Sonata No. 14 “Moonlight in C-Sharp Minor” by Ludwig van Beethoven
Meditation
My family plays a fun game where we ask questions about music and how it relates to our lives. “What song makes you think of going on adventures? What song reminds you of your angsty teenage years? etc.” The result is a fun an extremely nostalgic playlist that emerges from our memories and associations. My favorite question is “Before you knew what being in love was like, what song did you think was the most romantic?” My answer to that final question is a hilarious tie between “Come Sail Away” by Styx and “Sonata No. 14 Moonlight in C-Sharp Minor” by Ludwig van Beethoven. I pride myself in musical diversity.
This piece, however, always has and always will tug at my heartstrings. Nicknamed “Moonlight Sonata” for the feeling of falling in love beneath the moonlight on Lake Lucerne, I see in this piece a reflection of Beethoven’s soul. Much of Beethoven’s music was created from a mind who, in his later years, would never fully hear its beauty. Yet, he was so in love with his craft that he pushed on despite insurmountable obstacles that otherwise may have prevented him from composing and conducting. Do you believe that love belongs in your professional endeavors? How do you infuse your craft with love?
Brianna Curran, Washington, DC
