SEYMOUR BERNSTEIN: "Moonlight Sonata", 1st movement 

What makes me happy is I still have 44 years to attain this sublime sound. Thank you.

One word after listening to it: WOW. It really inspired me to really revisit this piece.

Mr. Seymour, your interpretation is so mystical and beautiful, you have inspired me to pull out the score and relearn this piece. I ladt played it 36 years ago. Thank you SOOO much for this. ❣️❣️

Seymour, this is sublime. You bring out voices and nuances that I believe were heard only by Beethoven himself. Your performance of this movement in Korea, two or three summers ago, was exquisite, but you have taken it even further. Your playing is spellbinding. It is definitive. Love, Shari

Thank you very much for sharing this! My brother died far too young and this was played at his funeral. I haven't listened to it for twenty years. To me, it's like a pain that never leaves you. Always looking over your shoulder and sometimes it just becomes too much. My father and brother both played the piano and I have no doubt they would've loved you as well. So please allow me to thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for being able to remember and honor them in a beautiful and profound way. Much love!

Dear Mr. Bernstein, no recording has ever moved me like this one. The intertwining of all the different phrases, each one with an own identity is astonishing. There is so much experience and thoughts behind this playing, the whole life of an inspiring person. That is why I as a 22 years old (studying the cello) can only grasp at the beauty of this artwork and will listen to it many more times. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Thank you!!! Sending my love and best wishes to you.

What can I say? I see perfection and complete mastery and understand. Nothing in this performance disappoints me. This is the best interpretation of this piece I have ever heard.

This is the most sublime, intimate Moonlight I have ever heard - what a frisson of awe, as if hearing it for the first time - the bass has never sounded like this - the pauses - the shadings - It is pure soul and envelopes one's soul - What a supreme gift! The apotheosis of 93 years of mastery, Grateful love -

As a non piano player I get tears in my eyes listening to this heavenly peace of music played by an musician who tried en succeeds to connect People to things beyond common earth things.

I truly enjoyed listening to your interpretation! Thank you so much sharing your Art. Been playing this piece on and off for a good 15 years,and still not perfect😂

Dear Mr Bernstein, thank you for all you share❤ you are an international treasure, I hope you know how much mean to so many.

Very beautiful and peaceful rendition, Mr. Seymour Bernstein. Thank you very much for sharing your wisdom through piano/music. I enjoy and love your book "With Your Own Two Hands" and your videos "The Piano and You" very much. Love and blessings to you!

Hi Seymour, I have long been obsessed (so to speak) with this piano sonata. I used to play it on repeat whilst writing my college papers. Now, I listen to it and I find myself imagining how Beethoven must have felt about the pupil he dedicated this to. The music is so very powerful to me. Your performance makes me want to cry, it is so beautiful and makes me feel so much. I am not a musician, so I do not know the proper words to describe the sounds I hear. But whatever it is, those minor sounds, and the softness that is punctuated with hardness at times….whatever THAT is? Your performance is the perfect interpretation of that element I love so much !! Thank you ❤

Spoken like a true realist!

I love you Seymour. Such a gift you are, thank you for being.

Mr. Seymour Berstein, I had a great privilege to play and learn from you 17 years ago in my beloved teacher, Ms.Catherine Rollin's house. Recently, I came across a video of your masterclass with students here in Korea and found your channel. I've watched your film "An Introduction" tens and hundreds of time - every time I went through a slump, stage fright, and etc., your video kept me alive and gave me strength to never give up. I wanted to thank you for giving me so much inspiration even to this date. Best wishes. Sehun.

Seymour--a transformative performance by the most transformaitive teacher I have every known. Bravo and love to you!

How I’d truly love to meet you, Mr. Bernstein. I am a beginner pianist who has found you and have become so enamored of you. The way you interpret piano pieces is a gift we should all be inspired by and aspire to. I began playing piano 10 weeks ago because I wish to learn Chopin Preludes and Nocturnes. I’m 58 and I don’t have a private teacher. I hope I can play at least a couple of his beloved pieces. For me, you’re the definitive link to Chopin yourself. I hope you are in fine health and happiness. I think you’re wonderful. ❤

Maestro, thank you so much for this ❤ everything you play is so profound. It’s reinvigorated my playing and I couldn’t thank you enough.

I have finally learned this beautiful piece after years of practice. I play on the Erard that my Grandmother left me, that my Grandfather also learned to play this piece on. I managed to record it and send it to my Mother for her Birthday last year. I play it nearly every day and listen for the nuances you have incorporated into this performance. It still gives me such pleasure and is only one of two pieces I can play, the other being a rather poor version of Chopin's Prelude in E minor Opus 28 No 4. Thanks again for making this public, I enjoyed it very much.

Just started practicing this after one year of piano study. Your interpretation is very inspiring. Thank you Seymour.

What a treat! Your incomparable interpretation of this gem is a treat to our souls. Thank you Seymour.

Dear Mr Bernstein, What a wonderful rendition of this masterpiece work. Your expression and interpretation is glorious. It’s so beautiful to hear it played with so much care and attention rather than mechanical like so many recordings. Whilst I’m only a beginner I have learnt the notes to this piece but will spend most of my life trying to perfect it. Thank you for such a gift. All the best from the UK.

As magical as the moonlit night itself, with those inner voices shining through, exquisite pedaling and perfect tempo. Thank you, Seymour, you're a never ending source of inspiration.

Gorgeous , it was breathtaking!!!!! All my love, Kathy

Yes, all the sadness transmuted by these waves of sound....love love love❤😢

Really beautiful, Seymour!

You are Maestro di tutti Maestri! Your Music is pure love… Thank you so much…

Beautiful

Thank you for this wonderful piano performance Seymour! I have heard this piece performed so many times, but it still feels so fresh and moving to me every time. I love your interpretation of this piece the most!

Out of all the renditions i have listened to, this one is by far the best.

Dear Seymour, That's a really modest heart. :) Thank you for posting your magnificent playing. I always look forward to hearing yours. I want you to always know that you are loved. :) Sending my love and best wishes to you. - From. Seoul,Korea

Thank you Mr Bernstein for inspiring me through this music and for taking the time and energy to upload and thus share it. Your interpretation speaks to me of so much respect and love you feel for the piece, so much awe and attention to detail and subcontext. It really inspires me to pay closer, more loving attention to when I play myself (I am a Zither player), to really listen and feel every single note, pause, and whatever else there is. Thank you from the heart for displaying these qualities. All the best to you from Liguria, Italy Michael

Thank you dear Seymour, it is as if the arms of the tree, reaching out for Beethoven's lone, beautiful moon, branch endlessly. 💚

Dear Mr. Bernstein, I am 18 years old, from Munich, and a passionate romantic musician/pianist. I totally agree with your thoughts and opinions about music, about what music really means: The best form of encapsulation of any human's feelings. I love Rachmaninoff. I adore him, I love his music, I learn to play his music, I even uploaded some videos playing his music. Rachmaninoff was able to find his way not only into my heart, but also into my soul. I love him. I even sometimes call my soulmate girlfriend 'Mrs. Rachmaninowa' because to me, she is the human embodiment of his music: Giving me the will to live and love my life. Making me thankful to be a human being. With feelings. This piece though, also moves me a lot. Especially your interpretation. Mr. Bernstein, you are a gift to humanity and to me personally. You represent my definition of music, this extremely romantic, but perfect definition. Thank you for everything. May you live forever. Edit: She left me 3 months ago...

Even though I am not a musician, I heard this sound and it gave me the glimpse of my last journey as per my creator's judgement, may be towards Heaven or hell depends on my good or bad deeds. . .. . .......!emotional!......emotional!............

A really moving interpretation! Thank you so much!

Mr. Seymour Bernstein, this is just so beautiful...couldn't find the correct words to express how it feels until I read Ms. Susan Sherman's comment, and yes, that's exactly how it feels. It's so beautifully, wonderfully expressed...really touches the soul. Thank you for sharing this, sir.

Eveytime I see a moonlight I will think of you, Seymour & replay in my mind the sound of this piece. God bless you!

Beautiful interpretation.

Thank yu . South korea.

Beautiful!! Grazie Maestro!

I cannot imagine that Beethoven’s own hands could elicit as lovely a gift as this. Thank you for your energy and love in this beauty. You are in my thoughts.

Thank you for this beautiful interpretation. All the middle voices made the music deeper and the moonlight brighter.

Magnificent interpretation!

Inconceivably mournful and so perfectly and terribly expressive of the times we're living through. It puts me on the floor. Beautifully done. Thank you! I have been thinking of you so often lately. Be very, very well.

Master! Your vision is excellent again in this excellent sonata! Accept my respect and greetings from Athens-Greece !

Yes, you have come closer! Wonderful performance😍

best regards from Brazil Seymour, loved your Moonlight Sonata, I wish one day watch a live presentation from someone skilled as you one day

I am here after i watched you play Für Elise, and this one don't disappoints as well. Thank you

Best I’ve ever heard!

What a beautiful rendition. I'm still only very new to playing piano, I can play the notes, but you show me that I can't yet play the piece. Especially the moment that comes at 4:12 makes me raise my head for a while, only to get betrayed again, as if I didn't already know the piece was going to do it.

I don't know what Beethoven intended, but at least I think these moments you've created are great. I respect you with all my heart. It's an honor to breathe with you at the same time. Please stay healthy. ♡ I met you for the first time through a movie and became a fan. I really want to see you someday.

Seymour you play beautiful and this is truly a blessing for me, you help my mind clear

I can't believe you're still going so strong, I'm so glad you're still with us

I loved the emotion and atmosphere.

Thank you for such beautiful and inspiring playing!! Love, Young-Ja

Thank you so much. This is wonderful.

Well sung, Seymour -- you are some musician!

Dear Seymour, What a joy!! I'm fascinated with you, since I started discovering your videos (two days ago.. I can't stop hearing and seeing your work, your teachings, your thoughts and philosophy, your deep, inspiring and generous soul, your passion and love and kindness.. you can't imaging the things I'm learning.. I thank you most deeply - can't imaging a proper way to pay you for all that, in any manner, except by saying that I will do my best to savor very carefully and responsably all that wisdom and share with others the fruits of it). I'm just a young piano student from Buenos Aires (Argentina) and, of course, my piano level is like a "not-to-good-amateur" one, miles and miles away from yours, naturally. Nevertheless, I would like to share with you (humbly, I can sure you) a little tribute video to my dear piano teacher (Elsa Púppulo) that I made in 2020, when she died, during the pandemic lockdown: I was then starting to read the Brahms Intermezzo op. 117 n°1 when I heard the news of her death.. I felt all those days a great emotion, connection and gratefullness to her, and decided to record one of those first readings of that beautifull Brahms (I only had a digital piano there, sorry) and make a short tribute video. There is a phrase quite at the end of the video that she used to say often, that motivated me to do that video and now to share it with you. It was something like this: "when you improve, you must share the improvement with others so everybody improves to" (sorry, my English is quite limited 😊). I think the real value of that interpretation lies perhapps not in my musical level, but in the fact that it reflects so purely my emotion and my love and gratitude to her, for sharing with me her soul and her wisdom. So, dear Seymour, with all my gratitud and love, I share now with you this little tribute: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-59oi7niikB4.html I am sure that we will meet and share many things, in some life 😊, I hope so. All the best, with love, Tomás

Wonderful work. Bravo

Amazing, You play it in the same way as I do, same accents slow downs and everything... but you play it so beautifull!!! I am just a beginner.... but thank you! This encourages me to go on! Indeed, this is a piece that has so much room for interpretation and is often played too fast, too straight and with too little emotion... very well done and as a relative beginner at the age of 45, I’m so gratefull to discover the way you play this at a much older age even, so it is really encouraging!!!

As always ... thanks

Perfect

Wery nice. TY

Wow🙏

Truly lovely, but at mark 6:13 I can hear a telephone ringing in the background. I thought at first it was one of our phones ringing downstairs. But then I replayed it and sure enough, it is in the audio recording... very soft, but it is there. LOL

Pure Beethoven... 100%

First time i hear this piece played as softly as written (at least in my copy). Nonetheless i have a question about bar 21 and the C#, my version says D. Is it wrong? Are there more versions?

Almost Beethoven..❤❤

Someone please tell me the Key used here. Thanks

At 93, he has come closer and he is happy, what more could you ask for?

Hi Mr. Seymour Bernstein? May I ask how long have you been playing Piano(Porto piano)? And how long have you been playing the instrument professionally?

Like Rubinstein Bernstein it seems good to love life in hign age, and l shall believe it, but isn't it a bit much in the middle

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Seymour, yours and the performance by Guiomar Novais have impressed me most. What is your opinion of Gould's rendition?

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