Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Moonlight Sonata - "Official" fingering?

I have noticed several different fingerings for even the very first easy measure of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. A majority of sheet music seems to recommend starting out playing 1-3-5 RH and the rest of sheet music recommends 2-4-5 RH.

I personally think the 2-4-5 feel awful to my hand, but I am willing to learn and play it that way if that is the correct way, or Beethoven's intent.

Long story short, is there a "correct" or "official" fingering for Moonlight Sonata?

Did Beethoven include fingerings with the original music, and if so I guess that is the answer, I should use his, right? Otherwise, if it is up to some non-Beethoven type human's interpretation, then what is the most correct?

If there is no correct or official, and 2-4-5 feels horrible to me, should I go with 1-3-5 RH to start off with?

Thanks!

I'll have to dig around to see if I have any info as to whether Beethoven notated fingering for this. He did notate fingers occasionally, though I think for this he did not.

Personally, I'd recommend you use 1-2-4 - you'll have to use that fingering anyway when the melody starts (use finger 5 for the melody).

2-4-5 is certainly doable in the first measure, but I don't see the point when 1-3-5 is easier (and is what I use). But 8tude's point is valid too if you want to strive for consistency.

My teacher's consistent advice: consider the written fingerings (whether the composer's or just some editor's), then feel free to adopt, adapt, or change completely for whatever works best for you.

There is no official fingering.

I second Kreisler. There is no right fingering or official fingering, because everyone's hand size, flexibility, etc. are different. Do what is comfortable and allows you to play expressively. I also do the 1-2-4 fingering to set up the melody later.

Thanks for the info everyone. Is there a place onlien I can go and see a copy of Beethoven's original?

Is there a really good version of the sheet music that is recommended, or should I just buy any version that looks good in the music store?

Any Urtext version would be best. Henle, if you can afford it.

The autograph is here:
http://www.beethoven-haus-bonn.de/s...%20Ludwig%20van%20Beethoven&_seite=1

The first page has been lost though - so there may never be a definitive answer to your question regarding the opening measures. But judging from the rest it doesn't look like he notated it. Also, the opening movement is pretty easy, so it is unlikely that Beethoven would have felt the need to mark fingerings for such easy figurations.

Was putting stems pointing down on the left side of the note heads a more recent development?

I'm sorry, but 2-4-5 seems like idiocy to me. The maxim that one should not use one's thumb on a black note is problematic at best, and if that's the point of this fingering, then that's just nuts. What fingering do the 2-4-5 editions suggest when the G# octaves occur in the right hand? Please tell me it isn't 2-5. If it's 1-5, as I suspect, then what's the point of using 2 on the opening G#?

1-2-4 works fine for me.

Oh goody, well I bought an edition today that uses 1-3-5 starting out and that seems to be the consensus so I will be going with that. If Beethoven wanted me to use 2-4-5 I would but it sounds like he didn't heh heh, thanks everyone.

I would agree with the others that even if Beethoven wrote out a fingering I wouldn't automatically use it, unless I was playing the piece with Beethoven's hands.

Now that conjures up some bad visuals . . .

Anyway, unlike expression markings I think fingerings are really suggestions.

Perhaps to avoid an accent on the first note of each triplet.

can anyone please tell me why it is called sonata in Cm whereas i found it to played in Emajor scale???

thanks in advance

It's not called sonata in Cm. It's a sonata in C#m, the relative minor to E Major. Both have four sharps.

I was taught to use 245 and the explanation was that the thumb often is a 'heavier' finger causing some to play it with more of an accent.

I do it both ways now (just went to test it out) comfortably, but certainly pay close attention to the strength of my thumb.

The 2-4-5 fingering must have been supplied by some over-solicitous editor concerned that the use of the thumb might produce "bumps" in the playing of the opening where the figure which forms the accompaniment to the melody later on is exposed on its own.
I don't have the Henle edition, but I understand that Beethoven asks for the sustaining pedal to be held down throughout the course of the movement. A recent recording by a celebrated pianist who follows this direction can only have been made to illustrate the point that it's not always wise to follow every direction a composer gave to the letter...especially when playing upon modern instruments.

Consider as well that Beethoven composed on an instrument with slightly smaller keys. Even if those are his fingerings in your score, it doesn't necessarily mean it's appropriate on a modern instrument. And always, always play with what is comfortable in your hand. Fingering is always up to the performer!

Fingering is completely an individual preference, based, as others said, on the flexibility and dexterity of your own hands. Don't decide based on consensus in the forum or on the reputation of an editor. Decide on what feels best for YOUR hands. But you must also take into consideration how well the fingering will work at performance speed and how well it sets you up for the next notes.

I have come to trust certain editors, particularly Theopold for the WTC. I decided this after changing the recommended fingering many times but always ending up going back to Theopold's original recommendation. Other editors do a poor job and I expect to make changes.

This I heartily agree with. Occasionally you will come across a fingering that seems and feels odd and uncomfortable but turns out to the the best option. Sometimes, you just have to train you fingers to tackle something new. I encounter this frequently in Bach. For instance, I wrestled with the right hand fingering on an ascending run that ended with 2nd finger on A and thumb on Bb because the next note is a Bb an octave above. I tried every option I could think of but found this was the only one that really worked. To execute it, I have to work my way deeply between the black keys. After some practice, it worked very well and really was the best option despite it seeming awkward at first.

So in short, feel free to adjust the fingering as needed but keep yourself open to new ideas. Also keep in mind the speed and how well the fingering feeds into the next notes.

Wow, thread necromancy seems to be catching on here!

This Resurrection/Second Coming came about when saurabh simply asked a question about keys, which Kreisler answered.

The OP was made back in February. I'm sure the fingering issue has been dealt with since then.