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Ludwig van Beethoven — Moonlight Sonata
Album: The Great Beethoven Sonatas (Rudolf Serkin)
Avg rating:
9.1

Your rating:
Total ratings: 4737









Released: 1801
Length: 6:30
Plays (last 30 days): 0
(Instrumental)
Comments (598)add comment
Also covered by Depeche Mode as a B-side on a single: 

Depeche Mode - Moonlight Sonata 432hz / 423hz
 david16 wrote:

The best piece of music ever written by a human, period!  



But, but, but...what about Dylan?

And they never gave no Nobel prize to that Beethoven guy. anyway.  And he needs a haircut, too. 
 
Iā€™d rather be late for work than not listening to this until the very end.
as awesome as this is, I think it is highly rated because people are embarrassed and reluctant to give bad marks to venerated pieces of art 
One of the few  pieces of music for which the rating system doesn't go anywhere near high enough.  This goes past godlike up there to stratospheric!!
 jjbix37 wrote:

saw this guy in concert recently, he's very serious . . 



Rudolph Serkin or Ludvig van Beethoven?
saw this guy in concert recently, he's very serious . . 
 jtherieau wrote:
Solid 10.


This may be my favorite cat GIF ever...  :-)
The best piece of music ever written by a human, period!  
i played along to this at my work desk.
nice break from analyzing.
 jtherieau wrote:
Solid 10.


aww kitty. gorgeous!

every time i hear this i think of the Peanuts gang. 
i either saw a cartoon or had a record where Lucy sang "you know something Shroeder? I love the way you play the peee  aaaaaaa no, it's nice!" (those are the lyrics, i swear. try them out, it works)
"Beethoven wasn't so great. He never got his picture on a bubble gum card." - Lucy

 grhorn wrote:

Nice melody but hard to dance to.




Try juggling to it. I love juggling to classical music.
The correct number of notes. 
The composition is genius.  This rendition not so much.  Sounds like an beginner piano player.
From Bonobo to Beethoven. The magic of RP.....
At the risk of being controversial, this piece doesn't float my boat. 
was a solid genius
 On_The_Beach wrote:

As of today, this is #1.
0.004 points ahead of Hendrix's version of All Along The Watchtower.
Safe to say RP listeners have diverse tastes?

Update as of 07-11-2020

1.   Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd
2.   Shine On You Crazy Diamond
3.   All Along the Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix
4.   Time - Pink Floyd -
5.   A Day in the life - The Beatles
6.   Moonlight Sonata - Ludwig van Beethoven
7.   Pink Floyd - Us and Them
8.   Little Wing - Jimi Hendrix
9.   Symphony Number Five - Allegro Con Brio
10.  The Four Seasons: Summer -  Vivaldi
fyi...full moon this week in July 2022.

Going tent camping and watch that moon track across the sky. 

Then later in the night...listen for spooks and scary monsters,  moving around the woods.   Dare not  leave the tent!!! The whole forest will be lighted up by that full moon. 


Having to scroll by the same frickin' gif over and over and over to read the comments makes me crazy....stop doing that!!!!
 haarimeech wrote:

love the release date on this one...  1801!  wonder what kind of vinyl they had back then..



Pretty sure this is a cover of the original...
 reallylost wrote:

I don't think the CD was released in 1801 but what do I know? 


You are correct, it would have been released as an analog cylinder.
It is a very simple song to play. The trick / challenge is to put all the emotion in it. Rudolf Serkin is doing a great job. 
I think there are better covers...
For me Barenboim did the trick. Btw the link to the artist https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
This is the artists Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

(covering Beethoven)
 Spiderwoman wrote:

The sound of Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy's breaking heart




But it comes back to enjoy it again.
The sound of Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy's breaking heart
Less is more: how did Beethoven dare to write something so simple, so beautiful?
 jtherieau wrote:
Solid 10.


So that's how the cat plays when the mice are away!
Billie Eilish into Beethoven. Best station ever. 


I need to review my other ratings. 
 justin_case wrote:


It took a 'random walk'.


On the wild side...
Talk about a piece of music transcending space and time!
Nothing less than a permanent *10* for this masterpiece and genius. The mind can bathe in the beauty of this artistry.
Watch "Immortal Beloved." almost as beautiful as Ludwig. Almost.
 igotitmade2k wrote:

Twice in two days at about the same time. Where is the random music generator?



It took a 'random walk'.  Look it up.
I played the simple version as a child. Wish I was this good. 9.
Excellent!
 snowcone wrote:

Perfect music for the robot apocalypse.


Or any other end of the world shit
 brw001 wrote:

What other rock oriented station would play Beethoven on a Monday morning?  My god, how fantastic!



Or any other morning...  Especially a track such as this, which is really quite far, maybe as far as one can get, from Crossroads or I Saw Her Standing There. 
I don't think the CD was released in 1801 but what do I know? 
 Webfoot wrote:

Life's not fair.   10



No - it's not unfair, it's genius!  Say, you don't like classical and you hear this - you will immediately be converted and consider it as great as any Hendrix riff.
 jtherieau wrote:
Solid 10.



That cat is so cool!
 jtherieau wrote:
Solid 10.


The cat or the song?
Perfect music for the robot apocalypse.
RP is an Oasis in the middle of the vast music station wasteland.  Thanks Bill.
220 years old, as magical as when it was first played
Twice in two days at about the same time. Where is the random music generator?
 grhorn wrote:

Nice melody but hard to dance to.


lol
you just let your mind dance and don't move a hair , you may enjoy it too
Chills up and down from head to toe every time.  Extraordinary.  10+.
 On_The_Beach wrote:

As of today, this is #1.
0.004 points ahead of Hendrix's version of All Along The Watchtower.
Safe to say RP listeners have diverse tastes?


seriously ?
Punched out some good tunes did Ludwig, this is one of the ridiculously good ones
One of my most favorite pieces of music. I would give this a 100. 
I think Ludwig has something big in his future.
Billy Eilish then Beethoven. Sublime.
Exalted and divine. 
Well, I'd heard of Beethoven the dog, but . . .

 jtherieau wrote:
Solid 10.
 

Nice melody but hard to dance to.
Goddamn I love RP. Making another donation right now...
love the release date on this one...  1801!  wonder what kind of vinyl they had back then..
LOL  I thought they were IN sync!
 
sqqqrly wrote:



 

The music and video are out of sync, wtf?
 

To be precise, it's Serkin (non Serken)
 the_jake wrote:
Did I hear some chanting near the beginning of Moonlight Sonata?
Maybe it was the end of the Peter Gabriel -Ngankarrparni song that bled over?
Possibly my mind is playing tricks on me.
 

Same segue today...caught me off guard as I turned this up...
Long Live RP!#
Linus can really play!
Did I hear some chanting near the beginning of Moonlight Sonata?
Maybe it was the end of the Peter Gabriel -Ngankarrparni song that bled over?
Possibly my mind is playing tricks on me.
 sqqqrly wrote:



 

The music and video are out of sync, wtf?
 

Yea, but the cat sure has some chops
Sublime šŸ¤
 sqqqrly wrote:



 

The music and video are out of sync, wtf?
 

Who cares 
It's Rudolf Serkin, not Serken.

For me, this interpretation is too slow and ponderous, but you can't argue with the quality of the composition.
 jtherieau wrote:
Solid 10.
 
Vlad von Cathoven
music for all time
Posted 4 weeks ago by sqqqrly: jimys1 wrote:

How about a Classical mix channel?

 
sqqqrly wrote:

I would love this Bill G
 
Why stop at just Classical?  A Jazz/Blues mix would be great too. 
Not to say that BillG needs to do anything to make RP the best radio 'station' ever...almost 20 years listening for me...damn...almost as old as this Beethoven guy.
Long Live RP!!
 kingart wrote:
10 years ago, hears this on a bleak, cold and rainy day in NYC, must pull car to the curb and do nothing for 8 plus minutes. 
 
Pulled into the garage after a long day at work and like kingart remained in the car listening until the piece was completed. Was a much happier dinner mate.
 brw001 wrote:
What other rock oriented station would play Beethoven on a Monday morning?  My god, how fantastic!
 

Completely fantastic, like going to the groceries, but ending up with new tyres on your car instead.
 jimys1 wrote:
How about a Classical mix channel?
 
I would love this Bill G




 

The music and video are out of sync, wtf?
I had a girlfriend that played the piano, but had never heard this song before and i introduced her to it (all movements) and she proceeded to learn to play it for me as a birthday present (which she did, i was proud of all her hard work, she did it justice) Makes me sad whenever i hear it since we're no longer together i still love the piece though
 jtherieau wrote:
Solid 10.
 
Always a thumbs up for cat GIFs.
 brw001 wrote:
What other rock oriented station would play Beethoven on a Monday morning?  My god, how fantastic!
 

Rated "10" only because I can't give it 1,000. Or higher.
How about a Classical mix channel?
Love it "released 1801"!!!
10 years ago, hears this on a bleak, cold and rainy day in NYC, must pull car to the curb and do nothing for 8 plus minutes. 
 jtherieau wrote:
Solid 10.
 

Now that cat can play!
Bill, You might give Camille Saint=Sans Carnival of the Animals: VII. Aquarium a try; it is etherial 
Solid 10.
H E AV E N !!!!
BEAUTIFUL!
What other rock oriented station would play Beethoven on a Monday morning?  My god, how fantastic!
Wellsaid !
Azrica wrote:
 Highlowsel wrote:
 yofitofu wrote:
Not many stations do you hear Santana, Porcupine Tree, Simon and Garfunkel, Goldfrapp and Beethoven in the same half hour. Well done. This is why we love you RP.

 

And as others have pointed out that, for me, is exactly the point of listening to RP.  I know of no other site, nor anything station that traverses the airwaves from source to listener, that does anything even remotely as appealing as this site does.  Bill and crew have afforded me a listen to some music I know; the old standards and their variations and such.  But they have also opened my ears to a range of music which, left to my own devices, I would never have heard or bothered to listen to simply by dint of not knowing the artist.  They keep the veil of musical complacency from descending and blinkering my sensibilities.  And for that I lift my glass and say....bravo!  {#Cheers}  I don't know how you do it...in listening and finding all of it to present to your global audience...but I applaud you for it all the same....you have a finger on the pulse of, or a sense for, some very tasty earfulness. 

Highlow
American Net'Zen


 
{#Crown}

 

I think the pianist's name is spelled wrong on the "cover art" https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolf_Serkin
"Released 1801"
 Kokoloco53 wrote:
Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata - one of the overplayed classical pieces on RP - the classical equivalent to 'Stairway to Heaven' - one of the most overplayed rock songs of all time. Fortunately, both being as great songs as they are, I still like to hear both of them. But.....if you really want to hear the Moonlight Sonata, try listening to the entire piece, all 3 movements. The 2nd movement, Allegretto, gets interesting, but the finale, the Presto Agitato movement just explodes with unbelievably difficult but equally beautiful notes...you know, kind of like 'Stairway to Heaven' that goes from mellow to fast and furious. The entire Moonlight Sonata is about 18 minutes long, but worth every minute. I presented the famous Irish concert pianist, John O'Conor who performed all three movements for 800 elementary school children and it was cool to see the attention span of little kids tested by such a heavy piece of music. Go for it!
 
I will investigate that.  Thank you.
Perfect Mix. Music at it's best!!
Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata - one of the overplayed classical pieces on RP - the classical equivalent to 'Stairway to Heaven' - one of the most overplayed rock songs of all time. Fortunately, both being as great songs as they are, I still like to hear both of them. But.....if you really want to hear the Moonlight Sonata, try listening to the entire piece, all 3 movements. The 2nd movement, Allegretto, gets interesting, but the finale, the Presto Agitato movement just explodes with unbelievably difficult but equally beautiful notes...you know, kind of like 'Stairway to Heaven' that goes from mellow to fast and furious. The entire Moonlight Sonata is about 18 minutes long, but worth every minute. I presented the famous Irish concert pianist, John O'Conor who performed all three movements for 800 elementary school children and it was cool to see the attention span of little kids tested by such a heavy piece of music. Go for it!
WOW.  PSD'd from the Ramones to this.  That is about a big a difference as I can think of.  Eclectic!
This rotation is S&G  'Sounds of Silence'   and  Beethoven - Moonlight Sonata.  Two Classics.
Enjoying this -

Released: 1801

Indeed it was.
Thank you.
I was listening to this for the blue blood full moon we had a couple of days ago, whilst outside watching the phenomenon by -8 ā„ƒ . Both magnificent. Two hours of freezing grace.


Bill, would you consider playing all 3 movements.  The 3rd is spectacular.  See if you agree.
Thank you for your exceptional service.
Best Wishes,
Susan Peterson
 cely wrote:
Is it kind of unfair to put up a piece of music that has stood the test of time for 200 plus years against most of what's played here from the last 50?

 
Life's not fair.   10
Is it kind of unfair to put up a piece of music that has stood the test of time for 200 plus years against most of what's played here from the last 50?
 DaidyBoy wrote:
Released in 1801 and not a scratch ...

Beautifully followed by Vienna Teng, which complements it perfectly.  Thanks, RP.

 
Frak I wasn't paying attention :(
Released in 1801 and not a scratch ...

Beautifully followed by Vienna Teng, which complements it perfectly.  Thanks, RP.
What a segue Bill..... Sound of Silence -> Moonlight, very deep.
 Pedro1874 wrote:
Still #2 on the RP Top100 and rightly so.{#Notworthy}

 
It's dropped to four now Still fantastic.

1. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here  (9.636)
2. Pink Floyd - Shine On You Crazy Diamond  (9.603)
3. Johann Sebastian Bach - Toccata in D minor  (9.592)
4. Beethoven - Moonlight Sonata  (9.585)
5. Jimi Hendrix - All Along The Watchtower  (9.582)
6. The Beatles - A Day In The Life  (9.565)
7. Pink Floyd - Time  (9.524)
8. Beethoven - Symphony No.5 - Allegro Con Brio  (9.506)
9. Pink Floyd - Echoes  (9.504)
10. Jimi Hendrix - Little Wing  (9.5)
By probably the finest interpreter of Ludwig van B, too.
I think this is the most moving song I've ever heard
This is pretty good - a little modern for my tastes, though.
40 trolls votes zero here {#Iamwithstupid}
 Highlowsel wrote:
 yofitofu wrote:
Not many stations do you hear Santana, Porcupine Tree, Simon and Garfunkel, Goldfrapp and Beethoven in the same half hour. Well done. This is why we love you RP.

 

And as others have pointed out that, for me, is exactly the point of listening to RP.  I know of no other site, nor anything station that traverses the airwaves from source to listener, that does anything even remotely as appealing as this site does.  Bill and crew have afforded me a listen to some music I know; the old standards and their variations and such.  But they have also opened my ears to a range of music which, left to my own devices, I would never have heard or bothered to listen to simply by dint of not knowing the artist.  They keep the veil of musical complacency from descending and blinkering my sensibilities.  And for that I lift my glass and say....bravo!  {#Cheers}  I don't know how you do it...in listening and finding all of it to present to your global audience...but I applaud you for it all the same....you have a finger on the pulse of, or a sense for, some very tasty earfulness. 

Highlow
American Net'Zen


 
{#Crown}

As others have commented, awesome set!  New listener and keep coming back.  Thanks!
 
 Highlowsel wrote:
 yofitofu wrote:
Not many stations do you hear Santana, Porcupine Tree, Simon and Garfunkel, Goldfrapp and Beethoven in the same half hour. Well done. This is why we love you RP.

 

And as others have pointed out that, for me, is exactly the point of listening to RP.  I know of no other site, nor anything station that traverses the airwaves from source to listener, that does anything even remotely as appealing as this site does.  Bill and crew have afforded me a listen to some music I know; the old standards and their variations and such.  But they have also opened my ears to a range of music which, left to my own devices, I would never have heard or bothered to listen to simply by dint of not knowing the artist.  They keep the veil of musical complacency from descending and blinkering my sensibilities.  And for that I lift my glass and say....bravo!  {#Cheers}  I don't know how you do it...in listening and finding all of it to present to your global audience...but I applaud you for it all the same....you have a finger on the pulse of, or a sense for, some very tasty earfulness. 

Highlow
American Net'Zen


 
{#Cheers}to you and to RP <3
 Highlowsel wrote:
 yofitofu wrote:
Not many stations do you hear Santana, Porcupine Tree, Simon and Garfunkel, Goldfrapp and Beethoven in the same half hour. Well done. This is why we love you RP.

 

And as others have pointed out that, for me, is exactly the point of listening to RP.  I know of no other site, nor anything station that traverses the airwaves from source to listener, that does anything even remotely as appealing as this site does.  Bill and crew have afforded me a listen to some music I know; the old standards and their variations and such.  But they have also opened my ears to a range of music which, left to my own devices, I would never have heard or bothered to listen to simply by dint of not knowing the artist.  They keep the veil of musical complacency from descending and blinkering my sensibilities.  And for that I lift my glass and say....bravo!  {#Cheers}  I don't know how you do it...in listening and finding all of it to present to your global audience...but I applaud you for it all the same....you have a finger on the pulse of, or a sense for, some very tasty earfulness. 

Highlow
American Net'Zen


 
Absolutely. Thank you, Radio Paradise!
 Highlowsel wrote:
 yofitofu wrote:
Not many stations do you hear Santana, Porcupine Tree, Simon and Garfunkel, Goldfrapp and Beethoven in the same half hour. Well done. This is why we love you RP.

 

And as others have pointed out that, for me, is exactly the point of listening to RP.  I know of no other site, nor anything station that traverses the airwaves from source to listener, that does anything even remotely as appealing as this site does.  Bill and crew have afforded me a listen to some music I know; the old standards and their variations and such.  But they have also opened my ears to a range of music which, left to my own devices, I would never have heard or bothered to listen to simply by dint of not knowing the artist.  They keep the veil of musical complacency from descending and blinkering my sensibilities.  And for that I lift my glass and say....bravo!  {#Cheers}  I don't know how you do it...in listening and finding all of it to present to your global audience...but I applaud you for it all the same....you have a finger on the pulse of, or a sense for, some very tasty earfulness. 

Highlow
American Net'Zen


 
Amen!
Sublime. 
 Rosepo wrote:
This song plays so quietly I can't hear it unless I turn the volume way up. šŸ˜Æ

 
Yes, it is very silent, I guess it does use the entire 16-bit amplitude range at times, but I would dare to apply a tiny bit of dynamic range compression to make this more radio-friendly.
All other 10s fall behind this.