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Thursday, April 17, 2008

Mozart Sonata K. 545

I am so not feeling creative right now. Hence the title. The sections of the first movement (allegro) are as follows:

Exposition: measures 1-28, C major
First theme: measures 1-12, C major
Transition b/w 1st and 2nd theme: measure 13, C major
Second theme: measures 14-25, C major
Codetta: 26-28

Development: 29-40, A minor
Retransition: measure 41, C major

Recapitulation: measures 42-70, C major

In the development section, the harmonic material that is being developed is reminiscent of the material present in the exposition in measures 18-24. The harmonic motion that is featured in this section is modulatory, eventually this a minor in this section modulates back to C major.

In the recap, there are a few changes to the theme that is present in the exposition. It starts out the same in measures 42-48 as compared to measures 1-6, but the scalar motion is expanded in the recap. There is also more cadential like action in the recap than there is in the exposition, including soaring scale passages in the right hand with slower rhythmically moving notes in the left hand. The rest of the recap is quite similar to the exposition.

One of the most important motives in this piece is the eighth note sixteenth pattern. This occurs often in the movement and is developed thoroughly in the recapitulation. It first appears in measure 5 of the exposition. In the recap, it is expanded to include notes that do not appear in the exposition, such as D, C, Bb, and A. It is also expanded to include the left hand in this pattern while the right hand plays quarter notes and rests.

Overall, this movement is a short and good example of sonata form. Yeah Mozart!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

* The 2nd theme is in G major (measure 13)
* The development is in G minor (measure 29)
* The recapitulation is in F major(measure 42), and later transitions back to C (measure 59).

--David
Ph.D. in Musicology, Columbia University, 2007.
drunkbuddhism@yahoo.com