Test 2 Essay

Analysis of Mozart’s K.475

Carrie Elliott (050014)

2/29/2008

Professor Rudoff
Music History and Literature: 1750-1830
Music 65:330/67:330
 A fantasy can be described as a composition in irregular form or style and Mozart’s K.475 certainly fits this

definition. Fantasy, composed in 1785, opens with a melodically symmetrical theme and unusual harmonic changes that

descend chromatically. The tonic C minor is not clearly established and when the dominant G major arrives at measure 14

in the form of repeated, right-hand chords, it does not feel like a resolution to V. C minor’s Neapolitan keys of Db major

and B major/minor also materialize. The cantabile section starting in measure 26 is in D major, which is the relative of B

minor and Db’s Neapolitan. A sforzando appears on the third beat of several bars in this section, creating further

instability. In the last two bars, an abrupt change takes place, ending the Adagio awkwardly. The Allegro begins with

alternating octaves a minor second apart in the bass clef, and the right hand tremolandos establishes the focus on E major.

Ten bars later, the theme is transposed into D major. From then on, it modulates through several keys until a descending

chromatic scale in octaves emerges as the bass line. The Andantino switches from duple to triple metre and is fairly stable

in Bb major. At bar 111, the theme is compressed into four bars from its original eight, and at the pickup to bar 120, it’s

found free of accidentals. Modulations lead us to G minor and the Piú Allegro section. Here, the piece transforms through

a circle of fifths and in measure 140, Mozart magically turns Gb into G natural, before heading to the Neapolitan Ab. The

Tempo Primo arrives in C minor to bring this piece full circle. Ab and Db are both highlighted and a clear ending and

resolution is reached.

The traditional sonata form is expected to have an exposition, development, and recapitulation. If the opening

Adagio is labelled as the exposition, then the Tempo Primo becomes the recapitulation. That leaves the cantabile part of

the Adagio, the Allegro, the Andantino, and the Piú Allegro to be the development. The Adagio does not repeat as would

have been expected of a sonata form. Generally, the development should develop the exposition’s themes, which these

sections do not seem to do. The relative major key of Eb should have played a much larger role in the piece if it had been

a sonata. It is difficult to find characteristics of the traditional sonata form that K.475 satisfies. If the cantabile part of the

Adagio was considered the secondary theme, it is in a different key (although not the expected Eb) and is more lyrical, but

it does not appear in the recapitulation, so I placed it in the development. On par with the definition of the development is

the movement through different keys. The dominant is returned to in the retransition, however it is not all that prolonged.

As noted above the Tempo Primo (recapitulation) does not place the possible secondary theme in the home key, it

completely deletes it. This piece does not even satisfy Charles Rosen’s definition of sonata form as it lacks structural

symmetry and an identifiable climax. Even though it is clear, simple, serious, and dramatic if Mozart’s K.475 was to be

considered as sonata form, it would have to be with a lot of exceptions.