Introduction
The Moonlight Sonata is a very famous composition written by Beethoven."Moonlight Sonata" is not the original name for the piece.It derives from a description of the first movement by critic Ludwig Rellstab,who compared it to moonlight shining upon Lake Lucerne in 1832.Since then,this famed piece has been known as the Moonlight Sonata.Beethoven originally named this piece "Quasi una fanatsia",which basically means "almost a fantasy".I believe there are two reasons for this.First,this song is rumored to be deditcated to his pupil-17 year old Countess Giulietta Guicciardi,with whom Beethoven was in love with.However,the countess was from a wealthy family with high expectations,so it was impossible for Beethoven to be with her.Thus,it was almost a fantasy.Secondly,this sonata does not follow the traditional sonata pattern.In the Moonlight Sonata,Beethoven holds off the climax until the last movement,where he erupts with a passion of ornaments and sforzandos.Beethoven was able to magnify the drama by using this form.