Description
The first movement of Sonata K. 331 never uses sonata form at all: it is a theme with six variations and nothing else. As eighteenth-century variation sets usually did, it begins with ornamentation and moves through an exchange of hands, a turn to the minor and a change of tempo toward a brilliant close — and the first variation is where that path starts.
In A major and the same 6/8 as the theme, fine figuration enters in the right hand and covers the outline of the siciliano rhythm with decoration. The left hand keeps very nearly the theme's own rhythm, so it stays audible that only the surface has changed: the harmony and the bar count are still those of the theme.
This is a beginner-level variation, and what it asks for is evenness rather than speed. If the right-hand figures are uneven they sound like accidents rather than ornaments. Since the left hand still carries the theme's rhythm, that is where the tempo lives: fit the right hand to the left, not the other way round.
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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