The Andante of Mozart’s Sonata No. 5, K. 283, moves to C major and common time. A measured melody begins over a gently moving accompaniment, then develops into increasingly ornamented phrases. Sustained inner notes, quick upper figures, and changes in the lower pattern give the texture depth. Both large sections repeat with alternate endings, and a brief closing extension follows the final return.

Opening theme: Repeated upper notes introduce the melody over an eighth-note accompaniment. Some lower notes remain held while others continue moving, creating a layered background to the tune. The right hand soon adds quicker figures and short ornaments. Fuller chords provide emphasis before the music returns to a quieter, more flowing line.

Connecting passage: The left hand takes up continuous sixteenth notes beneath a dotted upper phrase. The melody alternates sustained notes with quick responses, while the accompaniment changes harmony and register. Brief upper runs answer the lower motion, and the two hands occasionally share the moving line. This leads into a more spacious secondary idea.

Secondary material and repeat: The upper melody broadens over a steadier lower pattern, then becomes more decorated as the cadence approaches. A marked pause gives the closing phrase extra space. Separate first and second endings direct the repeated route, with the second ending leading onward to the middle section.

Middle section: Short fragments pass through changing harmonies. Repeated chords contrast with rolling lower figures, and the hands exchange melodic activity. Chromatic notes sharpen the harmonic changes. The music gradually settles toward the return of the opening theme, which arrives at the start of the last page.

Return and ending: The familiar melody returns with added decoration and a more active accompaniment. Quick figures fill the spaces between longer notes, while held voices continue to support the texture. The secondary material and closing gestures reappear, followed by another pair of alternate endings. The final extension includes a quick lower-hand figure beneath sustained upper notes, then relaxes into a quiet cadence with a slowing at the end.

Interesting fact: Both principal sections have separate first and second endings, so the route through the movement changes slightly each time a repeated section closes.