Kodály, Holst, Falla and Bartók. Chopin used modes in his mazurkas for piano, Liszt
used modes in his piano Sonata and later piano works and Debussy and Bartók used them
extensively in their piano works. Tournemire and Langlais used modes in their organ
works.
In the Liszt Sonata motif A (the double drumbeat and descending scale) appears at the
beginning in the prologue, two-thirds way through and at the end of the Sonata. The first
descending scale in the prologue is in the Phrygian mode (‘natural Phrygian mode’).
This may be achieved on the piano by playing seven consecutive white notes starting on
E. In this case Liszt starts on G so he uses three black notes so as to achieve the correct
intervals. The second descending scale in the prologue is in the ‘harmonic Phrygian
mode’. This is identical with the harmonic minor scale with a raised third and is more
commonly known as the ‘gypsy’ scale.
‘Mode’ is also used to describe whether a scale is in the major or minor key.
MOONLIGHT SONATA
Did Beethoven really want the dampers raised unchanged throughout the whole of
the first movement of the ‘Moonlight’ Sonata?
The ‘Moonlight’ Sonata
Piano Sonata in C sharp minor ‘Quasi una fantasia’ opus 27 no. 2 by Ludwig van
Beethoven (1770-1827) is known as the ‘Moonlight’ Sonata. It is the most popular of
Beethoven’s piano sonatas and is the most popular piano piece ever written. In 2004
ABC Classic FM and Limelight Magazine asked Australia’s music lovers ‘What’s the
one piece of piano music you can’t live without?’ Almost ten thousand people voted,
resulting in the definitive guide to Australia’s favourite 100 piano masterpieces, and the
‘Moonlight’ Sonata came in at number one. It was also very popular in Beethoven’s day,
to the point of irritating the composer, who once remarked to his distinguished pupil Carl
Czerny, ‘Surely I’ve written better things.’
Beethoven completed the ‘Moonlight’ Sonata in 1801 and dedicated it to his pupil, the
seventeen year old Countess Giulietta Guicciardi. It was published in 1802. Its
nickname derives not from Beethoven but from an 1832 description of the first
movement by the poet Ludwig Rellstab who said that it reminded him of the moonlight
shining upon Lake Lucerne. Beethoven’s subtitle ‘Quasi una fantasia’ means ‘almost a
fantasy’ and refers to the fact that the sequence of the movements departs from the
traditional fast-slow-fast sequence of a classical sonata. The first movement, although a
slow movement, is actually in first movement sonata form, the middle movement is a
conventional minuet and trio and the final movement is in rondo form.
First edition