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Mozart K.333 Analysis
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 1

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart son of Leopold and Anna Maria was born in 1756 Salzburg,

which is now part of Austria. His elder sister Maria Anna was born in 1751 and was nicknamed

‘Nannerl’. An interesting fact about Mozart is that his middle name is not Amadeus it is in fact

Theophilus, but it is known that throughout his life he had different variations of his name.1

During the years of 1762 – 1773, Mozart and his family traveled throughout Europe on

tours for the child prodigies. The first place on this tour was in Munich for Prince-elector

Maximilian III at the Imperial Court in Vienna and Prague. These tours took a toll on the

children in 1765 when both ‘Nannerl’ and Mozart nearly fatally ill. During these tours, he

composed the Latin drama Apollo et Hyacinthus first performed at Salzburg University (1767),

the opera Mitridate, re di Ponto (1770), the operas Ascanio in Alba (1771) and Lucio Silla

(1772).

After these years of touring Mozart was an employed court musician by the ruler of

Salzburg. During this time, he composed violin and piano concertos before his visit to Paris in

1777-1778. He resigned from his position in Salzburg to seek new means of income. His father

pleaded with Mozart to reconsider but he refused. During this time, his mother also fell ill and

passed away. In 1782, Mozart married Constanze Weber, they had six children together with

only two surviving after infancy. In 1786-1787, he returned to composing operas during this time

he composed The Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni, few of the most well-know and widely

performed operas. In 1791 Mozart before his death composed The Magic Flute, Ave verum

corpus, and an unfinished Requiem. Mozart died on December 5th in 1791 to unknown causes,

there was speculation that he was poisoned. He is now buried at the St. Marx Cemetery in

Vienna.

1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfgang_Amadeus_Mozart
 2

Mozart’s piano sonata K. 333 was published in 1784. The first movement is marked

allegro which is defined as fast, lively, and cheerful. The movement begins in B-flat major and

modulates between F-major and D-minor.

Exposition

||:P T S1 T S2 K:||:

1-18 19-22 23-34 35-38 39-53 54-63

Bb ~> F/Bb ~> F/Bb F

Development

I(P) II(S2) III(R)

64-69 70-79 80-93

F f D/Bb

Recapitulation

P T S1 T S2 K:||

93-113 114-118 119-130 131-134 135-155 156-165

Bb------------------------------------------------------

The exposition of this sonata was slightly difficult when it came to finding the start and

end of each theme. After noticing repetition of particular patterns and motifs it became easier to

mark them. The primary theme starts at measure 1 and goes to measure 17 before starting the

first transition of the exposition.

The primary theme of this piano sonata starts in B-flat major and two stylistic motives

that are featured throughout the piece. These are the following motives in the right hand:
 3

This first motive can be seen in several sections of the piece, and the first measure of the piece

the eighth note to a dotted quarter note is found in different rhythmic representations. This

motive can be found in pick up measure to measure 1 and 10 to 11 in the exposition. The

following motive can be found in the left hand for several measures and change registers several

times.

The phrases of the primary theme differ from the right hand and the left hand. For the

most part the phrases move in stepwise motion in the right hand with few skips or leaps between

notes. In the left hand, it has a wave-like form that is built on the triads, this can be seen in the

image above.

Within the primary theme, there is one imperfect authentic cadence or IAC between

measures 9 and 10. The reason for this being and IAC instead of a perfect authentic cadence or

PAC is due to the fact the F7 chord is in first inversion before a cadence to Bb in root position.

Mozart is very delicate in how he shaped this piano sonata in both the right and left hand.

Each note played in the left hand is built around a triad whether it be tonic or any other triad.

This hand is disjunctive in the progression of notes in contrast to the conjunct right hand. In

addition to the shaping process, the left hand undergoes four register changes within this one

theme. One of the register changes is right after returning to the bass clef in measures 3 to 4. This

is the only portion of this theme that has any register changes.

The first transition of the exposition starts at measure 18 and goes until measure 22

before the start of the first secondary theme. Finding this first transition was easier than finding

the second transition. The first hint of this being a transition was the register change in the left

hand, which continued until measure 22.

 4

The themes that are evident in this section can be found in the left hand. For example in

measures 18 to 19.

The right hand is rolling sixteenth notes for one measure then followed by two eighth notes a

eighth rest and five more eighth notes in measures 18 to 19. These themes will be seen in the

development of the sonata and helps mark the phrases before the recapitulation. There is

modulation in the transition as it goes to C-major. For the majority of the transition, Mozart uses

the V7/V chords and inversions before returning to what could be mistaken for a B-flat major

triad or actually another inversion of the V7/V chords. There is a slight modulation from B-flat

major to F-major in this transition. This occurs in measure 17 on the vi6 chord. This chord would

be a ii6 in F-major making the V7/V chords into V before returning to B-flat major.

The first secondary theme takes place from measures 23 to 34 before the second

transition. There is a half cadence in measure 22 that marks the beginning of this them and the

end of the first transition. The secondary theme is marked by one particular motive in the right

hand from measures 23 to 24.

This motive is then repeated in measures 31 to 32 in the right hand as well. The only porition of

measure 31 that is different from measure 23 is in the left hand. In measure 23 the left hand

sustains two half notes, where as in measure 31 there are two distntic quarter notes with only one

note returning to the previous note.

The phrases in this theme are formed around more simplistic patterns in comparison to

the primary and transition themes. The patterns of two sixteenth notes followed by four quarter

notes is found four times within this theme. Also for an instance in measures 25 and 29 the
 5

pattern looks similar to the one found in measure 5 in the primary theme. The cadences in this

theme take place between measures 31 to 32 and 36 to 37, which is another IAC from a F-major

triad in root position moving to a B-flat major triad in an inversion.

The second transition starts at measure 35 and continues to measure 38 before the second

secondary theme. In comparison to the first transition, this one features in the right hand a

measure of rolling sixteenth notes in measure 36.

For a moment the transition in measure 35 seems to be moving to D-major, in reality it continues

to modualte between F and Bb until measure 39.

After this transition is the second secondary them that takes place from emasure 39 until

measure 53. The motive in the right hand is measures 39 and 40, this can bee seen later on in the

recapitulation. There are two groups of eighth notes that are either connected or staccatto.

In the left hand starting in measure 38 to measure 42 there is a c-pedal tone. This is the only area

in the exposition that uses a pedal tone for more than two measures. This theme moves between

F, Bb, and C chords with the occasional g or D chords.

In measures 52 and 53 there is a half cadence of V6-I-V6/4. The left hand has a

distinctive sixteenth note pattern that is conisisten until measure 45 before changing into two

groups on three eighth notes. This pattern last for only two measures before interchaning

between quarter notes and half notes. In measure 50 this could be considered a motif or a

particular pattern than will be seen in the closing theme.

 6

The closing theme starts at measure 54 and ends at the repeat sign at measure 63. In the

left hand there is a similar pattern to the one in measure 50 and 51 of the second secondary

theme. In contrast to measure 50 and 51, measure 54 and 55 uses a set of three eighth notes in

comparison to one set of two eight notes. In another section of this theme, the left hand also

immitates a similar pattern from the primary theme. This can be seen in the primary theme at

measures 5 and 7. This pattern in the closing theme can be seen from measure 57 and 58.

The most important motive in the right hand takes place in measure 54 and 55. The patterns look

similar for the first few notes before changing patterns. This is only seen in the exposition and

the recapitulation.

A majority of the phrases in the closing theme are built around pre-existing material in

different sections of the exposition. In measures 56 and 57 there is a half cadence that takes

place. Also there is an imperfect authentic cadence between measures 62 and 63 before moving

into the development of the piece. The majority of the phrases are built around V and I chords or

F and Bb.

There are many different analysis of this sonata and some say there is a modulation into d

minor. This however cannot be seen with the chord progressions on which it is built. As soon as

the development starts there is a hint of the motive from the primary theme in the right hand.

From measures 64 to 70 the first subsection of the development is. This section does start

with the primary theme motives. There is slight rhythmic changes to the right hand in one section

of the motive.

The changes in the rhythm are as follows:

 7

These take place in measures 68 to 69. This is is the voicing of the right hand that is changed

slightly in rhythm at the end to give a variation to the development.

As part of the shaping process, Mozart in this section of the development left the right

hand in the treble clef and the left hand in the bass clef with no register changes. Keeping this

subsection in F-major before changing keys in the second subsection.

The second subsection starts at measure 71 and ends at measure 79. Mozart does not use

one of the secondary themes for this subsection. He uses a transition instead of choosing one of

the themes. This subsection is easily marked as a transition by the way he uses the sixteenth note

pattern in the left hand that was used in the second secondary theme of the exposition.

In this subsection the chord progressions move between secondary dominants and minor

chords. The first two measures the chord is in f-minor before moving to V7/ii chord or G7. After

the prolongation the chords cadence to a II6 chord. When looking at the left hand’s movement,

there are whole or half steps at the start of each measure. The first two measures stay the same

until the second half of measure 72 where the top note moves a whole step. Each measure starts

either on an F, F#, G, or Gb. All of the movement between the notes are disjunct. There are no

register changes in this second subsection as it stays in the same format as the first. For this

second subsection, the progression tends to move around minor chord tones.

The third subsection of the development starts at measure 80 and ends at measure 93.

This starts the retransition to the recapitulation of the piece. The theme that is used in this

subsection is the change of the sixteenth note pattern from the left hand into the right hand. The

left hand finishes the pattern and plays chords underneath. In addition to this theme, in the left
 8

hand at measures 89 and 90, there is a pattern that was featured in the first secondary theme in

the exposition. The difference in the pattern in the length and pitch of the last note. In the

exposition all the notes move upwards and is a quarter note, in the subsection the last note leaps

down and is a half note.

In this subsection there are several register changes to move from a minor quality towards

the major tonality of B-flat major. There are three register changes at measures 81, 82, and 86.

Also, a majority of the chords in this subsection are all secondary dominants before transitioning

to F-major.

This subsection prepares the transition into the recapitulation by several chromatic

alterations and prologations. There is a return of the Bb and Eb notes that during the

development were altered several times to fit the chord progression. The register change that

takes place in measure 86 puts the left hand in the proper position when repeating the primary

theme at measure 94.

The recapitualtion starts at measure 93 in the key of B-flat major. In this section of the

piece, there are many similarities and differences in each theme from the exposition. However,

there are more differences than similarities in the recapitulation.

The similarities of the primary theme in the exposition and recapitualtion are as follows.

The right hand pattern at measures 94 to 104 are the exact same as in measures 1 to 11. In

addition to the right hand pattern, the left hand pattern is the same for measures 1 to 11 and 94 to

104. All the chord progressions match the ones Mozart placed in the primary theme. Each

register change is placed in the exact same position as in the exposition.

 9

In the first transtion in the recapitulation is only similar to the one in the exposition by the

patterns in the left and right hand and the length. The first transition starts at measure 114 and

ends at measure 118 in the recapitulation. The length of the transition in the exposition is five

measures and in the recapitulation is also five measures.

The first secondary theme of the recapitulation has the same pattern from measures 119

until measure 130. In the left hand the pattern is similar from measure 119 until measure 129. In

addition, the recapitulation of the first secondary theme is the same length as the one is the

exposition for twelve total measures.

The second transition is the recapitulation is five measures in length and starts at measure

131 to 134. In the exposition the transition starts at measure 35 to 38. Both the left hand and right

hand patterns and motives are the same as in the exposition with little changes.

In the recapitulation the second secondary theme starts at measure 135 and ends at

measure 155. The pattern in the right hand pattern stays the same as the one in the exposition

from measure 135 to 142. In addition, the left hand pattern is the same as the one in the

exposition from measure 135 to 142. At measure 152 the patterns in both the right and left hand

are the same in the exposition until measure 155, the exposition measures are 49 to 53. At

measure 141 in the left hand the register change matches the one in the exposition at measure 45.

The closing theme of the recapitulation starts at measure 156 to 165 before the repeat

back to the development. The right hand pattern in this closing theme is the same from measures

156 to 165, in the exposition the pattern is from measure 54 to 63. The left hand in the

recapitulation has the same pattern as the exposition at measures 158 to 163, in the exposition

these are measures 56 to 63.

 10

In the recapitulation there majority of the similarities are in measure lengths, motives,

and patterns in the left and right hand. However, there are several differences in each theme of

the recapitulation.

The primary theme in the recapitualtion is different than the one in the exposition by the

slight rhythm and pitch changes. At measure 104 in the right hand the three eighth note pattern

instead of descending repeat a pitch before moving up. Also in measures 105 to 110 the pattern is

completely altered and does not match the one in the exposition from measures 12 to 14. In

addition, the left hand repeats the same pattern on the same pitches twice in measures 104 and

105, instead of change pitches. After that point in the left hand, there is no form of pattern used

in the exposition that is repeated in the recapitulation.

In the first transition of the recpaitulation the left hand is in the bass clef from measures

114 to 118, where in the exposition it was in the treble clef from measures 18 to 22. In the same

measures the key which the patterns are played in are different. Instead of being in a secondary

dominant key like the exposition, the pattern is built on the dominant chord of B-flat major.

The first secondary theme in this section of the piece has several similarites to the

exposition with a few slight differences. Instead of being in the dominant key of B-flat major, the

theme is transposed into the tonic key of B-flat. With this key difference this moves the motive

down a fifth. At measure 130, when looking at the left hand has chords or notes whereas in the

exposition the left hand at measure 30 had no notes. In addition to the left hand at measure 129 to

130 the left hand changes registers from bass to treble clef, in the exposition at measures 33 to 34

the left hand stays in the bass clef.

Transition two of the recapitualtion has very few diffrences to the eye. Just as the other

themes have been transposed to the tonic key of B-flat so has this one. At measure 134 in this
 11

theme, the left hand changes registers to the treble clef, whereas in the exposition the left hand is

in the bass clef.

The second secondary theme at measures 142 to 146 the right hand melody is extended

by two measures, in the exposition the melody is only for three total measures. In addition, the

right and left hand at measures 147 to 151 is altered completely and hardly recognizable

incomparision to measures 49 to 53. One last note is at measures 135 to 151 there are three total

register changes in the left hand where at measure 39 to 53 there are only two register changes.

For the closing theme at measure 156 there are two changes in both the left and right

hand. In the left hand there is a register change where in the exposition there is no change. The

right hand the first entrance of the notes is repeated like the secondary theme, however, this is

part of the closing theme. In addition, at measure 163 there is a register change in the left hand to

the bass clef, where in measure 61 there is no register change.

This sonata ends with a repeat sign leaving no room for a coda. However, the piece does

repeat the development and recapitulation sections before ending.

This sonata is similar to the ‘classical textbook’ sonata form by following the pattern of

themes it goes through. The transitions feature V7 and V chords in the progression before each

secondary theme. As well as a half cadence before each secondary theme. In the retransition

before the recapitulation there is the use of the dominant prolongation.

This sonata form is different from the ‘classical texbook’ form because of chord

progressions and endings. The second secondary theme does not use a perfect authentic cadence

when transitioning to the closing theme. Also, there is more than one transition and secondary

theme used.
 12

When analyzing this sonata there were many tricky spots that would confused the

beginnings and ends of themes. Also, when looking at the chords and progressions there were

many expected and unexpected changes or cadences.