Piano Sonata No. 11 (Mozart)

The first two bars of Sonata in A, K331

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 11 in A major, K. 331 (300i) is a sonata in three movements:

1. Andante grazioso - a theme with six variations
2. Menuetto - a minuet and trio
3. Alla Turca: Allegretto

A typical performance takes about 24 minutes.

It is uncertain where and when Mozart composed the sonata, however Vienna or Salzburg in around 1783 is currently thought to be most likely (Paris and dates as far back as 1778 have also been suggested).

The last movement, Alla Turca, popularly known as the Turkish Rondo, is often heard on its own and is one of Mozart's best-known piano pieces. It imitates the sound of Turkish Janissary bands, the music of which was much in vogue at that time. Some say that that the last section of the sonata was added by Mozart's student, Sussymayer. Various other works of the time imitate this music, including Mozart's own opera The Abduction from the Seraglio. For more on Turkish music influences, see Turkish music (style).

Since all of the movements have the same tonic, the work is homotonal.

Relationships to later compositions

• The theme of the first movement was used by Max Reger in one of his best known works, the Variations and Fugue on a theme of Mozart (1914) for orchestra.
• Jazz musician Dave Brubeck named his own famous Turkish-influenced work with a nearly parallel title, "Blue Rondo à la Turk" on Time Out (1959). A reinterpretation of this piece by Keith Emerson of The Nice would become Emerson's signature concert piece through his career.
• Arcadi Volodos recorded his own virtuoso piano adaptation of the Turkish March on his 1997 debut album Piano Transcriptions.
• The Alla Turca is quoted on electric guitar in the introduction of the song Play With Me by Extreme
• MC Plus+ used the Turkish March in his song Computer Science for Life.
• It appears in many versions of the Pump It Up dance arcade game, remixed into a 150-beat per minute rock tune by Banya, under the name "Turkey March".
• McDull, a cartoon pig character designed in 1990s became a movie in 2001, with its theme tune melody based on the Turkish March.

Media

Template:Multi-listen start Template:Multi-listen item Template:Multi-listen item Template:Multi-listen item Template:Multi-listen item Template:Multi-listen item Template:Multi-listen item Template:Multi-listen item Template:Multi-listen item Template:Multi-listen item Midi File: http://www.marypages.com/RondoallaTurca.mid Template:Multi-listen end

Scores

• Free scores of the Piano Sonata No. 11 at Mutopia Project
• Free scores by Piano Sonata No. 11 at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)