Mozart is chilling on the couch, revelling in his superior craftsmanship.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – K. 304, K. 448 & k. 550: varying repetitions – bitesize Composition analysis

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Mozart, when introducing a theme in his Sonata form movements, often repeats the melody with subtle variations.

For example, in his E minor Violin Sonata (K. 304, I have an extended analysis of the first movement of this piece here), he changes the texture from monophonic to melody and accompaniment.

In his D Major Sonata for two pianos (K. 448), he adds an embellishment to the end of the melodic phrase.

And, in his Symphony No. 40 in G-minor (K. 550), he uses woodwind padding to fill out the harmony and create interest.

It’s a useful devices that means Mozart gets more from less and, in the context of the classical Sonata, it exposes the idea to the listener multiple times so that they can follow its development through the piece more easily.

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