I'm giving you something different tonight - a classic piece of classical music. Even if you're not into classical music, you've probably heard the first movement of Beethoven's "Piano Sonata No. 14 in C# Minor" in a movie or something, as the popular name "Moonlight Sonata" is frequently used as a soundtrack. Beethoven was one of the most incredible composers mankind has ever known, not only for his actual works, but for how he continued composing after going deaf. His life story is well worth studying.
The Moonlight Sonata is just one of many of his works which I love, but it's the one you're getting tonight. It was dedicated to a young student of his, the Countess Giulietta Guicciardi, with whom Beethoven was said to have been in love. The first movement is the part you'll likely recognize, the second movement acts as a bridge, and the third movement builds on the theme and just goes nuts. This makes for good background music whilst reading or blogging or what have you, but it's also fun to actually watch the master pianist (Wilhelm Kempff) at work, as his hands are flying across the keys, and his facial expressions are quite impressive - you can tell his soul resonates with the notes he plays, and he throws in a couple humorous looks as well.
If you don't have the time or patience for 16 minutes of brilliance, I recommend at least catching the first movement (5 1/2 minutes) and hitting the 8:05 mark for a quick taste of the third movement.
Classical music is not "boring" or "irrelevant" or dated. Some classical pieces convey more about the human experience than the finest wordsmiths of our time could possibly hope to express. Give it a listen, you might enjoy it more than you expect.
"Piano Sonata No. 14 in C# Minor" (link to Google Video)
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