Analysis of Exposition, Development and Recapitulation in Sonata Form

by Mine Erkaya

“Mozart Piano Sonata No. 8 in A Minor K310”

Project Description:

The aim of this work is to analyse exposition, development and recapitulation in

sonata form. This project was prepared for my Introduction to Graduate Level

Music Theory class at MIAM. I choose Mozart’s Piano Sonata No. 8 A Minor

K310 because I love listening to this piano sonata in my daily life.

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MOZART PIANO SONATA NO. 8 IN A MINOR K310

FIRST MOVEMENT ANALYSIS: ALLEGRO MAESTOSO

Compositions in minor keys are rare in Mozart’s works. K.310 was Mozart’s first solo
sonata in the minor mode. He composed K.310 in 1778 while he was in Paris for a six-
month stay (Zaslaw, 1939). The first movement is Allegro maestoso, the second
movement is Andante cantabile con espressione and the last movement is Presto.

The Sonata begins with an eight measure sentence. The opening two measures are the
motive of the basic idea. The basic idea is repeated exactly in terms of harmony. The
harmony remains the same while the melody is ornamented with sixteenth notes. The
basic idea contains the tonic harmony in the first bar and the dominant harmony in the
second bar. Although the second measure is in the dominant harmony, A is the pedal note
along the measure. The first four measures are called the presentation. The presentation
has a homophonic structure with the melody on the right hand and the sustained chordal
accompaniment. Mozart uses the same motive in various places in different ways during
the first movement. The main theme motive has a dotted rhythmic structure.

Figure 1: Main Motive

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After the presentation, the continuation comes with fragmentation. There is an increase in
rhythmic activity and an acceleration in the harmonic progression. Mozart accelerates the
harmonic rhythm in these measures. The iv65 chord is introduced on the second beat of
measure 6, and then the mediant harmony is introduced in this measure with the V/III and
then the next measure with itself. The pre-dominant harmony is used in the continuation.
The cadential idea comes in the fourth beat of measure 7 and the next measure has a
cadential six-four harmony. Although the tonic harmony comes after the cadential six-
four, it does not sound like an authentic cadence. This might be labeled as a weak
cadence because the A minor chord does not come at the end of measure 8 and it is also
the beginning of the consequent of the sixteen-measure period.

The consequent basic idea displays similar characteristics with the main motive. The
basic idea is repeated exactly while the harmonic progression is different. There is ii o
chord in measure 10, i chord is in measure 11, the V/bVI chord is in measure 12 and the
bVI chord is in measure 12. After the bVI harmony, the pre-dominant harmony creates a
harmonic acceleration with the circle of the fifth sequence from pitch A, D, G, C till the
end of measure 14. Then the iv chord in measure 15 is used as a pivot chord to modulate
to C minor.

As the sixteen measure period ends, the transition theme begins with the opening material
of the main theme in the dominant harmony of C minor. It is a modulating transition
between the main theme and the subordinate theme. Although the transition theme comes
with C minor, G is the pedal note along the end of the theme. This is like a transition to a
C major harmony, which will come with the beginning of the subordinate theme. The
transition theme is repeated exactly in measure 18. The first has forte and the second has
piano in terms of dynamics. The transition closes at the end of measure 19.

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After the transition closes, the standing on the dominant starts at measure 20. The
standing on the dominant ends with a half cadence. With its structure, it anticipates the
perfect authentic cadence at the end of exposition.

The first subordinate theme starts in measure 23 with the tonic harmony of C major in the
first inversion. It is the first time that the left hand is in G clef. Measure 24 is an exact
perfect fifth down of measure 23 and measure 25 is an exact perfect fifth down of
measure 24. The harmonic progression of the subordinate theme is I-ii-V-I in between
measure 22 and measure 26.

The repetition of the subordinate theme is sequential. Measure 29 is an exact major

The closing section of the first subordinate theme comes at measure 33. This section has
a homorhythmic texture. The rhythmic activity accelerates in the following two bars.
There is cadential six-four harmony at the end of this section. Both hands play sixteenth
notes along the two bars.

The second subordinate theme comes in measure 40. In the second subordinate theme,
while the right hand plays the sixteenth notes, the left hand plays the melody. In the
repetition of the second subordinate theme. the right hand starts to play the same melody.
It is an exact repetition.

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In measure 45 the codetta starts. It is the very last fluttering of the end part. The
fragmented units come from the main theme. It has a dotted rhythmic structure. Although
it starts in C major tonic harmony, it also contains A minor tonic chords. When the
fragmented unit is repeated in measure 47, pitch C is doubled in octave. The codetta ends
with five measure circular movement phrases, elaborates a I-ii 65-V-I cadence in C major.
The exposition section ends with a perfect authentic cadence.

The development part of the first movement starts with a pre-core in C major tonality,
which is the mediant of the home key. The basic idea of the pre-core has the same motive
as the exposition main theme. Measure 54 is repeated on the right hand in measure 55 but
instead of Db, C# is used which is the enharmonic of Db. On the left hand the chordal
structure uses C# in measure 55 instead of Db in measure 54. Using chromatic notes give
these measures different qualities. Measure 56 and 57 reflects the character of Sturm und
Drang. There is a continuous rhythmic activity and loud dynamics, especially in the down
beats of measure 56 and measure 57.

Measure 57, the end of the pre-core, is in E minor harmony. There is Ger.6 chord in
measure 57. The core model starts in measure 58 with B major, which is the dominant
harmony of E minor. Ger.6- I forms an elided cadence. The model of the core is
constructed of four measures. The melodic content of the core model is drawn from the
main theme. The model is repeated two times. Measure 62 is in A minor harmony again.
The sequential pattern has descending fifths. The structure of the model is retained in its
sequenced version. The half notes of the first beat of measure 59, 60 and 61 create a C-B-
A melodic pattern in the core, which is also repeated in the core sequences. In the second
core sequence there is F-E-D in measures 63, 64 and 65 respectively, and in the third core
sequence there is Bb-A-G in measures 67, 68, 69 respectively.

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Fragmentation occurs at measure 70 with a new idea. It is one measure long and repeated
once in the descending motion. In measure 73 there is harmonic acceleration with I-V6-
VI7-Ger.6 harmonic progression. Then it goes to a half cadence.

Standing on the dominant starts in measure 74. The one measure idea of the
fragmentation on the right hand in measure 70 is transferred to the left hand in measure
74 and repeated in measure 75 in the descending fifth motion. Measures 74 and 75 are
repeated exactly in measures 76 and 77 in the left hand, while the right hand is going
back and forth between the dominant and tonic harmony of A minor. The development
ends in measure 79.

Recapitulation begins with the main theme of the exposition in measure 80. The first
eight measures of the recapitulation is exactly the same as the eight-measure sentence in
the exposition. In measure 88, the main theme is repeated in the left hand, while there is
an increase in the rhythmic activity in the right hand with sixteenth notes along the
following six bars. When we compare the measures between 88 and 97 with its
corresponding exposition there is a rhythmic acceleration and the melodic material is
different.

In measure 97, the transition theme begins in the home key with the opening material of
the main theme. The transition theme is repeated exactly in measure 99. The first has
forte and the second has piano in terms of dynamics. E is the pedal note along the theme.
The transition theme leads to a half cadence and a standing on the dominant,
corresponding to the end of the transition in exposition.

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After the transition, standing on the dominant starts in measure 101. Standing on the
dominant ends with a half cadence. The tonic chord in the standing on the dominant has
no function within the prolongation of V.

The first subordinate theme starts in measure 104 with a tonic harmony of A minor in the
first inversion. The left hand is in G clef. Repetition of the first subordinate theme starts
in measure 108. There is a Neapolitan chord in the first inversion in measure 109 that
serves as a neighbor chord to the i6 which is on either side of N6. The subordinate theme
has the same melodic and rhythmic character with the corresponding exposition section.

The closing section of the first subordinate theme comes at measure 114 with a iv-V
harmony. The rhythmic activity accelerates while both hands play sixteenth notes along
the two bars. It appears the same way as it did in the exposition.

The second subordinate theme comes in measure 116 in the home key. In the second
subordinate theme, while the right hand plays the sixteenth notes, the left hand plays the
melody. In the repetition of the second subordinate theme the right hand starts to play the
same melody. When we compare this with its corresponding exposition, the melodic and
rhythmic content are the same. The harmonic progression also appears in the same way
but in the home key instead of the C major harmony in the exposition.

The recapitulation is clearly over at the end of measure 125. Codetta starts in measure
126 in A minor harmony. The first three measures appear as transition materials. The
functional beginning of the codetta starts with the return of the main theme’s basic idea
material in measure 129. The last five measures of the codetta has the same rhythmic
structure as in the corresponding exposition. The recapitulation ends with a perfect
authentic cadence.

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Mozart’s Piano Sonata in A minor exposition exhibits I-III key structure. In this piece, the
melodic-motivic material of development is derived from that of the exposition’s main
theme. The dynamic level of the development is forte and has the Sturm und Drang
character. Recapitulation is mainly in A minor harmony.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

[1] Zaslaw, Neal Alexander. 1939. The Complete Mozart: A Guide To The Musical Works
Of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Newyork: W.W.Norton & Company.