The first movement should be played on a grand scale, like an orchestra. While some performers play elegantly and reservedly, others play dynamically with strong fortes; both approaches are valid, depending on individual interpretation. The key, or rather, the cardinal rule for playing this first movement, is simply "to avoid making the performance feel heavy." This is paramount.

Starting from measure 27, the rhythm of the right hand's sixteenth notes and thirty-second notes, though not dotted, can achieve a light feel by playing the thirty-second note appoggiatura almost simultaneously with the sixteenth note. Play these two notes with a single motion, without applying force twice. Do not emphasize the appoggiatura F; instead, emphasize D, C, B, and F.

The left-hand thirty-second notes in measures 39 and 111 might have been acceptable on historical fortepianos, but on modern pianos, especially in a reverberant hall, the sound tends to blur. While this is the author's personal advice, it is recommended not to use the pedal in these two passages.

Another factor that can make the piece sound heavy is a fluctuating tempo between sections. If the tempo slows down in difficult, note-dense sections and speeds up in sections with fewer notes, the note-dense sections will sound heavy. The more intricate the notes become, the more you should aim for a leggiero (light) quality.

With many low notes and a grand scale, excessive pedaling in a piece like this can lead to a muddled sound. This is especially true in highly reverberant halls. It is advisable to use the pedal as sparingly as possible. Consider that the pedal needed for this first movement should be used to smooth out third intervals, avoid breaks, or to support the horizontal, polyphonic lines.