Piano Sonata No. 9 (Mozart)
Encyclopedia
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
's Piano Sonata
No. 9 in D major
, K
311 (284c) (1777) is a sonata in three movements
:
A typical performance takes about 15 to 17 minutes.
The first movement begins with a swift and cheerful melody which lasts for several measures and leads into a passage of rapid sixteenth notes. The section ends with four strong chords, quickly leaping into the second theme (which is repeated). A brief section of the second theme is then repeated in a minor key. With a few soft chords the movement gradually transfers into the swift original melody and closes.
The second movement, being more relaxed, starts with a slow melody accented by soft cadences with the left hand. Gradually the bass progresses with a moving ostinato
into the second theme. The main melody is played again, followed by a short minor section. The original key is then reestablished as the second movement ends.
The energetic and robust third movement, being the most technically demanding of the three, begins with several acciaccaturas, and a sixteenth note passage introduces the second theme. The main theme is repeated and enters into a minor section. A rapid chromatic scale takes the piece back to the major key at the conclusion of the sonata. The piece as a whole can be clearly categorized under Mozart's "Middle Period," having matured thematic development and evident orchestral writing.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
's Piano Sonata
Piano sonata
A piano sonata is a sonata written for a solo piano. Piano sonatas are usually written in three or four movements, although some piano sonatas have been written with a single movement , two movements , five or even more movements...
No. 9 in D major
D major
D major is a major scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. Its key signature consists of two sharps. Its relative minor is B minor and its parallel minor is D minor....
, K
Köchel-Verzeichnis
The Köchel-Verzeichnis is a complete, chronological catalogue of compositions by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart which was originally created by Ludwig von Köchel. It is abbreviated K or KV. For example, Mozart's Requiem in D minor was, according to Köchel's counting, the 626th piece Mozart composed....
311 (284c) (1777) is a sonata in three movements
Movement (music)
A movement is a self-contained part of a musical composition or musical form. While individual or selected movements from a composition are sometimes performed separately, a performance of the complete work requires all the movements to be performed in succession...
:
- Allegro con spirito
- Andante con espressione
- RondeauRondoRondo, and its French equivalent rondeau, is a word that has been used in music in a number of ways, most often in reference to a musical form, but also to a character-type that is distinct from the form...
(allegro)
A typical performance takes about 15 to 17 minutes.
The first movement begins with a swift and cheerful melody which lasts for several measures and leads into a passage of rapid sixteenth notes. The section ends with four strong chords, quickly leaping into the second theme (which is repeated). A brief section of the second theme is then repeated in a minor key. With a few soft chords the movement gradually transfers into the swift original melody and closes.
The second movement, being more relaxed, starts with a slow melody accented by soft cadences with the left hand. Gradually the bass progresses with a moving ostinato
Ostinato
In music, an ostinato is a motif or phrase, which is persistently repeated in the same musical voice. An ostinato is always a succession of equal sounds, wherein each note always has the same weight or stress. The repeating idea may be a rhythmic pattern, part of a tune, or a complete melody in...
into the second theme. The main melody is played again, followed by a short minor section. The original key is then reestablished as the second movement ends.
The energetic and robust third movement, being the most technically demanding of the three, begins with several acciaccaturas, and a sixteenth note passage introduces the second theme. The main theme is repeated and enters into a minor section. A rapid chromatic scale takes the piece back to the major key at the conclusion of the sonata. The piece as a whole can be clearly categorized under Mozart's "Middle Period," having matured thematic development and evident orchestral writing.