The Piano Sonata No. 16 in C major, K. 545 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is possibly his most famous piano sonata. It was described by Mozart himself in his own thematic catalogue as "for beginners"^{[citation needed]}, and it is sometimes known by the nickname Sonata facile or Sonata semplice. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (baptized as Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart; January 27, 1756 – December 5, 1791) was a prolific and highly influential composer of Classical music. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Mozart added the work to his catalogue on June 26, 1788, the same date as his Symphony No. 39. The exact circumstances of the work's composition are not known, however. June 26 is the 177th day of the year (178th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 188 days remaining. ... 1788 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The Symphony no. ...

As a rough guide, using the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music grading system, (In which grade one music can be played by a grade one musician, etc; with grades ranging from one to eight) the first movement is approximately grade 5, the middle, slower piece falling just over the requirements for grade 6; with the final rondo being rather challenging, and therefore approximately seven. The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music or ABRSM is an educational body that provides examinations in music. ...

The Music

The work has three movements:

1. Allegro
2. Andante
3. Rondo

In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for time) is the speed or pace of a given piece. ... This article is about tempo in music. ... Rondo, and its French equivalent rondeau, is a word that has been used in music in a number of ways, most often in reference to a musical form, but also in reference to a character-type that is distinct from the form. ... Opening of Mozarts piano sonata K545 Image created by User:Camembert and released to public domain, per his user page. ...

The first movement begins with one of the best known examples of Alberti bass. It is in Sonata form and is in the key of C major. In the exposition, the first theme is a short and familiar theme with most audiences. A bridge follows and slowly modulates in G major, preparing for the second theme. The second theme is more lyrical than the first. A coda follows to finish the exposition and the exposition is repeated. In the development, the theme is in G minor. It modulates through several different keys before settling in F Major. Here, Mozart did an interesting thing. In the recapitulation, the first theme is present but is in the subdominant key, F Major. The second theme is played in C major. The movement ends in the C major. Alberti bass is a particular kind of accompaniment in music, often used in the classical music era. ... Sonata form is a musical form that has been used widely since the early Classical period. ... Coda sign Coda (Italian for tail; from the Latin cauda), in music, is a passage which brings a movement or a separate piece to a conclusion through prolongation. ... In music, the subdominant is the technical name for the fourth tonal degree of the diatonic scale. ...

The second movement is in the key of G major, the dominant key of C major. The movement is a lot slower than the first - ironically indicated in the notes by the presence of more of them; in Mozarts' day tempo and dynamics were left up to the performer, so any further additions are "probably" those of the publisher. The music modulates in the middle of this movement to the parallel minor (G minor) and its relative major (Bb major), which is common in musical terms. The movement then modulates to the tonic, and, after the main theme and development is heard again, ends. In music, the dominant is the fifth degree of the scale. ... In music, the parallel minor of a particular major key (or the parallel major of a minor key) is the key which has the same tonic and a different key signature, as opposed to relative minor (or major, respectively). ... In music, the relative minor of a particular major key (or the relative major of a minor key) is the key which has the same key signature but a different tonic, as opposed to parallel minor or major, respectively. ... The tonic is the first note of a musical scale, and in the tonal method of music composition it is extremely important. ...

The third movement is in Sonata rondo form and is in the tonic key, C major. It is probably the most difficult to play out the three. The first theme is lively and sets the mood to the piece. The second theme is in G major and contains an Alberti bass in the left hand. The first theme appears again and is followed by a third theme. The third theme is in a minor key and modulates through many different keys before modulating into C major. The first theme appears again followed by a coda and finally ends in C major. Sonata rondo form was a form of musical organization often used during the Classical music era. ... The tonic is the first note of a musical scale, and in the tonal method of music composition it is extremely important. ... Alberti bass is a particular kind of accompaniment in music, often used in the classical music era. ...

Although the piece is very well known today, it was not published in Mozart's lifetime, first appearing in print in 1805. In Warner Brothers' Looney Tunes animation, the opening bars of the sonata are associated with the character Granny from Tweety and Sylvester cartoons. Raymond Scott's pop-music adaptation of the opening theme, entitled In an Eighteenth-Century Drawing Room, was a hit in 1939. 1805 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Warner Bros. ... Looney Tunes opening title Looney Tunes is a Warner Brothers animated cartoon series which ran in many movie theatres from 1930 to 1969. ... Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of 2-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. ... Granny may refer to: a slang word for grandmother. ... Toy made in Tweetys image Tweety aka Tweety Pie or Tweety Bird is a fictional character in the Warner Brothers Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of animated cartoons. ... Sylvester J. Pussycat Senior is a fictional cat who appears in several Looney Tunes cartoons, often chasing Tweety Bird, Speedy Gonzalez, or Hippety Hopper. ... Raymond Scott (September 10, 1908 – February 8, 1994), was a Russian-American composer, orchestra leader, pianist, engineer, recording studio maverick, and electronic instrument inventor. ...

Media

• The score to K545, (697 kilobytes, JPEG file)