Piano Sonata No. 14 (Beethoven)

Piano Sonata No. 14
Sonata quasi una fantasia
by Ludwig van Beethoven
Title page of the first edition of the score, published on 2 August 1802 in Vienna by Giovanni Cappi e Comp[a]
Other name	Moonlight Sonata
Key	C♯ minor, D♭ major (second movement)
Opus	27/2
Style	Classical period
Form	Piano sonata
Composed	1801
Dedication	Countess Giulietta Guicciardi
Published	1802
Publisher	Giovanni Cappi
Duration	15 minutes
Movements	3
Audio samples
I. Adagio sostenuto (6:00) file help
II. Allegretto (2:06) file help
III. Presto agitato (6:56) Played by Bernd Krueger on a digital piano, recorded MIDI file help

The Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, marked Quasi una fantasia, Op. 27, No. 2, is a piano sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven, completed in 1801 and dedicated in 1802 to his pupil Countess Julie "Giulietta" Guicciardi.^[b] Although known throughout the world as the Moonlight Sonata (German: Mondscheinsonate), it was not Beethoven who so christened it. The name grew popular later, likely long after Beethoven's death.

The piece is one of Beethoven's most famous compositions for the piano, and was quite popular even in his own day.^[1] Beethoven wrote the Moonlight Sonata around the age of 30, after he had finished with some commissioned work; there is no evidence that he was commissioned to write this sonata.^[1]

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