KNOW YOUR CLASSICS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 20, Issue 511, 8 April 1949, Page 13

KNOW YOUR CLASSICS

THs is one of a further series of articles written for "The Listener" -- . . ------------- a 7 ae ae ~~ we | st Se |

by |

BESSIE

POLLARD

As with the preceding series, published

some time ago, the aim is to help the student and the interested listener towards a more complete appreciation of good music,

(14) Piano Sonata in F, K332 (Mozart) OZART was a brilliant clavier performer, one of the greatest of his time, which explains why in all his piano compositions everything lies so beautifully under the hand. In 1778, when Mozart was 22, he went to Paris, and during his stay in that city wrote the five so-called "Parisian" Sonatas of which the Sonata in F, Kochel 332, is the fourth. Alfred Einstein, in his splendid book on Mozart, describes this sonata as one of the composer’s most personal works, but considers at the same time that its inspiration stems, patticularly in the Adagio movement, directly from Johann Christian Bach (the youngest son of Johann Sebastian), who had met Mozart again in Paris in August, 1778; Bach was greatly revered by the younger composer. The sonata is in three movements, beginning with an Allegro. The principal theme ("A" below) is based on two contrasted ideas of which I quote the first, In bar 22 a bridge passage ("B" below) leads to the second subject. "

> 4 The second subject is made up of four distinct motifs. Here are the first two ("A" and "B" below). The third begins in bar 70, and the fourth in bar 86.

The second movement, Adagio, is cast in a modified, or abridged, sonata form; the usual "working-out" section. is omitted, and following the second subject a short passage of a few notes (in bar 20) leads directly to the restatement section in bar 21, The movement begins with a main theme breathing a calm loveliness-

The second subject is in much the same style, and is accompanied again by the rocking semiquaver figureae

The Finale-Allegro Assai-is in sonata or first-movement form, The main theme is constructed on three ideas-I quote the first ("A" below)-the second is in bars 14-22, and the third 22-35. The second subject ("B" below) begins in bar 50, and extends to bar 90-

SONATA in F, K:332, will begin a series of MOZART’S PIANO SONATAS, one of which will be presented each week by Gerhard Willner, beginning on Thursday, April 21, from Station 2YA at 88 p.m.