Mozart composed his Piano Sonata KV 331 in 1783.
This A-major Sonata has a distinct flavor, beginning with its unusual sequence of movements: a set of variations to open, then a minuet, and, to conclude, a march-finale.
Typical keyboard sonatas of the 1770s and ’80s—including “standard” Mozart sonatas—consisted of an opening fast movement in sonata form; then a slow (or slowish) middle movement, probably of some emotional depth; and a quick finale structured as a rondo or perhaps some modification of sonata form or possibly a set of variations. This piece departs so far from that expectation that, one might say, the only reason it is a sonata is that Mozart calls it that.
Each of the three movements is distinctive. The first unrolls as a set of variations: The winsome tune is enunciated forthrightly—both of its halves being repeated—after which it is ushered through six variations, each with a distinct flavor.
The Menuetto-and-Trio is far from a standard-issue dance item; instead, it is carefully written in its details, sometimes cast in abbreviated phrases, with the chromatic leanings of the Trio section imparting a dreamy quality.
The concluding march bears the heading “Alla turca” (In the Turkish Manner). Mozart intended it to evoke the sounds of Turkish bands, noted for their jangling percussion instruments.
Here is a lovely performance of this work by the late Nelson Freire:
