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Haydn, Franz Joseph : Sonate für Klavier Nr.54 Mov.1 Allegro innocente

Work Overview

Music ID : 32238
Instrumentation:Piano Solo 
Genre:sonata
Total Playing Time:7 min 30 sec
Copyright:Public Domain

Commentary (2)

Author : Ooi, Kazurou

Last Updated: April 3, 2025
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Note: This article is automatically translated from the original Japanese text. The author of the original work did not supervise this translation.

The score from a well-known publisher that the author consulted indicates a tempo of quarter note = 72 for this first movement. When actually played, it feels quite fast. In the author's personal opinion, as it is an Allegretto, it should not be excessively fast. Even if not at quarter note = 72, a performance at, for example, quarter note = 60 would still render the trills and other ornaments quite fast and technically demanding.

For the author, the first movement of this sonata is a very unusual work among Haydn's compositions, and it is felt to be more than just an optimistic piece. What follows are personal thoughts, and it is perfectly fine if some readers do not agree.

Playing the first movement of this sonata lightly, vividly, quickly, and technically is one approach. However, consider if this first movement were an expression of sadness or loneliness.

Many of Haydn's works are highly optimistic, humorous, surprising, and lively. However, regarding the first movement of this sonata, the author feels that it is not simply optimistic, but rather possesses a profound quality. What are your thoughts? While individual perceptions vary, it is sometimes necessary to consider different perspectives.

32238

Writer: Ooi, Kazurou

Author : Saitoh, Noriko

Last Updated: February 9, 2020
[Open]
Note: This article is automatically translated from the original Japanese text. The author of the original work did not supervise this translation.

The first movement, in G major, is an Allegretto innocente (innocente meaning "innocently" or "naively") in 6/8 time. This movement is written in rondo form, not sonata form. Its rondo theme is elaborated upon each time it recurs. Throughout the entire movement, regardless of whether it is the rondo theme or not, parallel motion in both hands is interwoven in various places. Furthermore, a characteristic feature is the intermittent sustain of the tonic as a pedal point in the left hand for approximately the first three measures. This latent pedal tone appears to impart a sense of stability and elegance to the rondo theme, which serves as the main theme of this movement.

Writer: Saitoh, Noriko