Piano Sonata No. 16 (Mozart) facts for kids
The Sonata No. 16 in C major, K. 545, is a famous piece of music written for a solo piano. The famous composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote it. On June 26, 1788, Mozart added this piece to his own list of works. He called it "a little Piano Sonata for beginners." He might have written it for one of his students, but we don't know who that student was. The full story behind this sonata remains a bit of a mystery.
On August 2, 1788, Mozart wrote a letter to his sister, Nannerl, who lived in Salzburg. He had sent her some piano pieces. He wrote, "Indeed you have every reason to be vexed with me! But will you really be so, when you receive by this mail coach my very latest compositions for the keyboard? Surely not! This, I hope, will make everything all right again." This part of the letter might have been about the Sonata in C. However, it could also have been about other piano pieces Mozart wrote that same year.
The original handwritten music for this sonata is now lost. The piece was not printed and sold while Mozart was alive. It was first published in February 1805 in Vienna. It was given the title "Sonate facile pour le pianoforte," which means "Easy Sonata for the piano." Many other versions were printed soon after. Playing the whole sonata usually takes about 14 minutes.
Contents
About the Music
This sonata has three main parts, called movements. Each movement has its own special feel and structure.
First Movement: Fast and Structured
The first movement is written in a special musical structure called sonata form. It is in the key of C major. The music is played at a fast speed, marked as "Allegro." The main tune at the beginning has a repeating pattern of notes in the left hand, known as an Alberti bass.
A connecting part with musical scales follows. This leads to a musical ending in G major, where the second main tune appears. A short ending part then finishes the first main section, called the exposition. This whole exposition section is then repeated.
The next part is called the development. Here, the musical ideas change and move through different keys. It starts in G minor and changes keys several times. The final part is the recapitulation, where the main tunes come back. This section begins in the key of F major. Starting the recapitulation in this key was quite unusual when Mozart wrote this sonata.
Second Movement: Gentle and Flowing
The second movement is in the key of G major. This is the "dominant" key of C major. The music changes to the key of D major and then returns to G major for the first main section.
In the development part, the music changes keys again. It goes from G minor to B♭ major, then to C minor, and back to G minor. Finally, it returns to G major, where the main tunes are heard again in the recapitulation. A short ending part finishes this movement.
Third Movement: Playful Rondo
The third movement is in rondo form. This means a main tune keeps coming back throughout the piece. It is in the main key of C major. The first tune is very lively and sets the mood for the movement.
The second tune is in G major and also has an Alberti bass in the left hand. Then, the first tune appears again. A third tune is in a minor key and changes through different keys before returning to C major. The first tune appears one more time. A final ending part then finishes the rondo in C major.
This last movement was also changed and put together with another piece. It became part of the Piano Sonata in F major, K. 547a.
Images for kids
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First line of Grieg's arrangement
See also
In Spanish: Sonata para piano n.º 16 (Mozart) para niños
