The Piano Sonata No. 12 in F major, K. 332 (300k) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was published in 1784 along with the Piano Sonata No. 10 in C major, K. 330, and Piano Sonata No. 11, K. 331. Mozart wrote these sonatas either while visiting Munich in 1781, or during his first two years in Vienna. Some believe, however that Mozart wrote this and the other sonatas during a summer 1783 visit to Salzburg made for the purpose of introducing his wife, Constanze to his father, Leopold. All three sonatas were published in Vienna in 1784 as Mozart's Op. 6.

The first theme of the exposition begins with a right hand melody over a left hand Alberti bass figure. It starts with a forte chord and is followed by a passage of fast 16th notes in the right hand. This is directly followed by parallel sixths between the left hand and right hand lower voice, creating a harmony contrasting to the opening single 16th-note passage. There is a change of character in measure 16 where the music is marked Dynamics (music)| dolce and the right hand has a simple melody embellished with ornamentation and back-and-forth contrasting legato to staccato articulations. Measure 22 displays yet another character change, where both hands are playing in unison (one octave apart) forte and staccato while moving in an ascending sixth sequential pattern. The music briefly modulates to D minor through octaves and broken chord patterns. This is then followed by C major (measures 41–49), and then C minor (measures 50–64), before coming back to C major at measure 65 and staying in the dominant key through the end of the exposition. Throughout the entire exposition, Mozart uses the model sequence technique, passages of broken chords, parallel motion, scales, and contrasting dynamics and articulations.

The development section begins at measure 91, restating the theme from the exposition, but in C minor. The first half of the development uses the model sequence technique, repeating a 4-measure idea of continuous 16th notes constructed of a descending scale, followed by parallel sixths between the left and right hand lower voice, followed by a broken dominant seventh chord. This section goes through modulations from C minor, to D major, G major, C major again, F major, and then finally to B major beginning at measure 112. The second half of the development section (starting at measure 112) presents a new melodic theme, followed by several broken chords before finally arriving at a dominant chord at measure 139. It is implied that the music is 'standing on the dominant' from measure 139 until the recapitulation returns at measure 148, ending on a perfect authentic cadence.

The recapitulation presents the first theme unaltered until measure 169. The remaining recapitulation presents the same thematic ideas as the exposition, just in slightly altered versions. It concludes with a pianissimo cadence, strikingly different in comparison to the opening of the movement.

References

  • (Alte Mozart-Ausgabe version)
  • Performance by from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in MP3 format
  • , followed by Fantasia in C minor, K. 475, and Sonata No. 14 in C minor, K. 457; Friedrich Gulda, Munich, 1990
  • , Grigory Sokolov, Salzburg Festival, 2008