Background
- 1777
- Toured, looking for work, accompanied by his mother (the Archbishop
of
Salzburg would not allow
Leopold to leave)
- Visited Munich and Augsburg then stayed five months in Mannheim
(Oct. '77 - Mar. '78)
- Mozart wrote 4 of a set of 6 sonatas he called "Clavier Duets
with Violin" while
in Mannheim
- Moved on to Paris - wrote Sonatas K. 304 and K. 306 in summer
of 1778
- K. 304 and 306 were possibly written close to his mother's
death on July 3
Style
- His earlier piano-violin sonatas, unlike this set, were merely
piano pieces with
violin accompaniment ad
libitum
- Mozart still demands far more of the pianist than the violinist
whose part lacks
complicated passage work
and seldom rises above the third position
- K. 304 may be singled out for the exceptional emotional intensity
of the first
movement
- Because of his extensive travels and ability to assimilate
style, Mozart's style can
not be directly tied to
any one composer or school of thought, although the
influence of his recent
trip to Mannheim can be seen occasionally in K. 304
The Form
1st movement - Sonata-Allegro form
- EXPOSITION
A - begins with the pickup to
m. 1 in E min.
Transition - mm. 20 - 44 ("plays"
with A min., G maj. and G min.)
B - begins with pickup to m. 45
in G maj.
Closing from m. 57 (developmental;
uses motives from A and B)
ends with 8 meas. of canon
- DEVELOPMENT
Begins at m. 85 with statement
of A theme in B min.
Introduces and develops a "countersubject"
to A
Uses imitation of countersubject
Concludes DEV. with use of an
A motive
- RECAPITULATION
A - begins with pickup to m. 114
in E min.
A new, dissonant harmonic figure is introduced
Transition - mm. 121 - 145 (similar
to EXPO.)
B - begins at m. 146 in E min.
Closing - begins at m. 158 (similar
to EXPO.)
Coda - begins at pickup to m.
194 (uses main A theme again)
2nd movement - Minuet and Trio
- Minuet
16-meas. melody in piano
in E min.
Repeated with violin in
E min.
Transitional / developmental
passage from pickup to m. 33
"plays" with G maj.
ends with violin cadenza in m. 69
Original 16-meas. melody
in piano in E min.
with violin in contrapuntal duet
Closing passage from pickup
to m. 90
- Trio
8-meas. theme in piano from
pick up to m. 94 in E maj.
Repeated with violin - ends
on B maj.
Transitional passage from
pickup to m. 110 - piano only
Original theme returns in
m. 119 - piano and violin in E min.
- Minuet
A "written out" repeat
The piano begins, an octave lower than the original
The violin joins, after 8 meas. doubling the melody
The theme becomes the closing at m. 141
Some new, chromatically active motivic ideas appear
The piece definitely ends in E min. even though the final chord has no
third