Moonlit Musings on Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata
III. Presto Agitato
Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 2 ("Moonlight")
I'm Beethoven, and I'm about to explain the third movement of my Moonlight Sonata, the Presto agitato. You'll hear fast, rushing arpeggios in C sharp minor, mostly played softly, until sudden accented blasts break through, and that struggle between restraint and outburst is what makes this finale so gripping. Before you go, know that my fellow composers and I also teach you here to recognize our pieces when they play, so test yourself in the Trainer and see what you can name.
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Hold On to the Handrail
This finale is played on a single piano with no orchestra and no other players, so everything you hear comes from two hands. The right hand runs fast arpeggios, which are chords played one note at a time in quick waves, and the left hand keeps up a steady rocking pattern called an Alberti bass underneath. Listen for the strongly accented notes that jump out of the stream, because they are the piece's way of slamming a door. Don't try to follow every note, since it goes by far too quickly; just follow the energy, like trying to read the names on the stations from a passing express train.The Label Says It All
I marked this movement Presto agitato, and I meant both words. Presto asks for a very fast speed, and agitato asks the player to sound unsettled and restless, so the pianist is told to hurry and to be upset at the same time. After a first movement that never rises above piano, I wanted a finale that finally breaks the silence. The title is really a short instruction manual for the mood: go quickly, and don't pretend to be calm.The Shape of the Finale
The form of this finale is sonata form. Sonata form tells its story in a main part, a middle part that stirs everything up, and a return home. The whole movement stays rooted in C sharp minor, the key it shares with the opening movement, so the darkness of the beginning never fully leaves. I'll walk you through five sections one by one, and each one has its own job in the story.Section 1: The Storm Breaks Loose
The movement begins at once, with no warm-up, as the right hand shoots upward in rushing arpeggios over the left hand's restless pattern. It is marked mostly piano, so at first the storm is more of a nervous murmur than a roar. Then the sforzandos arrive, those sudden, sharp accents, and the fortissimos break through the hush like thunder over a quiet street. This is the main theme, and it tells you straight away that nothing about this movement will be gentle.Section 2: A Second Idea Tries to Calm Things Down
After the opening storm I bring in a second theme that is more song-like, as if someone is trying to talk the first one down. The tempo doesn't ease at all, though, and the left hand keeps up its busy pattern underneath. The mood is still anxious, only now it sounds as if the anxiety has learned to sing. That makes this section the first small shift in the story, from pure panic to something with a little more shape.Section 3: The Middle Gets Stirred Up
In the development, the middle part of a sonata form, I take the ideas you've just heard and pull them apart. The music wanders away from its home key, so you may feel a little lost, and I meant it that way. Fragments of the opening return in new places, with the dynamics swinging between hush and force, and the tension builds without ever letting go. If you only listen for one thing here, listen for the feeling of being pushed further from home with every phrase.Section 4: Home, But Not Quite Peaceful
The recapitulation brings the main theme back in C sharp minor, and the home key arrives like a familiar street after a long, hard walk. Home doesn't mean rest, though, because the arpeggios still race and the accents still strike. The second theme comes back too, now settled into the same dark key as everything else, so the whole story feels tightened. You've heard these ideas before, but now they sound more fated, as if there was never any other way for them to end.Section 5: The Final Sprint
The coda is the last stretch, and here I let the movement run at full strength. The fast arpeggios and strong accents return with even more force, and the sforzandos and fortissimos keep cutting through. This is where the piece takes real stamina, because the pianist has been playing at speed for a long time and now has to give even more. When it ends, the quiet of the first movement feels very far away, and the story has gone from a hushed night to a storm that never fully clears.Press Play and Hang On
Now I invite you to try this finale for yourself. Press play, sit back, and let the music carry you along, even if you can't name a single note. As you listen, keep in mind what we've talked about: the racing arpeggios, the sudden accents, and the way the story moves from section to section. I hope the ride feels as thrilling to you as it did to me when I wrote it.---
Did you enjoy learning about the Presto agitato with me? I hope it gave you a few things to listen for the next time those fast, restless arpeggios begin. Now that you've heard the whole sonata from the quiet opening to this stormy finale, I think the ending feels all the more dramatic. There is still a good deal more to discover in the Moonlight Sonata, and I'd be glad to share it with you. You might look into the story behind the first movement, or into the people and the time around the piece. If you'd like to keep exploring, please click on the links provided and carry on from there. I hope you'll listen again soon.