Moonlight Sonata

[Booldawg]

Both Beethoven and Mozart are credited with this piece of music. Who composed it first? Am I to think that cover versions aren't such a recent thing?!

[jenstar]

Who's crediting it to Mozart? Beethoven wrote it, I don't think anyone imagines Mozart did, apart from the idiot responsible for adding it to last.fm.

As for your question about "cover versions", there is indeed a long history of "borrowing" in classical music, just not in this case!

[saxy_jag]

Mozart did indeed write a 'Moonlight Sonata', but it's very different to the gentle, romantic theme of Beethoven's work.

[littleoldme]

In classical speak, cover versions are called "variations", as in Rachmaninov's Variations on a Theme by Paganini, or Vaughan WIlliams' Variations on Greensleeves. ;-) Actually, it's more like sampling than cover versions.

Still doesn't excuse Westlife...