The first edition of the ‘Moonlight’ Sonata was first published in Vienna by Cappi and
advertised in the Wiener Zeitung on 3 March 1802. It has been reproduced in full in
facsimile edition. It shows Beethoven’s two opening directions in the first movement as:
‘Si deve suonare tutto questo pezzo delicatissimamente e Senza Sordino/
Sempre pp e Senza Sordino’
These directions may be translated as:
‘The entire piece [that is, the whole of the first movement] must be played as delicately
as possible and without dampers/
Throughout very softly and without dampers’
In the first edition there is an extra space before the commencement of the words ‘e
Senza Sordino’ where first appearing.
Beethoven’s autograph
The first and final leaves (consisting of the title page, the first thirteen bars of the first
movement, and the final three bars of the last movement) have been missing from the
autograph of the ‘Moonlight Sonata since 1830. The remaining leaves of the autograph
are in the Beethoven-Archiv in Bonn and have been reproduced in facsimile edition.
In the absence of the missing leaves, or folio, we have no way of checking to see if
Beethoven’s handwritten opening directions throw any light on the subject. The
autograph that has come down to us is black in colour, but the ‘senza sordino’ and ‘con
sordino’ markings in the final movement are a light brown colour. These markings were
presumably inserted by Beethoven after the rest of the manuscript was penned.
Beethoven used the word ‘pezzo’ (‘piece’) in the first of his two directions in the first
movement, and wrote ‘Fine’ at the end of the first movement but later crossed it out. He
may have originally intended the first movement to be a stand-alone piece.
Traditional pedalling and unchanged pedal
The traditional pedalling requires the pianist to use the sustaining pedal throughout the
whole of the first movement but to change it constantly in accordance with the changing
bass octaves and harmonies.
The unchanged pedal requires the pianist to use the sustaining pedal throughout the
whole of the first movement and to keep it unchanged throughout.
Czerny’s view 1830, 1846
Carl Czerny (1791-1857) was a pupil of Beethoven from 180 1 to 1803 and studied with
him all his piano sonatas including, of course, the ‘Moonlight’ Sonata. Presumably