Description
Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 11, K. 331, is unconventionally built: in place of the usual fast opening movement it begins with a set of variations. What is heard here is the theme they start from, followed in the sonata by six variations. The finale, the "Turkish March," is far more famous, but the sonata opens with this quiet tune.
In A major and 6/8, a plain, well-balanced melody sings over the swaying pulse of a siciliana. The ornamentation is minimal and the harmony is clear — which is exactly why it is so easy to hear how the following variations decorate, dismantle and rebuild the line.
It is technically within a beginner's reach, but this is music that gets looked back on. Anyone playing the variations returns to this shape again and again, so it is worth getting the rhythm and harmony exact and the melody memorable as song. Feeling the 6/8 in two large beats is what makes the sway come naturally.
Mozart's most famous piano sonata, consisting of a theme-and-variations first movement, a minuet, and the celebrated "Turkish March."
Browse all songs in Piano Sonata No.11 K.331 →Sheet Music
Sheet music provided by Mutopia Project
About the Composer
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg, Austria, and achieved fame as a child prodigy before establishing his career in Vienna. In a life of only 35 years, he produced masterpieces across symphonies, operas, chamber music, and keyboard works. His style combines clarity and formal balance with rich emotional depth. This site includes movements of the Sonatas K. 545 and K. 331, the Fantasia in D minor, K. 397, and several fugues.
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