Composed in 1773 and dedicated to Prince Nikolaus Esterházy, this is the first of the six piano sonatas, Op. 13 (Hob. XVI/21–26), consisting of three movements.

First Movement

The first movement, in C major, is in Allegro, 2/4 time. The melody that begins this movement is accompanied by a distinct bass line, reminiscent of a basso continuo. A skipping rhythm is characteristic. The development section (from m. 58) begins with the opening theme presented in G major. In the recapitulation (from m. 96), the exposition is reproduced almost faithfully.

Second Movement

The second movement is an Adagio in 3/4 time, in F major, the subdominant key of the first movement. While the first movement began with an ascending melody, this movement begins with a descending melodic figure moving from the third of the tonic chord to the tonic. It is written in ternary form, and the 11-measure middle section (from m. 29) is characterized by chromatic movement. Throughout the movement, the third beat often contains a greater number of notes. In particular, the occasional ornamental passages bring elegance to this movement.

Third Movement

The third movement, the finale, is a Presto in C major, 3/8 time. While it takes a form close to rondo form, it is notable that when the opening rondo theme is recapitulated, it is first pseudo-recapitulated in A minor, the relative minor (from m. 68), before being recapitulated in the tonic key. This movement also begins with a descending melodic figure.