Sonatine Op.20 No.1: II. Andante

Description

The Andante that forms the middle movement of Op. 20 No. 1. It moves from the C major of the outer movements into the subdominant, F major, and its melody sings inside the gentle swing of 6/8. The movement shows that a sonatina is not merely a short sonata but a small whole assembled from contrasting characters.

It is brief — around forty seconds — and sparing, with some 270 notes. The range stays within four octaves and the hands barely move. Over the calm pulse of the 6/8 the right hand draws a long line while the left keeps a plain supporting accompaniment.

No fast fingers are needed. The task is to feel the 6/8 as two large beats rather than counting six, and to sustain the phrases at length; the finer the counting, the more fragmented the music. Keep the left hand even and build the breath with the right alone. Deciding to drop both tempo and volume here, between the outer movements, is what gives the sonatina its overall shape.

Compact piano works that teach sonata form on a smaller scale, often used as a stepping stone toward full-length sonatas.