Noctave
The piece
Between the Adagio and the stormy Presto, this short movement in D-flat major gives the listener a breath. The sonata appeared in Vienna in 1802 as Sonata quasi una fantasia; the "Moonlight" nickname came later. The form is a minuet's: an Allegretto in two repeated halves, a trio, then the Allegretto again, which Beethoven marks "Allegretto D. C." and Noctave writes out in full.
The opening gesture sets two slurred notes against two detached ones: make the contrast clear, as it is the whole character of the piece. In the trio, the right hand strikes off-beat sf accents over a held bass; place them without rushing the next beat. The left hand often plays octaves and short chords that should stay light. The tempo is moderate and the challenges are measured, which makes this a good first step into Beethoven's sonatas.