gareth for this wonderful analysis. After hearing it thousands of times and even having played it a few hundred times myself I still cannot get bored with this piece. I am always fascinated at how Beethoven weaves these "easy and simple" patterns into a very rich and exciting music. I was very much interested on your take at that exact measure where you stopped the analysis 😁 Are C and A# simply chromatic neighbouring tones? Or is the C major functioning as a Neapolitan chord preparing a plagal cadence (E to B)? Anyways thank you again 😊
I have thoroughly enjoyed this, I did something similar myself before I began playing the piece where I analysed what he was actually doing. Please do some more of these videos
That was fascinating! I've heard the piece so often, it's become almost a cliché and I never really thought about its construction. It's much more complex than I expected.
I plead guilty to addiction to this piece. And I am another intermediate piano player who plays it. Actually every Monday (Because that is the day of Moon. 😆. Really). I have seen and read several analysis. This is a great one. Love this channel. Beethoven the god of Music.
I think it would be helpful if you identify the small structural units, like periods or sentences and binary forms or variations for each piece or whatever the equivalent terms are in the proper Angle language. By the way I enjoyed, the analysis of Sonata Pathetique; these short analyses that you do on youtube are small enough for me to digest, but I would be glad to see you do the full analysis for the other sonatas of Beethoven.
Is it too simple to say that because Beethoven keeps us oriented with a repetitive rhythm of triplets we willingly follow the many twists and turns in key and harmony and melody, which alter and ultimately deepen the initial calm feeling? Thanks for this.
I almost subbed twice off this my guy you teach the classical music the simplest. You probably got a nice old school mustang that's why you still cool aint it? lol jp appreciate the content seriously though keep it coming
Great analysis. Thanks for sharing your amazing knowledge with us. Could you do this with his piano sonata no 17, 3rd movement, please? It's my favorite piano work of Beethoven!
It always feels as the slow movement in the 7th Symphony has a lot in common. Many years between them? And he "gets away with" a repeated melodic note even more? Tx a most interesting video.
I wonder if Beethoven thought on all that musical theory when he composed the introduction or if it was just intuition and later could be explained with musical theory (Neapolitan chord, D major). I compare with Paul McCartney who composed many songs with quite sophisticated chord progression without have an idea what that meant in musical theory. Anyway, I love this Sonata and I appreciate you explanation which is excellent.
It’s a good question. I think Beethoven knew exactly what he was doing although it may have been instinctive. The main point of this kind of analysis is for us to understand what exactly is going on, which puts us more in touch with the music
This one note melody is a kind of funeral melody, isn't it? A moment when we think it's all over and there's no reason to live. And the third movement is music of hope, music of life.
@@MusicMattersGB Hello at Music Matters. 🎹😃 I’d love to do a course ( or 2) with you. I’ve done up to 5th grade piano exams ( honours & one credit 😩) . I’m a perfectionist; l drive myself crazy. I can dedicate all the time in the world to study & practice. I have peripheral neuropathy; but thank the BIG MAN upstairs, it’s not affecting my arms or hands. ( Yet, & l won’t let it!) Maybe an English program would suite me; Australia isn’t offering any kind of plan that l’ve checked. Besides, it’d be pretty’snazzy’ to have a certificate from your courses. I played & taught guitar, but my heart lies in the piano. ( Jazz doesn’t pay! ) I love ‘West Coast American jazz. Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, Dave Brubeck My DAD 💔 who was a music nut left me over 17,000 records, CDs & videos. I’ve heard music since l was an embryo. I miss sitting with him & just listening. So it’s about time l started theory again ( l love it! Am l mad? Up to George Russell. WHEW!! ) If you have time, can you let me think of a jazz book that escaped me by Mr. Levines ‘must have book’? Thank you; love to hear back from you!! 🎹👊🏾✨❤️🔥😁
@belindadrake5487 Hi. It’s great to hear your background and thanks for sharing it. If you want to engage with theory go to www.mmcourses.co.uk and have a look at our 1-8 theory bundle or our 1-5 theory bundle. That will help you enormously.
@@MusicMattersGB OH WOW! Thank you! I’ll definitely look at that; perhaps l could do the 5-8 theory course…. My theory is better than average; l did exams for that as well. I’m definitely going to save up my ‘bikkies’ to do some of these exciting lessons! I’ll have a GOOD LOOK; l don’t mind doing 1 to 8; THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR getting back to me. I like one on one teachers; my peers l respect greatly. You’re stuck with me now!! 😆🎹❤️😅
Learn Music Online - Check out our courses here!
www.mmcourses.co.uk/courses
It’s interesting how the homogeneity of the triplets that pervades the entire movement from beginning to end does not exhaust the listener as a result of the remarkable and surprising harmonic progressions. The linear movement in the bass line largely through half steps and whole steps is also very satisfying.
Absolutely
Well, the singular mood of that 1st movement is hard to resist. It definitely weaves a spell. Hypnotic even...
I agree
I thought it was interesting that he chose to sustain that powerful mood indirectly by frequently alternating minor with major and modulating keys, rather than sustaining the minor tonality directly, but I have not seen the rest of the piece.
Yes it’s an interesting dimension
This analysis was as enchanting as the song itself. The whole video passed by in a blink of an eye.
A pleasure. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk
The first music that once took me into the world of classical music🥰
Fabulous
For me Beethoven's humanity transforms his sorrows. It is such a beautiful transition to hear.
It is
I've always loved Beethoven's work. This first movement has always struck me as being the result of "stream of conscious" composing. It seems to me that (considering Beethoven's usual preferences and biases) once Beethoven had settled on the form and structure of the first measure, the piece practically wrote itself. Beethoven (like Bach and Mozart before him) followed (what I consider to be ) the first rule of good composition -- when a good piece seems to be writing itself, DON'T get in the way. Great analysis! I'm going to have to sit down and watch your analysis of Pathetique. It may be my favorite of the Beethoven piano sonatas. Thanks!
Absolutely bang on observations about composing.
First of all nice hair cut🙂
I have been listening and practicing this piece of music for a long time but first time I realized how wonderfully it has been thought & crafted. Thanks Gareth for enlighten me.
A pleasure. Glad you like the haircut! Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk
Wonderful video and analysis.
Also hilarious at 3:11 "Phew the second bar has arrived! And by the third bar you've lost your will to live..."
I would pay handsomely just to watch a whole performance with those comments
😀
Thank you for your precious explaination concerning Beethoven's piano sonata called Moon light. As I am learning this 1st. movement, so your explaination is useful to me. I can discover new important elements through your explaination. Thank you again.
That’s great
What a beautiful analysis!! Thank you so much for making this video.
Love and respect from India ❤
A pleasure. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk
Beethoven is, more than any other composer, the one that went from almost obscurity to absolute love for me. When I was young, like 9 or so, I could not appreciate what Beethoven was doing like I could with say Mozart, so I didn't really like his music. At 12, this started to change, I started to be able to appreciate his craftsmanship. When I became a teenager, I developed the bias towards minor key pieces that I still have to this day. This set in motion a cascade of events that eventually led to Beethoven becoming my favorite composer.
This sonata is one of those pieces that I heard as a child and for which my opinion completely changed. The Fifth Symphony is another one.
That’s brilliant
Thank you! Such a wonderful analysis❤
That’s great. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk
I play this piece and Bach's air about every 2 days just for me to 'listen' to using my headsets (piano only). This is gold, so much appreciated from me.
That’s great
I found your channel a while ago but i didnt go through any of your videos. i am changing that now and watching all of them backwards. thanks 👍
Enjoy!
Your explanation really helping me to understand this sonata. I was analyzing myself with very minimal knowledge. Appreciate your explanation with deep knowledge.
A pleasure. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk
Wonderful analysis Gareth of this seemingly simple piece
Thank you
Great analysis. I find it amazing that Beethoven didn't think this piece was particularly noteworthy but we now consider it a work of perfection
Absolutely
Thank you very much Gareth for this wonderful analysis.
After hearing it thousands of times and even having played it a few hundred times myself I still cannot get bored with this piece.
I am always fascinated at how Beethoven weaves these "easy and simple" patterns into a very rich and exciting music.
I was very much interested on your take at that exact measure where you stopped the analysis 😁
Are C and A# simply chromatic neighbouring tones?
Or is the C major functioning as a Neapolitan chord preparing a plagal cadence (E to B)?
Anyways thank you again 😊
The C and A# are indeed wonderful chromatic neighbour tones, either side of the B onto which they resolve. They generate compelling tension.
I have thoroughly enjoyed this, I did something similar myself before I began playing the piece where I analysed what he was actually doing. Please do some more of these videos
There are more on the channel and more to come
All 3 movements are wonderful. Would be nice to see a video on the 3rd movement however
Great movement
Oh 'boy'. I tried it. Failed miserably. With that said I would pay to hear the analysis of course.
😀 We have an analysis of the complete Pathetique Sonata of Beethoven at www.mmcourses.co.uk
That was fascinating! I've heard the piece so often, it's become almost a cliché and I never really thought about its construction. It's much more complex than I expected.
😀
I plead guilty to addiction to this piece. And I am another intermediate piano player who plays it. Actually every Monday (Because that is the day of Moon. 😆. Really). I have seen and read several analysis. This is a great one. Love this channel. Beethoven the god of Music.
That’s great. Enjoy!
I always enjoy you’re almost over the top minute analysis. I must admit, however, that your mellifluous voice put both the baby and me to sleep 😴
Glad the video has enabled sleep!
About making a repeating note more interesting, Jobim's "One Note Samba" comes to mind...
Great example
Chopin's e-minor prelude, as well
True
I love this inside music analisis series of videos thanks Gareth
A pleasure. Glad it’s helpful
Thank you for this enthousiast and inspiring analysis! Great!
Glad you enjoyed it
Great to understand this beautiful piece better. Love the “stick that in your pipe and smoke it” comment! Thank you.
😀
Excellent, Very helpful analysis. Thank you Gareth - greatly appreciated.
Thank you
Excited to subscribe today and start my music journey of lifelong learning online with Music Matters. So interactive
Welcome. Great to have you with us.
Moonlight shimmering on the water of Lake Como. That’s how I always looked at it.
😀
Pure passion. Thanks.
😀
This song is a master piece created by a genius, music theory cannot explain it.
It’s a masterpiece and the analysis helps to illuminate the genius of the writing.
I think it would be helpful if you identify the small structural units, like periods or sentences and binary forms or variations for each piece or whatever the equivalent terms are in the proper Angle language.
By the way I enjoyed, the analysis of Sonata Pathetique; these short analyses that you do on youtube are small enough for me to digest, but I would be glad to see you do the full analysis for the other sonatas of Beethoven.
We could do more of the full courses.
Great! Wish I could have given this 10 thumbs up 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
But how can he do that?
Because he is Beethoven, a genius!
I'm learning this now (at bar 19, so very pertinent)
Thanks for this. 🙂
A pleasure. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk
🔥🙌🏾 1ˢᵗ n 2ⁿᵈ theme 😎 …and still there’s the development (🌀with that diminished🙃), recapitulation and coda… all in the first movement😊
It’s fabulous
Is it too simple to say that because Beethoven keeps us oriented with a repetitive rhythm of triplets we willingly follow the many twists and turns in key and harmony and melody, which alter and ultimately deepen the initial calm feeling? Thanks for this.
That’s a very good way of thinking about it
I almost subbed twice off this my guy you teach the classical music the simplest. You probably got a nice old school mustang that's why you still cool aint it? lol jp appreciate the content seriously though keep it coming
Sadly I don’t yet have the Mustang but thanks for the comment
@@MusicMattersGB lol me either at the moment but no problem I learn from these so I’ll be tuned in for sure
That’s great. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk
Thank you for this video this peace always inspires me to be a creative person
It’s remarkable
That was so helpful, Gareth! Wish you could do a Mozart - Lacrimosa one!
Ok
Thanks!
That’s most kind. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk
Superb presentation!
A pleasure. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk
Great video! Thank you
A pleasure
I have never realized it before but now that I am listening to it, it starts reminding me of one of the motives in Bellini’s Norma. Don’t you think?
Interesting connection
Great analysis. Thanks for sharing your amazing knowledge with us.
Could you do this with his piano sonata no 17, 3rd movement, please? It's my favorite piano work of Beethoven!
😀
It always feels as the slow movement in the 7th Symphony has a lot in common. Many years between them? And he "gets away with" a repeated melodic note even more? Tx a most interesting video.
11 years
😀
Hello Gareth-san from Japan! 2 in the morning watching this video! lol
That’s dedication for you!
@@MusicMattersGB thank you for the lovely video!
A pleasure. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk
I wonder if Beethoven thought on all that musical theory when he composed the introduction or if it was just intuition and later could be explained with musical theory (Neapolitan chord, D major). I compare with Paul McCartney who composed many songs with quite sophisticated chord progression without have an idea what that meant in musical theory. Anyway, I love this Sonata and I appreciate you explanation which is excellent.
It’s a good question. I think Beethoven knew exactly what he was doing although it may have been instinctive. The main point of this kind of analysis is for us to understand what exactly is going on, which puts us more in touch with the music
@@MusicMattersGB Absolutely. I find it thrilling. Thank you!
😀
I love this. I need to get my harmonic ducks in a row
You’ll have a chance to work on that this Saturday
C natural, stick that in your pipe and smoke it😂😂😂 Love you Gareth, you’re the best teacher☀️
You’re too kind.
"Stick up in your pipe and smoke it"!!! 😆😆😆
😀
This one note melody is a kind of funeral melody, isn't it? A moment when we think it's all over and there's no reason to live. And the third movement is music of hope, music of life.
That’s certainly a perfectly valid approach
Beethoven is GOD👊🏾🎹🌟
😀
@@MusicMattersGB Hello at Music Matters. 🎹😃 I’d love to do a course ( or 2) with you. I’ve done up to 5th grade piano exams ( honours & one credit 😩) . I’m a perfectionist; l drive myself crazy. I can dedicate all the time in the world to study & practice. I have peripheral neuropathy; but thank the BIG MAN upstairs, it’s not affecting my arms or hands. ( Yet, & l won’t let it!) Maybe an English program would suite me; Australia isn’t offering any kind of plan that l’ve checked. Besides, it’d be pretty’snazzy’ to have a certificate from your courses. I played & taught guitar, but my heart lies in the piano. ( Jazz doesn’t pay! ) I love ‘West Coast American jazz. Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, Dave Brubeck My DAD 💔 who was a music nut left me over 17,000 records, CDs & videos. I’ve heard music since l was an embryo. I miss sitting with him & just listening. So it’s about time l started theory again ( l love it! Am l mad? Up to George Russell. WHEW!! ) If you have time, can you let me think of a jazz book that escaped me by Mr. Levines ‘must have book’? Thank you; love to hear back from you!! 🎹👊🏾✨❤️🔥😁
@belindadrake5487 Hi. It’s great to hear your background and thanks for sharing it. If you want to engage with theory go to www.mmcourses.co.uk and have a look at our 1-8 theory bundle or our 1-5 theory bundle. That will help you enormously.
@@MusicMattersGB OH WOW! Thank you! I’ll definitely look at that; perhaps l could do the 5-8 theory course…. My theory is better than average; l did exams for that as well. I’m definitely going to save up my ‘bikkies’ to do some of these exciting lessons! I’ll have a GOOD LOOK; l don’t mind doing 1 to 8; THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR getting back to me. I like one on one teachers; my peers l respect greatly. You’re stuck with me now!! 😆🎹❤️😅
@belindadrake5487 Welcome to Music Matters. Enjoy the course!
❤
😀
Amo mais que chocolate
😀
It just sounds better the slower.
😀
Yes, I think sounds better.
Fair enough
Beethoven was irritated by the popularity of Moonlight because he stole it from Don Giovanni
😀
Old technique from decades before Don Giovanni.
😀