The Musical Presentation of the Imagery of “Moonlight” in the Classical and Impressionist Periods--Taking Beethoven’s Sonata “Moonlight” and Debussy’s Suite Bergamasque Clair de Lune as Examples
Abstract
Different people have completely different feelings towards music, and music under the same imagery also gives people new interpretations due to the composer's different understandings.This issue has received widespread attention, but there is still a relative lack of comparative research on linking songs together.This article will start with two pieces written by Beethoven, a representative figure of the Vienna Classical School, and Debussy, a representative figure of the French Impressionist School, both of which have the imagery of "moonlight".By using literature and score analysis methods, a comparative analysis is conducted on the creative techniques and content expressions of the two composers, showcasing the different musical aesthetics of the two periods.This article analyzes that different pieces of music that embody the same imagery can be constructed in a way determined by the composer and reflect different cultural connotations.In order to provide case studies for the comparative study of music aesthetics in different periods, and to offer some assistance to performers in playing different styles of music, as well as to provide a reference for music learners in the learning process and enhance their understanding of music.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Musicology and Musical Analysis
Literature
Musicology
and Cultural Analysis
Poetry Analysis and Criticism
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research/Advances in social science, education and humanities research
- Pages
- 303–312
- Publication date
- 1 January 2026
- Language
- EN