Analysis
Contents
First Movement (Allegro)
Form: Sonata Form. F Major.
EXPOSITION:
Bars 1-22: First Subject in Tonic. The first subject consists of two complete sentence in the tonic key. The first sentence, containing three four-bar phrases, is melodic in character; the second, more characteristically rhythmic, is an eight-bar sentence, prolonged to ten bars by cadential repetitions. In Bars 7-9, the melody overlapping, is repeated in the bass.
Bars 22-40: Bridge-passage or Transition. This passage is more interesting than many of Mozart’s transitions. It starts with a phrase in D minor (the relative), which is repeated modulating, in Bar 29, to C minor. Broken chord figures – a variation of those already heard in Bars 23-24 – follow, taken in Bars 31-32, on the first inversion of the chord of C minor; in Bars 33-34, on the first inversion of the chord of A flat; and lastly, in Bars 35-36, on the chord of the German sixth in C minor, in which key the passage ends on a half-cadence four bars later.
Bars 41-86: Second Subject in C major (Dominant). The second subject divides into two section, of which the first (Bars 41-56) is entirely in the key of the dominant major, the second (Bars 56-86) alternating between the two modes of the same key. The first section is a sixteen-bar sentence in four-bar rhythm, the second half of the sentence being a varied repetition of the first, modified so as to end with a full, instead of with a half, cadence. Note the double upwards suspension in Bars 44 and 52. The second section commences in C major, with the melody in the bass. Bars 58-60 repeat the opening two-bar phrase an octave lower in C minor, and they are followed by four bars which, moving sequentially, modulate transiently into E flat major. In Bar 65, the music returns to C minor, in which key there ensues a half-cadence, several time reiterated. The mode changes back finally to the major in Bar 71 with the entrance of the concluding portion of the section, which is also in two-bar rhythm. Bars 77-86 repeat Bars 71-76 an octave higher, and with cadential extensions.
Bars 86-93: Codetta.
Double bar and repeat.
DEVELOPMENT:
Bars 94-132: The development commences with an episode in C major, which lasts for sixteen bars; after which the real development section commences. This is worked entirely on the second section of the second subject, with whose first four bars it opens. It passes through the keys of C major (Bars 109-110), C minor (Bars 111-113), G minor (Bars 114-117), D minor (Bars 118-127), A minor (Bars 127-128), to F major (Bar 129), on the dominant seventh, in which key it closes (Bar 132). Note the real sequence between Bars 114-117 and Bars 118-121, and the chord of the Italian sixth in D minor, Bar 122.
RECAPITULATION:
Bars 133-154: First Subject in Tonic (unaltered).
Bars 154-176: Bridge-passage or Transition, lengthened. The transition reappears lengthened by the interpolation of four bars in the keys of C minor and B flat major (Bars 163-166), which form a sequential repetition of the preceding four bars. The passage is modified so as to lead into the second subject in the key of the tonic.
Bars 177-222: Second Subject in Tonic. (177-192) (192-222)
Bars 222-229: Codetta. There is no coda; the movement ends with a repetition of the original codetta, transposed into the key of the tonic.
Double bar and repeat.
Second Movement (Adagio)
Form: Modified Sonata Form. Bb Major.
EXPOSITION:
Bars 1-8: First Subject. The first phrase is in B flat major (Tonic), with the second portion (Bars 5-8) starting with a repetition of the opening two bar phrase, but in the key of the tonic minor; it modulates then to the dominant minor and ends in a most unusual manner on a full cadence (with a Tierce de Picardie) in that key. This thus obviates the necessity for a specific “passage of transition.”
No Transition.
Bars 9-19: Second Subject in F major (Dominant). The second subject, as is usual in slow movements, contains only one section, and, but for momentary transition into G minor, is entirely in the key of F major. The first four bars end with a perfect cadence in Bar 12, the retardation of the tonic chord, however, removing the effect of finality from the cadence. In Bars 13-16, the foregoing bars are repeated, this time, however, they lead to a further phrase, the subject continuing to Bar 19.
Bars 19-20: Codetta. The one bar codetta is written on a tonic pedal.
Bar 20: Link. The remainder of Bar 20 (i.e., starting on the second quaver/eighth note), written on the chord of the dominant seventh in B flat major (tonic), forms a link leading to the recapitulation.
RECAPITULATION:
Bars 21-28: First Subject in Tonic, slightly elaborated. As is usual in slow movements in this form, both subjects reappear varied by some ornamentation.
No Transition.
Bars 29-39: Second Subject in Tonic, elaborated.
Bars 39-40: Codetta.
Third Movement (Allegro Assai)
Form: Sonata Form. F Major.
EXPOSITION:
Bars 1-35: First Subject in Tonic. The first subject divides into three section. The first section (Bars 1-14) consists of a sentence of fourteen bars containing two unequal phrases. The first phrase is six bars in length, and ends on a half-cadence; the second, a repetition of the first, is prolonged to eight bars and ends on a full cadence. The second section (Bars 15-22), the shortest of the three, is a great contrast to the others in style as well as in extent. It is of quiet, song-like character, and, during its short eight bars, the opening figure is heard three times. The first phrase of the third section is four bars in length and ends with transient modulation into D minor (Bars 22-26). Bars 27-32 repeat this phrase, now lengthened to five bars and modified, so as to close with a perfect cadence in the tonic. The section ends with four bars on a tonic pedal (Bars 32-35).
Bars 36-49: Bridge-passage or Transition. The transition in this movement, like the corresponding passage in the first movement of this sonata, is of very interesting character, and similarly, starts in the key of the relative minor. During a great portion of the passage the bass imitates the treble at one bar’s distance, and at the octave below. The second phrase (Bars 41-45) is a variation of the first phrase, repeated sequentially in the key of C major. After a further short sequence (Bars 46-47), the passage ends on a half-cadence, in Bar 49.
Bars 50-90: Second Subject in C minor and major (Dominant minor and major). The second subject divides into tow section. The special point to notice in the second subject is that the first section (Bars 50-65) is entirely in the key of the dominant minor; a device unusual with, though not unknown to, earlier classical composers. The final cadence of this section ends, however, on a “Tierce de Picardie,” and the following section is in the dominant major. In Bars 54-55, we find a minor seventh of the minor scale employed as a note of the harmony, under the special conditions which it is usually restricted. Bars 56 and 62 form chords of the augmented sixth. The second section (Bars 65-90) consists of one sentence which is repeated. The repetition is considerably lengthened by cadential extensions. There is an occasional reference in the semiquaver (sixteenth note) figures to those in the opening section of the first subject.
Double bar and repeat.
DEVELOPMENT:
Bars 91-147: The development in this movement is a most interesting one. The specially important points to notice in it are its striking opening with the first phrase of the first subject transposed into the key of the dominant minor, and followed immediately by a passage founded on the figures of the same phrase. The latter passage modulates transitorily through the key of C major, thence by means of the chromatic chord, the dominant seventh of F major, through B flat minor to B flat major, in which key (commencing in Bar 112) the second note-worthy passage – an episode – occurs. As a rule, an episode is an unusual feature in a development, but it is a device of which Mozart seemed very fond. The episode is followed by a transitional passage modulating through G minor to F minor, in which key there is a passing reference to the second section of the second subject, and after four bars on dominant harmony, on C, it ends with a brilliant passage founded on figures from the original transition, taken by inverse movement (see Bar 45), which leads into the recapitulation.
RECAPITULATION:
Bars 148-169: First Subject in Tonic. The first subject reappears, shortened by the omission of the whole of the last (third) section. The first (Bars 148-161) and the second section (Bars 162-169) are unaltered.
Bars 169-184: Bridge-passage or Transition. The transition starts here in G minor and modulates to F major, a modulation corresponding to that in the original passage (viz., D minor to C major). It starts with a preliminary (and extra) half-bar, on the chord of the Italian sixth.
Bars 185-232: Second Subject in Tonic minor and major. The second subject reappears in the keys of the tonic minor and major, the second section being lengthened by the extension of the final cadence. The first section spans Bars 185-200, and the second section spans Bars 200-232.
Bars 232-245: Coda. The third section of the first subject, which was omitted in the recapitulation of that subject, reappears in full here to form the coda.
