Piano Sonata No. 11 in A major, K. 331 — Variation No. 3

About this work

The move to A minor changes the theme’s gait as much as its colour. The third variation fills the 6/8 metre with semiquavers and passes the motion from one hand to the other. Its few rests therefore become structural hinges, announcing an answer, a cadence or the start of a new phrase.

Mark those breaks first, together with the notes on either side. Then play each group as a single gesture aimed at its final note instead of giving equal weight to all six attacks. In parallel passages, check the interval between the hands; in contrary motion, listen for the point where their lines meet.

Only a trace of pedal is needed for changes of register. Articulation and Mozart’s written accents provide most of the shape. The MIDI file traces the sequence of both sections; the PDF retains the slurs, repeats and layout of the engraving.

What the document containsScoring: solo piano. The 2-page PDF contains the complete variation in A minor, with both sections and their repeats.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.