Western — Classical & Romantic
Classical · 1788

Piano Sonata No. 16 in C major, 1st movement

W. A. MozartK. 545

Key
C
Time
4/4
Tempo
♩=120
AO focus
AO3

Incipit

Form

Sonata-allegro — Exposition (P1: C major; T; S: G major; K). Often called "Sonata facile" — textbook example of Classical phrase structure.

Teaching points

  • Alberti bass in the LH from bar 1 — broken-chord accompaniment outlining I–V–I
  • Antecedent / consequent four-bar phrases with PAC at bar 4 and HC at bar 8
  • Modulation to V (G major) at the start of the second theme via a brief circle-of-fifths sequence
Topic T9Topic T11