Moonlight Sonata 贝多芬《月光奏鸣曲》

Imagine you are in the darkest moment of your life yet, when you think that fate has been playing with you, when you believe that all might be lost, that it is just a matter of time, what would you think, what would you do? Would you succumb to the whims of fate? Would you let your tears run down your cheek, hoping that fate shall empathize with your agonies? Or would you open your eyes, stare back at fate, and play the hero that walks into the darkness, gallant and determined?

Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-Sharp Minor, more commonly known as the “Moonlight Sonata”, is one of the most classic pieces of piano music, and certainly one of the most analyzed. While I do appreciate the view that this beautiful piece reflects the melancholy or the earthly love of Beethoven, I believe that this piece, including all three movements, reflects the composer’s longing for someone, a true hero, who understands their own life’s mission and is willing to pursue it regardless of consequences or circumstances. The piece reflects the deep inner strength of Beethoven, rather than just unrequited love or despair.

To elaborate on my view, it is necessary first to investigate what was happening in Beethoven’s life when he wrote this sonata. Beethoven composed this piece in 1800-1801. During this time of his life, Beethoven was experiencing many tragic events. Most significantly, he realized, with a sense of terror, that his hearing issues could not be averted, and he, in the short term, would turn completely deaf, unable to hear the unique notes of every instrument again. He was deeply in love with one of his female students, Giulietta Guicciardi, yet despite his frantic pursuits, she decided to marry another man in the end. One of Beethoven’s best friends just died, and he was stranded in so many other problems…

Now, Beethoven probably thought that fate was challenging him in the most relentless sense possible, stripping away every light of hope in his life. Returning back to the initial question, how did Beethoven respond? What was going through his mind? Beethoven did not turn to hopelessness and let himself fall into the void. He conjured up this inner, powerful strength that urged him to become a person who keeps life’s mission to create value in mind, to become the hero that should still reach higher for the mission even if they are experiencing great ordeal. It was with this longing for this heroic imagery, this unfathomable strength, that Beethoven poured all his resistance against fate in this colossal piece.

The three movements of this sonata, if put together, can be viewed as a ballade in a sense, a ballade of the hero that Beethoven longed to live up to in his struggle. The first movement begins with low-pitch, low volume, and deep, slow triplets that imply a somber mood. It is the initial calling of fate when the hero first feels the challenge of fate. Fate tells him that to strangle his throat, the hero must cross the dark forest and reach the ocean on the other side, where he can find the cure to all despair. The minor tonality of the piece delivers a sense of darkness, despair, and of struggle. As the music progresses, it becomes apparent that the hero must embark on a rough journey through peril to win the challenge of fate. Knowing that he cannot escape fate, he starts to slowly, one step after another, walk into the dark forest, Soon, the light fades out, and depression surrounds him. The hero realizes that he might not feel the wonders of the world of light, of joy, ever again.

Yet the hero, knowing his mission, does not pause his journey. In the darkness, he manages to clamber onto the top of a hill among the dense trees. There, he sees the bright and clear moonlight. The pale moonlight touches his heart, and like a trickle of the clear stream, clears his mind of anxiety, depression, filling it with pure determination. As he looks around, he catches a glimpse of what lies beyond, the ocean, vast and beautiful.

Moving into the tempestuous third movement, without the slightest hesitation, the hero jumps off the hill and begins to run. There, the ocean lies the destination, lies the accompaniment of the mission. Suddenly, the trees begin to bend and twist, it is as if the world has been turned upside and down. A fierce gale sweeps through the forest. As the leaves rustle and the dirt begins to fly everywhere, the hero’s path is blocked by obstacles. Yet the obstacles cannot impede the hero’s quest, they cannot shatter his determination to achieve the mission! 

Soon the hero sees the end to the forest. In front of him lies the beach, and beyond the ocean. However, it is here that fate sets its battleground. Above the sea’s deep blue and black surface, the wind is gathering clouds, lightning, and thunder. There is only one moment of dead silence before the battle begins. As one lightning strikes the ground after another, there is no way back, the hero must push through hell in the sky, and it is there that fate dwells.

The hero spreads his arms, and as the tempest rages, cries out. With this cry of courage, he turns into a petrel and soars into the dark sky. Now, as one poem goes, “ever darker, clouds descend ever lower over the sea, and the waves are singing, racing to the sky to meet the thunder.” Other creatures of the sea, shark, seagull, fish, and alike, hide to show the fear of the tempest, of fate. Yet only the petrel, the hero, soars among the lightning, the thunder, right above the gigantic waves of the turmoil of the sea. He is not giving up, and ever resolute is his determination. In the fury of the thunder, of fate, he cries, “let the tempest strike harder!” With this passion, he is the master of the battlefield and takes fate by its throat. The piece ends with three strong, fierce C-Sharp minor chords, symbolizing the final victory.

This sonata reflects Beethoven’s longing to become the hero, to be able to fight against fate in his own life. It is truly a piece of strength that resonates through the ages. 

想象一下，当你处于生命中最黑暗的时刻，当你认为命运一直在游戏，当你相信一切都可能失去，只是时间问题，你会怎么想，会怎么做？你会屈从于命运的安排吗？你会让眼泪顺着脸颊流下来，希望命运会同情你的痛苦吗？或者你会睁开眼睛，回过头来紧盯命运，作一个走进黑暗的英雄，英勇而坚定？

贝多芬的升C小调第14号钢琴奏鸣曲，或 称为"月光奏鸣曲"，是最经典的钢琴音乐作品之一，当然也是被分析最多的作品之一。虽然我很欣赏那些认为这首美丽的乐曲反映了贝多芬的忧郁或尘世之爱的观点，但我认为这首乐曲，包括所有三个乐章，反映了作曲家对一个真正的英雄，这个英雄了解自己的人生使命并愿意不顾后果或环境去追求它的渴望。这首曲子反映了贝多芬内心深处的力量，而不仅仅是多数人所解读的不求回报的爱情或绝望。

要阐述我的观点，首先有必要调查一下贝多芬写这首奏鸣曲时他的生活中发生了什么。贝多芬在1800-1801年创作了这部作品。在他生命中的这段时间里，贝多芬经历了许多悲惨的事件。最重要的是，他带着恐惧感意识到，他的听力问题无法避免，而他，在短期内将完全变成聋子，无法再听到每种乐器的独特音色。他深爱着一个女学生朱丽叶-吉夏尔迪，然而，尽管他疯狂地追求，她最后还是决定嫁给另一个男人。贝多芬的一个最好的朋友刚刚去世，他又被许多其他问题所困扰......

贝多芬可能认为，命运正在以最无情的方式挑战他，剥去他生命中的每一丝希望之光。回到最初的问题，贝多芬是如何回应的？他心里在想什么？贝多芬并没有转向无望，让自己陷入空虚之中。他唤起了这种内在的、强大的力量，敦促他成为一个牢记人生使命、创造价值的人，成为一个即使经历巨大磨难，也应该为使命达到更高境界的英雄。正是带着对这种英雄意象的渴望，这种深不可测的力量，贝多芬在这首巨作中倾注了他对命运的全部反抗。

这首奏鸣曲的三个乐章，如果放在一起，在某种意义上可以看作是一首叙事曲，是贝多芬在斗争中渴望的英雄的叙事曲。第一乐章以低音调、低音量和深沉、缓慢的三连音开始，暗示着一种阴郁的情绪。这是命运最初的召唤，当英雄第一次感受到命运的挑战。命运告诉他，为了扼住他的喉咙，英雄必须穿越黑暗的森林，到达另一边的海洋，在那里他可以找到治愈所有绝望的方法。这首曲子的小调传递出一种黑暗，或绝望，或挣扎的感觉。随着音乐的发展，很明显，英雄必须踏上艰难的旅程，穿越危险，以赢得命运的挑战。他知道自己无法逃避命运，于是开始慢慢地，一步一步地走进黑暗的森林，不久，光亮渐渐消失，周围一片萧条。英雄意识到，他可能再也无法感受到光明世界的奇妙，感受到快乐。

然而，英雄知道他的目标，并没有暂停他的旅程。在黑暗中，他设法爬上了密林中的一座山顶。在那里，他看到了明亮而清澈的月光。纯白的月光触动了他的心，就像一条清澈的小溪，清洗了他心中的焦虑和忧郁，使他充满了纯粹的决心。当他环顾四周时，他瞥见了外面的景象，大海，广阔而美丽。

进入第三乐章，英雄毫不犹豫地跳下山坡，开始奔跑。那里是海洋，是目的地，是成就使命的地方。但是突然间，树木开始弯曲和扭曲，仿佛世界被颠覆了。一股猛烈的大风席卷了整个森林。当树叶沙沙作响，泥土开始四处飞扬时，英雄的道路被障碍物挡住了。然而，这些障碍并不能阻碍英雄的追求，也不能动摇他完成使命的决心!

很快，英雄看到了森林的尽头。在他面前的是海滩，再往前是大海。然而，正是在这里，命运设置了它的战场。在大海深蓝和黑色的表面之上，风正在聚集云层，闪电和雷鸣。在战斗开始之前，只有一个死寂的时刻。当一道又一道闪电击中地面时，没有任何退路，英雄必须推开天空中的地狱，而命运就居住在那里。

英雄张开双臂，随着暴风雨的肆虐，大声呼喊。随着这声勇气的呐喊，他变成了一只海燕，翱翔在黑暗的天空中。现在，正如一首诗所言，"乌云越来越暗，越来越低，向海面直压下来，而波浪一边歌唱，一边冲向高空，去迎接那雷声"。海里的其他生物，鲨鱼、海鸥、鱼，都躲起来，以示对暴风雨、对命运的恐惧。然而，只有海燕，这位英雄，在闪电和雷声中翱翔，就在大海动荡的巨浪之上。他没有放弃，他的决心永远是坚定的。在愤怒的雷声中，在命运的召唤下，他喊道："让暴风雨来的更猛烈些！" 就这样，在激情中，他成为战场的主宰，扼住了命运的咽喉。乐曲以三个强而有力的升C小调和弦结束，象征着最后的胜利。

这首奏鸣曲反映了贝多芬渴望成为英雄，渴望与命运抗争的精神，这是一首响彻古今的力量之作。