Louis Adam - Piano Sonata, Op. 9: I. Allegro maestoso

The Allegro maestoso opens in B major with rolled chords, sustained harmony and repeated bass notes in mm. 1–7. A dolce melody emerges in mm. 9–14, followed by running figures, contrasting registers and fuller inner parts in mm. 15–40. The con espressione passage in mm. 41–55 returns to longer melodic gestures. Ascending and descending figures in mm. 56–70 lead to the paired trills and quieter responses in mm. 71–79. A flowing accompaniment supports broader upper-part phrases in mm. 85–94, before chordal exchanges and renewed ornaments carry the exposition to m. 118 and its printed repeat. The development in mm. 119–186 reshapes the opening gestures through changing registers, repeated-note figures, chromatic turns and sustained harmonies. An unbarred cadenza, identified here as C1, joins the close of this section to the written return beginning at m. 188. Measures 188–244 revisit the chordal and flowing textures with altered inner parts and melodic details. Running figures and paired trills reappear in mm. 245–263, followed by broader phrases over an active accompaniment in mm. 269–278. The concluding section in mm. 279–302 alternates high-register figures, chordal replies, trills and cascading lines before the final cadence. These measure references count C1 as one irregular unit.