Comments on "Moonlight Sonata"

Posted below are 2 comments in response to my forwarded email of the "Moonlight Sonata" presentation which I strongly feel should be shared with my blog's readers for their thought:

from: May Chan
date: Mon, Mar 8, 2010 at 10:12

Dear Mr Lau,

Thank you for the wonderful sharing… I read about Beethoven from President Ikeda writing on The New Human Revolution Book No. 20 [JOY]. Starts from chapter 18 to chapter 22.

It was at 1961, Mr Ikeda visited Vienna’s Central Cemetery, the tomb of many famous musicians such as Beethoven.

Part of his writing:-

For Shin’ichi Yamamoto (Mr. Ikeda), Beethoven’s works were the music that sustained him during his youth, melodies that permeated his inner spirit. In the desolate period of post-war Japan, he was thinking and wondering how he should live his live, the Ninth and Fifth symphonies served to soothe his heart….

…word of his interest and knowledge of Beethoven spread; before he knew it, friends were calling him, “Dr. Beethoven”, he was even invited to speak on the composer at a summer-session class at a local junior high school near his home.

Then, he met Mr Toda, starts Buddhist faith, began to work for Toda’s company. However, business ran into serious difficulties. Payment of wages was late, and his health became worse.

During this time, he encouraged himself by listening again and again the recording of Beethoven… until the records’ grooves were worn out.

Among them, the Ninth symphony, with its message of breaking through despair and discovering joy, had given him incalculable inspiration, and sparked in him the passionate flame of courage.

Have a happy day,

maychan

-------------------------------------------------------------

From: JB Lim

Date: Mon, Mar 8, 2010 at 1:39 AM

Subject: Fwd: Moonlight Sonata - pictures and audio...

Dear Ir. Lau,

Thank you for those kind words.

Not to worry. It was just two words I wrote to you.

I always try to reply and thank people as much as possible when they send things to me. I do not take things for granted that they must send me things to read – whether they be articles, info, circulars, jokes, warnings, music, pictures, photos and slide shows, etc, etc. Why should they? It is not necessary that they must include me in their mailing list. In fact some of the things people e-mail to me is very useful and informative.

Normally I receive about 10 - 20 e-mails everyday, most of them are from regular senders, and I try to reply as best as possible if I have the time. Often this is not possible. In that case I collect and read all their mails and after some time, I reply to thank them collectively. I can’t reply every mail as most were just general circulars for everybody and not for me only.

Reply only if appropriate:

But I will definitely reply to just about anyone who writes to me specifically. In that case it becomes a personal letter. In that case I will definitely reply to him or her only and not have it circulated to everyone, unless it is of general interest and educational in nature, and is harmless and not personal or confidential in nature. It is a matter of unselfishly sharing, whether or not they acknowledge. But of course I do get specific letters e-mailed only for me, and I take great length and trouble to reply him or her, but after that not even a single one or two words of acknowledgement, let only ‘thank you’ - a matter of courtesy, mannerism, grace, and family upbringing and education.

P & C:

Off and on, I receive letters coming from patients seeking my advice concerning some health problems they have. In that case I will definitely reply to them and it shall ALWAYS be between the patient and me ONLY. The reply will absolutely be confidential in nature, unless it is just a general question on health, and educational in nature, and not related to any specific problem concerning that person. It is just a professional code of ethics that’s all.

Moonlight Sonata:

Back to your beautiful slides on Moonlight Sonata by Ludwig Van Beethoven. I truly enjoyed it. I am familiar with this classical piece as I am an amateur violinist and can handle most light classical compositions on the violin, albeit not flawlessly. The violin is technically the hardest instrument to play and it takes a gifted student at least 10 years from young to play decently after hours of practice daily. I learnt the violin not at 6 years of age, but at 60 years, but it is okay.

The Moonlight Sonata piece is not adapted for the violin as its monotone does not sound nice on the violin. It is more suited as a piano piece as the chords played on the left hand on the piano greatly enhances its beauty. It has 3 movements – meaning the tempo or speed in which the entire music score need to be played. They are:

Adagio sostenuto
Allegretto
Presto agitato

Violin accompanied by the Piano:

The slides you sent me is in the slow 1st Adagio Movement, and perhaps this movement is the most expressive. Actually, in music the term ‘sonata’ means the work is meant for two instruments, and as usual, the two best and most beautiful instruments are – the violin as the principal solo, accompanied by the piano. As I have said earlier this composition would not sound nice if played alone on the violin. It has to be accompanied by the piano to bring out its richness, and expressiveness in slow adagio movement (tempo). This would be what Beethoven had wanted when he composed it.

But if only one instrument was available, then it would be much better if the piano takes over a solo piece. Violin does not sound nice if played alone, because most of the bars, measures and passages can be played only one note at the time. This sounds very monotonous without an ac-compliment such as the second violin or a piano coming in.

The orchestral blends of violins:

Unlike a piano, the pianist can use 10 fingers to strike 10 different notes on the keyboard simultaneously, but the violinist can only use one finger at a time on the fingerboard, except rarely and only for short passages we have double or even triple stops. But double and triple stops are technically very difficult to play. That is why in an orchestra there are so many violins – the principal lead instruments all playing together to blend and to cover one another – in case one or two make a mistake. But if we blend so many violins – 1st and 2nd violins together, they sound so smooth, complimentary each other as if many piano and instruments are playing in harmony.

Music is an entirely different discipline:

I hope you understand what I am talking about because understanding music, reading the musical scores, playing and interpreting the composition as the composer wanted it, takes many years of learning and practice, and this is not everyone’s cup of tea.

You need to be musically gifted, and scientists are not very good at this. Neither do composers and musicians talented in science except only one person in the entire history of mankind – Albert Einstein, a scientific genius and a gifted violinist par excellence. Einstein uses both left and right side of his scientific and artistic brains – an extreme rarity.

Musical geniuses:

Even musical prodigies like Mozart and Beethoven, only used the right hemisphere of their brains. They were exceedingly gifted. Mozart was a musical genius, and his pupil Beethoven was a near genius. You cannot have the cake and eat it at the same time.

Thanks once again for your Moonlight Sonata. I will pass on your musical slides for others to enjoy with the speakers on.

Don’t worry if they don’t reply to thank you. It is like that. I too have the same problem. Just give it to them. In the Internet we share information freely. A lot of people especially western countries do this. It is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35).

Regards

JB Lim