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PIANO SONATA No. 15 in F major K533
The movements of this sonata were composed separately, and were later combined
into what is now regarded as one sonata.
The writing of the first movement is daring, using many contrapuntal devices
(canon, imitation), and extensive harmonic digressions into far away minor keys. It
recalls the works of Bach and Handel, whose compositions Mozart had studied
closely. The coda shows some extraordinary chromatic shifts, before closing with
flourishing triplet runs.
The slow movement is in sonata form. It presents some of the most original music of
Mozart, showing in the asymmetrical phrase structures and the strange harmonic
development, which must have sound oddly dissonant to contemporary ears.
The third movement, marked Allegretto, eases the tension of the two preceding
movements, and is a pleasant Rondeau, in which the theme is differently ornamented
each time it reappears. The minor episode again shows clever counterpoint. A skilful,
cadenza-like piling up of the theme is followed by the recurrence of the theme in the
bass, and the movement ends peacefully.
PIANO SONATA No. 16 in C major K545
This sonata, composed in 1788, bears the subtitle "Little Sonata for beginners". Today
it is known as "Sonate facile", and is popular with piano amateurs, often being the
first music of Mozart to digest (but it needs a lot of chewing...).
The structure of the first movement is of notebook discipline. It starts with a singing
principal theme, folowed by running scales. The recapitulation is the standard repeat
of the exposition. The slow movement is touching in its simplicity, and through very
modest means is still able to build up a moving climax. The theme of the short
Rondo is reminiscent of the cuckoo's call.
PIANO SONATA No. 17 in B flat major K570
It was not until after this sonata was written in Vienna in 1789 that the style known
as that of Mozart's last years became apparent in his piano sonatas. There is no trace
of splendour and richly singing cantilenas, as in the B flat major K333, or the tragic
and overtly dramatic tensions of the C minor K457 sonatas. The language of this
sonata is simple and clear with a deep inner meaning, nothing is superfluous or
brilliant for its own sake. The music is not composed for the concert hall to dazzle
the audience.
The first movement begins with a calm theme in unisono triads, followed by a some
conventional musical patterns. Two sudden chords introduce the singing second
theme in E flat major. The recapitulation is almost identical to the exposition.
The Adagio is reminiscent of an ensemble of wind instruments, notably the first bar's
"horn call". The profound, almost processional development of the music is
interrupted by an episode in C minor, introducing gentle "sigh" motives. In the
middle a new theme appears, singing innocently in A flat major.
The cheerful and lilting theme of the rondo appears only twice, the middle section
introducing a gay episode in staccato repeating notes, which could have walked
straight out of Die Zauberflöte.
PIANO SONATA No. 18 in D major K576
Mozart played this sonata, which proved to be his last one, in Berlin before the King
of Prussia Frederick William II, in 1789. The King commissioned him to write some
string quartets and piano sonatas of a "light" character. Mozart only completed 3
string quartets and one piano sonata, this sonata in D major. It is far from being
"light", indeed the baroque-like counterpoint makes this one of the most difficult
sonatas to perform.
The "Hunt" fanfare of the first theme is used in the development in fugato-like
episodes.
The Adagio in A major exudes intimacy. The richly ornamented flow of melody and
the strong underlying tensions of the music are characteristic for the late Mozart.
The last movement, marked Allegretto, is a fine specimen of Mozart's Sonata-
Rondo's.
The skilful contrapuntal devices and the virtuosic fingerwork make it a worthy
conclusion to this ambitious sonata.
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