Description
The third movement, which closes Sonata Hob.XVI:27, is a finale that races by at Presto. Following the lively first movement and the elegant minuet, its role is to round off the whole with speed and lightness.
In G major and 2/4, it is a nimble movement in which small figures run on without a break, the short two-beat bar giving it a brisk drive. Its clear, Classical writing stays rooted in the brightness of the home key and brings the sonata to a sunny close.
It is rated intermediate. At 1,211 notes it has nearly twice as many as the minuet, testing your ability to place notes accurately while keeping the momentum of the whole. Agile fingers and a steady sense of tempo matter most, and as the movement that ends the sonata it needs the concentration not to lose energy before the end. The range is G1 to D6. Start with slowed playback to learn the figures, check how the hands divide the work with the hand colours, then repeat the hard spots with the A-B loop while raising the tempo.
Piano sonatas from Haydn's output of roughly 60, important works that helped shape the development of the Classical sonata.
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Sheet music provided by Mutopia Project
About the Composer
Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
Franz Joseph Haydn was a leading Classical-era composer from Austria who spent much of his career in service to the Esterhazy family. Often called the "father of the symphony" and the "father of the string quartet," he helped establish the Viennese Classical style with clear forms and witty invention. His numerous keyboard sonatas also served as a bridge to Mozart and Beethoven. This site includes every movement of the Sonatas Hob. XVI:27 and XVI:28.
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