Sonata in C, K. 545

Mozart entered this sonata in his own catalogue as one "for beginners", and the opening Allegro keeps the promise. It is a late work, written the same year as the great final symphonies. The textures are transparent, the themes tuneful, and nothing is beyond a modest technique. The autograph is lost, and the sonata was not published until 1805, fourteen years after his death. With nothing to hide behind, an uneven scale or a heavy cadence is immediately audible, and a tempo slightly too fast turns elegance into scramble.

Everything it demands is musical. The pulse must stay steady without becoming mechanical, the Alberti bass quiet beneath the tune, and the phrases shaped as if sung. Classical style teaches itself here, and the habits it builds transfer straight to Haydn and Beethoven. Play it lightly and evenly at a true allegro and you have learnt something no amount of hard repertoire will teach you.

About this edition

Piano Sonata in C major, K. 545. Typeset by RSB, from IMSLP[1], licensed CC BY 3.0[2]. First-movement pages extracted for display.

Score source · CC BY 3.0