The second movement of Mozart’s Sonata No. 6, K. 284, is a Rondeau en Polonaise marked Andante. Its three-beat rhythm supports a poised dance melody, but the texture becomes increasingly ornamented as the movement unfolds. Dotted gestures, brief slurs, and clear first-beat accents give the returning idea its recognizable shape. The principal melody stays mainly in the right hand while the lower part changes from restrained support to flowing sixteenth-note accompaniment.

Opening refrain: A broad initial beat is followed by a more lightly moving dotted figure. Short rests and separations leave space between the phrases. Inner notes occasionally fill out the harmony beneath the melody, and the score marks some releases with small commas, emphasizing the punctuation of the dance.

Episodes and decorated returns: The contrasting passages introduce trills above a more continuous left-hand pattern. When the main idea returns, added graces and small runs make its outline more elaborate. Another episode uses detached repeated upper notes before the earlier secondary material comes back. The hands sometimes join in quick runs, with accented chords interrupting the moving texture.

Final return and close: The refrain appears with still more ornamentation, including upper trills over active lower notes. On the final page, triplet figures pass between the hands and lead toward a broader cadence. A fermata briefly suspends the motion before the closing phrase settles into the low final chord. These returns are written out; the movement has no literal repeat signs.

Interesting fact: “Rondeau en Polonaise” combines a returning refrain with a Polish dance character. In this movement, the refrain’s rhythm remains recognizable even as Mozart decorates its later appearances.