Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Piano Sonata in C major, K.330
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The years 1781 to 1784 provided great personal challenges for Mozart. He had moved to Vienna to pursue a career as a performer and conductor of his own music after falling out with the Archbishop of Salzburg. In 1782 he married Constance Weber, but their first child Raimond died when only two months old.
However, Mozart worked tirelessly to establish himself as a concert pianist and to be accepted by the Viennese artistic and social communities. In 1784 he was admitted as a Freemason.
Through all of this activity Mozart was able to complete: a wind serenade; three violin sonatas; the opera The Abduction from the Seraglio; the trio of chamber piano concertos; the Hafner and Linz Symphonies; the great C Minor Mass; a horn concerto; two string quartets; and a set of piano sonatas K.330/31/32.
Alfred Einstein described this popular sonata as "...a masterpiece, in which every note 'belongs' - one of the most lovable works Mozart ever wrote."
Allegro moderato
The movement is built from a succession of short repeated phrases, often decorated with sparkling ornamentation. Written in a transparent classical style with rarely more than two notes sounding at a time, Mozart creates an instantly appealing opening to this sonata.
Andante Cantabile
A simple motive of four repeated notes provides the basis for this gentle, meditative movement. It begins and ends in F major, with a more expressive F minor central section.
Allegretto
Mozart balances the work perfectly with another quick movement in sonata form, again featuring short repeated phrases and simple two-part writing. The elegant and cheerful mood provides a fine ending to this optimistic music.
- Notes by Gregory Lewis