Beethoven at Lake Lucerne, Dreaming the Moonlight Sonata

The Piano Sonata No. 14 in C# minor (Op. 27, No. 2), officially entitled "Sonata Quasi una Fantasia" by Ludwig van Beethoven, was completed in 1801 and dedicated in 1802 to his pupil Countess Julie "Giulietta" Guicciardi. The countess was one of the candidates for Beethoven's Immortal Beloved although largely ruled out. The score was first published on 2 August 1802 in Vienna. The nickname “Moonlight” was given some time later by German poet Ludwig Rellstab, who likened the first movement to the gentle light of the moon shimmering on Lake Lucerne. Beethoven himself probably never saw Lake Lucerne, and this image uses some artistic licence.