RTV repertoire catalog

Mozart - Sonata No. 1 - K. 279 - Second Movement

ID 4159 · Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus · Piano · Level 6 · Points 28685

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The second movement of Mozart’s Sonata No. 1, K. 279, is an Andante in F major and three-quarter time. A decorated right-hand melody rises above gently moving left-hand notes. Triplet figures give the opening a flowing pulse, while later passages introduce straighter eighth notes, repeated chords, and brief exchanges between the hands. The movement remains intimate in scale, but its changing accompaniment and frequent dynamic contrasts keep the texture varied. Opening melody: A short pickup leads into a slurred melody with small ornamental turns and changes of register. The left hand begins with triplet accompaniment, then changes its pattern as the melody moves into shorter phrases. The upper line sometimes settles onto longer notes while the bass continues moving underneath. Accents and shifts between stronger and quieter dynamics punctuate the phrases. Secondary theme and closing material: A decorated entrance introduces repeated upper notes over a gently circling lower accompaniment. The hands then become more independent: held notes appear alongside moving inner figures, and the bass occasionally answers after the upper melody pauses. Near the end of this section, repeated left-hand chords support brief right-hand gestures separated by rests. Trills and descending figures lead into a quiet cadence and the first repeat. Middle section and return: After the repeat, the melody is carried over a renewed broken-chord pattern. Changing accidentals and shifts between the hands give these phrases a less settled sound. The music grows more pointed through accented upper notes, then relaxes as the opening melody returns. The familiar triplets reappear, followed by the quieter secondary material and another passage of repeated accompaniment chords. Final phrases: The closing page gives the bass and upper voices several overlapping lines. Short responses alternate with fuller chords and ornamented cadences. The final gestures become more spacious, with rests between the phrases, before a softly marked chord completes the movement. Interesting fact: The accompaniment changes from triplet motion to ordinary eighth-note patterns within this movement, creating two different kinds of flow under the melody.