Piano Sonata No. 11 in A major, K. 331 — Theme

About this work

Mozart’s Sonata K. 331 begins not with a sonata-form movement, but with a theme followed by variations. This six-eight Andante grazioso appears simple, yet its balance depends on symmetrical phrases, appoggiaturas and relaxed cadences.

Sing the upper line first and feel the two main beats in each bar. Add the bass without weighing it down. Ornaments belong inside the motion of the phrase: they should create neither a pause nor a foreign accent before the principal note.

The theme fits on one page and rewards precise practice. Compare the repeats, check the length of the upbeats and allow the cadences to breathe. The MIDI file confirms pitches and basic rhythm, but it cannot replace the suppleness of human phrasing.

What the document containsScoring: solo piano. The single-page PDF contains the complete theme with its repeats, and the MIDI file provides continuous playback.Source and rights: Stelios Samelis’s engraving for the Mutopia Project is based on a Breitkopf & Härtel edition from Leipzig. The work and this edition are in the public domain. Every page links back to LesPartitions.info.