1

Vinicius SantAna
Music Seminar
Dr. Towne
Term Paper
13 May 2016
COMPOSITIONAL EVOLUTION OF THE VIOLIN SONATAS OF WOLFGANG AMADEUS
MOZART

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote 32 violin sonatas during his lifetime, beginning their
composition in 1764 and ending them in 1788.1His childhood sonatas are at the level of
accompanied piano sonatas, but he moved on to create a type of piano duet with obbligato violin
while still a young man. Once Mozart reached full maturity, however, his violin sonata reached
its pinnacle, with true independence of parts and a place for the violin as a full partner.2In this
paper, I will be comparing the compositional evolution of four violin sonatas written by Mozart:
the childhood sonata K. 6, the dark sonata K. 304, and the fully mature sonatas K. 454 and K.
526.
All of Mozart's early violin sonatas are really keyboard sonatas with violin
accompaniment, a fact which is made clear from the original title of the four sonatas K. 69: Sonates pour le clavecin qui peuvent se jouer avec l'accompagnement de violon (Sonatas for
the keyboard, which may be played with violin accompaniment). In composing these early
sonatas, Mozart may have been influenced by the German keyboard player and composer Johann
Schobert, who was living and working in Paris when the Mozarts arrived there in November

1
2

Homer Ulrich, Chamber Music, p. 211.

Ulrich, p. 212.

1763. Schobert, in fact, had already published a number of keyboard sonatas with violin
accompaniment, which possibly served as models for the young Mozart.3
One of the so called duets is the sonata K. 304. Mozart wrote this piece while in Paris
in the summer of 1778. This is the young mans first look into the world of minor keys. Written
in E minor, this piece has an intensity not usually seen with the young composer. This piece was
written around the time that Mozarts mother died, and many have supposed that this piece was a
result of those feelings. Even so, the piece still has a surface level to it. The work never moves
past a certain point in intensity. The piece can be played by the piano alone, and no thematic
elements will be missing. The violin does add color to the work, and it gains a certain measure of
independence, but it remains shackled to the piano for most of the time. It is more independent
than Mozarts earliest sonatas, but has not gained the level that later works will.4
The sonata K. 454 was composed by Mozart in Vienna on April 21, 1784. It was
published by Christoph Torricella in a group of three sonatas (together with the piano sonatas K.
284 and K. 333). It was written for a violin virtuoso Regina Strinasacchi of Mantua to be
performed by them together at a concert in the Krntnerthor Theater in Vienna on April 29,
1784. Although Mozart had the piano part securely in his head, he did not give himself enough
time to write it out, and thus it was performed with a sheet of blank music paper in front of him
in order to fool the audience. According to a story told by his widow Constanze Mozart,
the Emperor Joseph II saw the empty sheet music through his opera glasses and sent for the
composer with his manuscript, at which time Mozart had to confess the truth, although that is
likely to have amused the monarch rather than cause his irritation. The sonata opens with an

3
4

Einstein, Alfred. Mozart: His Character, His Work. pp. 110

H. V. F. Somerset, "Johann Schobert and His Influence on the Music of Mozart". pp. 313

exceptionally slow introduction, in which emphasis is put on the equality of the two instruments,
kept throughout the entire work.
In Vienna in August of 1787, Mozart composed the sonata K. 526. He was concurrently
working on his opera Don Giovanni.6 The K. 526 is in A-major and is the second to last one he
wrote. As with the opera, Mozart was able to show his full maturity as a composer in this sonata.
The violin gains full independence and becomes a full partner in the chamber music experience
with the piano. Little is known of why he composed this particular sonata, and even less is
known of its performances. 5This piece absolutely cannot survive without the violin. Both
instruments have themes the other does not and the interplay between the two is crucial. There
are moments of question-and-answer and even stretto. There is a very large difference between
Mozarts life as regards violin sonatas.
Sonata in C for Keyboard and Violin, KV 6, is one of Mozart's earliest works. It does in
fact encompass several of Mozart's firsts as a composer: for example, it was Mozart's first work
incorporating the violin, it was his first work with more than a single instrument, and it was his
first work in sonata form. In fact, previous to this, all his works had been short solo-pieces for
the harpsichord. K6 also happens to be his first piece in more than one movement, and his first
music to appear in print.6

K.6 has 4 movements, the third being a pair of menuets:

1. Allegro
2. Andante

5
6

Hildesheimer, p. 214.
Tyrrell, John Mozarts Travels, in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. p. 277.

3. Menuet I & II
4. Allegro Molto

The keyboard and violin interact in various ways throughout the piece: the violin echoing
the tune of the keyboard, the two moving in synchronicity, and sometimes the violin doubles the
tune while the keyboard provides the bass. It is a very lively and light-hearted work. Mozart
employs Alberti bass throughout the entire sonata.

Example 1: Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Violin Sonata K. 6 in C Major, Mvt 1, Allegro,
mm. 1 - 2.

Mozart composed this sonata between 1762 and 1764. The precise date and location of its
composition, however, are disputed: some suggest that it was written in Salzburg in 1762 or
1763; others suggest that it was written in Paris in 1763 or 1764, during Mozart's first visit to that
city. It was published in Paris in February 1764, along with another violin sonata, K7, as
Mozart's "Opus 1". (Two other violin sonatas, K8 and K9, were published together as "Opus 2"
the following April.) Mozart would have been between 6 and 8 years of age when he composed

K6; for this reason it is believed by many that it was written down for the boy by his father,
Leopold: all four of these early sonatas are preserved in Leopold's handwriting.7

The Notenbuch fr Nannerl contains versions for solo piano of the first three movements
of this sonata. It is thought that the first and second of these movements and the Menuet I from
the third movement were inscribed in the Notenbuch by Leopold in Brussels in 1763. A version
for solo piano of Menuet II (together with a piano version of the third movement of Leopold's
Serenade in D) can also be found in Leopold's hand in the Notenbuch with the comment, di
Wolfgango Mozart d. 16ten Jul 1762 ("by Wolfgang Mozart on 16 July 1762); Mozart was in
Salzburg on that date.

In composing these early sonatas, Mozart may have been influenced by the German
keyboard player and composer Johann Schobert, who was living and working in Paris when the
Mozarts arrived there in November 1763. Schobert, in fact, had already published a number of
keyboard sonatas with violin accompaniment, which possibly served as models for the young
Mozart.8

In Paris, Schobert came into contact with Leopold Mozart during the family's grand tour.
Reportedly, Schobert was offended by Mozart's comments that his children played Schobert's
works with ease. Nevertheless, Schobert was a significant influence on the young Wolfgang
Amadeus Mozart, who arranged a number of movements from Schobert's sonatas for use in his
own piano concertos.9
Like all Mozart's early violin sonatas, K6 is really a keyboard sonata with violin

Tyrrell, John, Mozarts Travels, pp. 276

H. V. F. Somerset, "Johann Schobert and His Influence on the Music of Mozart", pg. 785.
9
Somerset, Johann Schobert, 789.
7
8

accompaniment, a fact which is made clear from the original title of the four sonatas K6-9:
Sonates pour le clavecin qui peuvent se jouer avec l'accompagnement de violon ("Sonatas for the
keyboard, which may be played with violin accompaniment"). It is quite legitimate, therefore, to
perform these works on a keyboard alone.
Mozart wrote only one sonata in a minor key,the Sonata in E minor, K. 304, written in
1778 in Paris. The minor tonality gives this music a dignity and gravity unusual in the sequence
of his violin sonatas, and though this music was composed when Mozart was only 22, it is
universally regarded as one of his finest chamber works.10

Accompanied by his mother, Mozart had set out from Salzburg in September 1777 in
search of the position his father was sure would bring him fame. Mozart did not return until
January 1779, and the journey - which had taken him through Mannheim, Paris, and Munich can hardly be regarded as a success: Mozart spent too much money and found no position at all.
The true cataclysm, though, was that his mother became ill and died in Paris in July 1778. It was
left to the young composer to send his father the news and then to make his way back to
Salzburg with nothing to show for his 16-month absence. He had, however, written seven violin
sonatas during this trip, and he published six of these in Paris. The first four were written in
Mannheim, but the final two were composed in Paris sometime in 1778. The Sonata in E minor
is wistful music, full of a depth of feeling absent from the other five sonatas, and few
commentators have been able to resist associating it with the death of Mozart's mother, though
there is no way to know whether it was written before or after her final illness.11

10
11

Roy, Klaus G., The So-Called Violin Sonatas of Haydn, pp. 206
Hildesheimer, p. 216.

Like most of the other sonatas from this set, it is in only two movements. The Allegro
takes its character from the somber opening theme, played in unison by violin and piano. The
jaunty second subject, first announced by the piano, does little to change the mood, and the
opening theme dominates the movement. Mozart marks the second movement Tempo di
minuetto, but this music is far more serious than most minuets. Solo piano plays the gravely
graceful opening melody, and soon the two instruments take turns with it - this melody returns
continually. At the center of the movement, though, Mozart shifts to E major, and this measured,
calm section (Mozart marks it dolce) is the true glory of a glorious sonata. Two hundred years
after this music was written, it is difficult to disagree with Alfred Einstein's claim that the Sonata
in E minor is "one of the miracles among Mozart's works."12

The first movement of K. 304 is in sonata form. Right from measure one, the piano
shadows the violin in the first theme. It may be an octave and two below, but the theme is
completely shared by both instruments. Even in the lower octave, the piano could, in theory, start
this piece alone and nothing would be missing (Example 2).

Example 2: Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Violin Sonata No. 21 in e minor, K 304, mvt 1, mm. 1
7.

12

Einstein, Alfred. Mozart: His Character, His Work. pp. 103

Performance issues to consider when playing this movement and this piece include
considerations of balance so the violin is heard. The piano is often above the violin in range,
while the violin is in a lower range. It is important for the performer to recognize these spots and
adjust accordingly. The violinist must not be afraid of overpowering the piano. The violin does
not get a lot of freedom either, so when it does happen, the performer should highlight these
moments.
Mozart composed the B flat major sonata K 454 for violin and piano in Vienna, in April
1784. The work was written for the Mantuan violinist Regina Strinasacchi, with whom Mozart
gave the first performance, in the presence of the Emperor Josef II. On the occasion of this first
performance, it seems, Mozart improvised the piano part as he had not managed to complete it in
time. In fact, an examination of the autograph manuscript seems to confirm that the piano part
was written sometime after the violin part. According to a story told by his widow Constanze
Mozart, the Emperor Joseph II saw the empty sheet music through his opera glasses and sent for
the composer with his manuscript, at which time Mozart had to confess the truth, although that is
likely to have amused the monarch rather than cause his irritation.13
The sonata K 454 is the first of the three great sonatas of the 1780's (the other two being
the K 491 and the K 526) which definitively affirms the principle of concertante integration of
the two instruments and the violin part now takes on a completely virtuoso connotation.
The work consists of three movements:
1. Largo Allegro (Sonata Form)

13

Tyrrell, John. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 5: Vienna, 1784 - 8. pp. 288.

2. Andante (Sonata Form)

3. Allegretto (Rondo form)
The sonata opens with an exceptionally slow introduction, in which emphasis is put on
the equality of the two instruments, kept throughout the entire work. The second movement has a
melodic feeling of adagio, which was the tempo written down by Mozart at first, but then crossed
out and marked Andante. In the development section there are bold chromatic modulations. The
final movement returns to the playful mood of the first, but even so happens to be a very
sophisticated Rondo.

Example 3: Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Violin Sonata No.32 in B-flat, K 454, mvt 1,
Largo, mm. 7.

Example 4: Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Violin Sonata No.32 in B-flat, K 454, mvt 1,
Allegro, mm. 14-16.
The last decade of Mozart's life was, for the most part, a very fruitful period for him as a
composer. The Sonata for Piano and Violin in A Major, KV 526, the six string quartets dedicated

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to Haydn, Le nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, Cos fan tutte and the late, great piano concerti
(KV 466, KV 467, KV 482, KV 488), all date from these years. By this time, Mozart was no
longer in salaried employment but was his own master. Mozart had never been a great employee
and, much to his father's dismay, had constant problems with his various employers. Perhaps it
was his refusal, or inability, to conform to the common musical trends and expectations of his
day (which, of course, is a sign of his genius as well), that did not particularly satisfy his
employers' tastes and demands. 14
Mozart had written works for the combination of violin and piano from his youth. His
first published works were sonatas for piano and violin. KV 6 and 7 are pieces for piano with
rather inconspicuous violin parts. Later in the Palatine Sonatas (KV301-306), the two
instruments receive much more equal treatment; nonetheless, the violin part is still
interchangeable with the flute. Some twelve years later, the two instruments in KV 526 are
showcases for the brilliance of their players. Of the sonatas Mozart wrote for violin and piano,
KV 526 is the most virtuosic, requiring of its players versatility of both fingers and mind. Rather
than composing this work for amateurs, Mozart likely had himself in mind for the piano part. He
was at the keyboard for the work's premiere although, because of the deadline of an alreadyscheduled performance, he had not quite finished writing out the piano part and was forced to
play from a very basic sketch.
The work consists of three movements:
1. Molto allegro Sonata form
2. Andante - Sonatina form
3. Presto Sonata-Rondo form

14

Stowell, Robin. The Cambridge Companion to the Violin. Pp. 312

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The first movement, marked Molto allegro, is written in sonata form, complete with
exposition, development and recapitulation. Characterized by off-beat emphases and
articulations, the jovial quality can be felt throughout, and the two instruments comfortably take
turns in leading and supporting. The outbursts of energy are elegant and tasteful, adding to the
liveliness. The eminent musicologist Alfred Einstein commented that this work was "like Bach,
yet thoroughly Mozartian" and called it the perfect case of "reconciliation of styles" between the
classical and the pre-classical (counterpoint).
The middle movement, Andante, has a cantabile quality but Mozart incorporates a
singing accompaniment line to the melody. The second theme is mostly in A minor (although he
goes in and out of this tonality and touches upon A Major and F-sharp minor). This key
relationship is of note because the common practice of the day would have been for the second
theme to be in A Major. The second time the second theme is presented it is mainly in D minor,
but the movement ends, as it began, in D Major. Alfred Einstein wrote that this movement
"realizes such a balance between Soul and Art that it seems God Almighty has let stop all motion
for one minute of eternity in order to allow all Righteous ones to enjoy the bitter sweetness of
life."
In the final movement, Presto, Mozart immediately "unleashes" the piano. Utterly
dazzling, the hands of the pianist literally go for a run over the keyboard. This movement seems
to be taken from the Rondo movement of a sonata for violin, cello, and keyboard by Karl
Friedrich Abel (1723-1787), a close colleague of CPE Bach. Mozart had been in contact with
Abel during a tour in his youth and greatly admired his work. Abel died in January of 1787 and
Mozart paid homage to him in this movement. Written in sonata-rondo form, the thematic

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material is presented a handful of times with intermittent new ideas. The recapitulation is in D
Major, rather than in the more usual home key of A Major. The movement brings the sonata to a
stylish and exhilarating conclusion.

Example 5: Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Violin Sonata No.35 in A, K 526, mvt 3,
Largo, mm. 1 -6.
After comparing these four sonatas, it is quite easy to see what a difference Mozart
placed on the role of the violin in a sonata as he aged and matured. Although the E-minor sonata
was his first foray into minor keys and is considered to be a work of unusual intensity for the
young Mozart, the violin part is not integral to the piece, it may only lend a somber and sighing
tone that piano cannot muster. The A-major sonata, however, cannot survive without the violin.
Take it away and one would listen to huge gaps in music as themes went missing and bridge
material simply vanished. At the time of his youth, Mozart was really following the example of
the Piano Sonata with Violin Obbligato set before him by his predecessors and
contemporaries.
As Mozart matured he came into his own and saw that the violin could be an equal
partner with the piano, and that true chamber music could exist between them. Mozart paved the
way for the famous violin sonatas of Ludwig van Beethoven, who from the start, gave equal
footing to both instruments in his works. Once at maturity, Mozart caused the violin sonata to

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never be looked at in the same way again. He allowed it to truly join the world of chamber
music.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Melograni, Piero. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart A Biography. Chicago and London: The
University of Chicago Press, 2007.
Ulrich, Homer. Chamber Music. New York: Columbia University Press, 1966.
Hildesheimer, Wolfgang. Mozart. New York: Vintage Books, 1983.
Einstein, Alfred. Mozart: His Character, His Work. New York: Oxford University Press, 1962.

Tyrrell, John. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 5: Vienna, 1784 - 8 in The New Grove Dictionary
of Music and Musicians. ed. Stanley Sadie. London: Macmillan and Company, 2001. Vol. 17.

H. V. F. Somerset, "Johann Schobert and His Influence on the Music of Mozart" The Musical
Times 72 No. 1063 1063, London: The Musical Times Publications Ltd., 1930

Roy, Klaus G., The So-Called Violin Sonatas of Haydn, Bulletin of the American
Musicological Society No. 11/12/13, September 1948.

Stowell, Robin. The Cambridge Companion to the Violin. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press, 1992.