Thibault Clar 01/12/2010
Year 12/ music SL Ms. Oosterman
Mozart C major sonata K.545 : Analysis
The sonata k.545 was composed by Mozart in 1788. Mozart classified this piece as one of the easy
ones, sonata facile is the real name which means easy sonata. The sonatas has three movement, the
first one in allegro, the second one in andante and the last one in rondo but in this analysis, only the
first movement will be analysed. The sonata (movement 1 in 4/4) is divided into three main parts, the
exposition, the development and recapitulation.
The exposition (m.1-28) is the first part of the first movement; it starts in bar 1 to bar 28.The
exposition is the part where the composer presents us his main two themes. The exposition starts
with two phrases (measure 1,2 and 3,4). The beginning of the exposition starts with a singing first
theme which outlines the tonic chord of C major. The rhythm is quite slow at the beginning and the
beginning is also dolce, sweet, and smooth, legato. This is the primary theme. The start is very
lyrical.
Chord progression (m.1-4)
m.1 – C to C
m.2 – G7 to C
m.3 – F to C
m.4 – G7 to C
The next part is just scales played going up
and down very fast. The first scale in
measure 5 is a scale of F to F. In measure 6
it’s a scale from C to C, measure 7 it is a
scale of dm to G7 and measure 8, C to C,
m.9: dm to dm, m.10 : F to D7. This kind of
pattern of scales going up and down is
called a ‘sequence’. The theme ends with
the repetition of G major chords which
Thibault Clar 01/12/2010
Year 12/ music SL Ms. Oosterman
indicates the modulation to G major. The modulation is a transition to theme 2. The rhythm in this
part is fast since there are a lot of 16 th notes. It ends on a dramatic G major chord from legato to
forte (measure 12). The m.10 is played in diminuendo and then back to crescendo in m.11 .
The second theme also starts with a kind two short phrases of two bars (m.14-15 and m.16-17). The
first measure starts in C# to C and then falls on to B until the right hand comes in. The second theme
sound a bit like the first theme but with a different rhythmic, there are more quarter notes in the
start of the second theme.
The second theme then continues with a series of arpeggios instead of the sequences played in
theme 1. These arpeggios are extended broken chords. The arpeggios are played in the circle of fifths
patern, G, C , F… until back to G. The second theme then ends with a minor chord (measure 23) to a
G, a D7 and finally a G. the rhythmic in the arpeggios part is slower than in the sequences part
because in the arpeggios part, the notes are 8 th notes and not 16th notes (sequences part). At
measure 22 a sub-theme is introduced played in staccato with the right hand and a single repeated
chord (a minor) with the left hand. The second theme is less lyrical than the first one. In measure 21,
the measured is played slowly from loud to soft, poco diminuendo then back to crescendo in m.22.
Thibault Clar 01/12/2010
Year 12/ music SL Ms. Oosterman
A codetta is used to end the exposition (measure 26-28). The codetta, contains the important
progressions of the keys of G major and D. It end in a forte tone in G.
The development is then starting in measure 29. The development starts with a motive from
measures 29 to 34. This motive is similar to the codetta in the exposition. It start with scales , g
minor, to D7 (m.29) ,then back from g minor to D7 (m.30) , gm to gm (m.31), A7 to A7 (m.32), dm to
A7 (m.33) and dm to A7 (m.34). The development is played at mezzo forte and there is crescendo at
m. 35 and a diminuendo at m.40.
Thibault Clar 01/12/2010
Year 12/ music SL Ms. Oosterman
The 2nd part of the development is similar to the sequences in the exposition except that its only part
of scales which are being played, not full scales. The progressions of scales are:
1) dm – dm
2) E–E
3) am – dm
4) G–C
5) F – bm
6) E–A
7) B- C7
8) F–F
This development end in scale of F. The rhythmic in this part is quite fast but not as fast as the
sequences in the exposition because a lot of the notes are either 8 th notes or 16th notes, making the
rhythmic fast.
Thibault Clar 01/12/2010
Year 12/ music SL Ms. Oosterman
The recapitulation (m.43 – 73) starts with the same melodic phrases as in the exposition, but instead
of playing them in the C major key, they are played in F major since the development ended in F
major. The F major makes this part of this piece sound lighter.
Sequences are also present again in the recapitulation, but the scales used are different then in the
exposition (theme 1). The scales are going down to G major, the original ending scale of the
sequences in the exposition.
Scales:
m.46 : B(flat) to Bf
m.47 : F to F
m.48 : g7
m.49 : F to F
m.50 : C to C
m.51 : C to C
m. 52 : g7 to G
The following part is played scales to transition that allow the piece to go back to its original scale of
C major. This is the end of theme 1 of the recapitulation. This part has a fast rhythmic since almost all
the notes are 16th notes.
Thibault Clar 01/12/2010
Year 12/ music SL Ms. Oosterman
m.53 : C to dm
m.54 : C to dm
The 2nd part (2nd theme) of the recapitulation is almost the same as the 2 nd theme the exposition. The
only main difference is that in the recapitulation’s 2 nd theme, the scales, 4 scales lower than in the
exposition:
2) In exposition, starts with G and in recapitulation, start with C (4 scales lower).
3) In exposition, 2nd measure of the 2nd theme (measure 15) starts in D7 and in the recapitulation, the
2nd measure of the 2nd theme (measure 60) starts with G7 (4 scales lower)
And it is the same for all the scales in the 2 nd theme of the recapitulation…
The sonata end the recapitulation and so the movement in C major, the same key as the sonata
started with.
Thibault Clar 01/12/2010
Year 12/ music SL Ms. Oosterman
To conclude: This sonata is not very complex. The main key of this sonata is the C major key. In the
first theme of the exposition, it is the C major that is the main key. In the second theme of the
exposition, it is G major that is the main key. In the development, there are no main keys. In the
recapitulation, the mains keys are F and then back to C major. The sonata has a lot of different
rhythmic and styles of playing, dolce, forte, fortissimo, crescendo and diminuendo. The sonata first
starts with a nice little melody and goes into well sounding sequence, then develops to recapitulate
in a different scales than in the exposition making it lower pitch at the end. I really like the sonata; it’s
well structured and very enjoyable to listen.
Words : 1200
Thibault Clar 01/12/2010
Year 12/ music SL Ms. Oosterman
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Thibault Clar 01/12/2010
Year 12/ music SL Ms. Oosterman
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