“Moonlight” Sonata, Op. 27 No. 2 · III. Presto agitato

The piece

Beethoven titled both sonatas of Op. 27 Sonata quasi una fantasia; the “Moonlight” nickname came later, from an image the critic Ludwig Rellstab used about the first movement. The finale turns its back on that calm: Presto agitato, in sonata form, it opens with arpeggios that shoot upwards in one sweep and break on two struck chords. The exposition repeat is played here, from the same engraving as the first movement (the 1908 Berners edition).

The movement demands stamina, close to seven minutes, and a tireless left hand: more than ten attacks per second in the fast passages, with 538 leaps. The 385 repeated notes must stay clean without locking the wrist. The right-hand arpeggios need a thumb that passes under smoothly and a forearm that glides towards the treble; the two chords at the top drop from above with a relaxed arm instead of being pushed. Keep a strict pulse in these climbs: steadiness, more than speed, is what creates the agitation. Wait mode helps you read the arpeggios note by note before linking them at tempo.