Description
This short slow movement of the same sonatina runs under a minute. In contrast to the brisk first movement, it sings a lyrical melody at a relaxed tempo. With a modest note count, it offers beginners a chance to focus carefully on phrasing and the length of each sustained tone. Brief as it is, it teaches the fundamentals of shaping and singing a melodic line.
Compact piano works that teach sonata form on a smaller scale, often used as a stepping stone toward full-length sonatas.
Sheet Music
Sheet music provided by Mutopia Project
About the Composer
Friedrich Kuhlau (1786-1832)
Friedrich Kuhlau was born in Germany and spent the latter part of his career in Denmark, where he became known as the "Danish Beethoven." Especially celebrated for his flute music, he also wrote many pedagogical piano sonatinas notable for their clarity and appealing melodies, still favored by students today. This site features all three movements of his Sonatine, Op. 20, No. 1.
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