Mozart, Sonata in A major K. 331, II, menuetto

Like all of the other pieces in this assignment, this is a rounded binary piece, but has some distinct differences between the others our class has studied.

The interesting thing about this piece is how irregular the A section is. This section contains three phrases as opposed to the traditional two periods and all three of these phrases are of different lengths. As the title indicates, this piece is in A major. The first phrase is four bars and ends on a half cadence. The next phrase is contrasting from the first one and is six bars long and ends on a PAC. This sounds like it would be the end of a closed A section but it is followed by a leaping grace notes into the next phrase which lasts eight bars and modulated to E major and ends in a PAC. This whole section serves an expository function.

Considering how long the A section is, the B section is quite short, clocking in at only twelve bars. It begins with just octave E, F#, and G natural, which establishes the new key as E minor. One could argue for an IAC at the beginning of the fifth bar, but I feel that section wanders, and the key is hidden by a whole lot of sequences, though seeing all the C naturals in the music and some G naturals established E minor. The twelve bars ends with a picardy third in an authentic cadence in E major. All of the sequences in this section make me classify this as transitional.

A sixteenth note scalar run establishes the return to the key of A major and the return of the A section which makes this piece rounded binary. The first phrase is the same as the opening ending on the half cadence, but this time the second phrase continues to the third beat and ending in a half cadence. The third phrase is similar to the original but changes so the PAC can be achieved in the original key of A major.