UNUSUAL SOLUTIONS IN MOZART’S PIANO SONATAS – MINUETS THAT INCORPORATE SONATA FORMS

Abstract

Starting from assertions by established Romanian musicologists and an analysis of Mozart’s nineteen piano sonatas, certain structural preferences can be observed in the second and third movements of this genre, which differ from those described in standard musicological literature. Furthermore, two unusual cases emerge in the second movement where the composer employs a minuet. While the formal structure of the minuet is maintained at the macro-structural level (the compound tripartite form), each section surprinsingly utilizes sonata form. This paper explores possible motivations behind these unique minuet constructions that incorporate sonata forms within the structure of a tripartite lied.