Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 2 'Moonlight'

Beethoven's 'Moonlight' Sonata (1801) is among the most recognized piano works ever written; its iconic first movement, marked 'Adagio sostenuto', features an unbroken triplet ostinato beneath a mournful melody and was described by Beethoven as quasi una fantasia. The nickname 'Moonlight' was coined by critic Ludwig Rellstab who compared the first movement to moonlight reflecting on Lake Lucerne.