Exercise: Enjoying Classical Music

My simplified listening notes below are based on Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 14 in C Sharp Major (1801):

This famous piece was written by Beethoven in 1801 for a single piano players.  It is written in three parts, which each given very different moods and emotions.  Throughout this composition, there are many sections which repeat – this may be to help to make the piece more familiar to the listener. 

The first part of this piece of music has a dark, sad and slightly spooky feel.  It begins very quietly with a repeating pattern of high notes, underpinned by a simple pattern of low notes.  As the piece continues, the piano becomes louder and new little embellishments are added.  All the way through the first section, the music stays quite constant and similar, but builds a feeling of deep sadness and loneliness. 

However, the second part, which is much faster, gives us a brighter sound and the piano seems to skip and jump in a cheerful way.  Both the low and high notes of the piano appear to move together in this piece, and at times they seem to be dancing and playing together like children, letting their ‘tunes’ intertwine.  At some points, this piece even seems quite comical and clumsy and could be describe as the flower between two ‘thorn’ sections.

The last section goes back to a very dark feeling, this time reminding us of a storm or dark misty weather.  The piano players in this piece show a lot of skills, playing very quick patterns which run across the low and high notes of the instrument.  There are also a lot of dramatic silent pauses, presumably to give an even greater feeling of tension. 

Overall this piece gives the listener a chance to hear three very different sections, each of which carry their own musical themes and emotions.  The first and last sections are very dark and gloomy, but the middle section gives the audience a break with a brighter and lighter feel.