March in C major, K.408, No.1

The Rondo in D major, which was written just over a year before its companion in A minor, is the direct antithesis of the later work. Based on a cheerful tune from an episode in the last movement of the recently completed Piano Quartet in G minor K.478, it is a brilliant exercise in structural and harmonic mischief. It begins as though it is not going to be a rondo at all, re-introducing the opening theme at a point and in a key appropriate to a regular second subject and then repeating what seems to be a monothematic sonata-form exposition. Instead of continuing with a clearly defined development section and recapitulation, however, it goes on as a spontaneous demonstration of wit in recalling its solitary theme in an unpredictable variety of major and minor keys and melodic variants. While it has no episodes based on contrasting material, it qualifies as a rondo partly because of the regular reappearances of the theme in its original D major harmonies and partly because Mozart says it is.

Allemande & Courante, K.399

Eine kleine Gigue, K.574

Rondo in A minor, K.511

Of the two Rondos in D major and A minor, the former was written at the beginning of 1786 and the other only fourteen months later. The difference between the two works is enormous, however. The earlier one is not so much a rondo as an improvisation on a theme by J.C. Bach. There is Bach’s tune (from the Quintet in D, Op.11, No.6) and, in thematic contrast, there is nothing much: the interest of the piece is in the wit employed in the several reintroductions of the theme in a variety of major and minor keys. The interest of the great A minor Rondo, on the other hand, lies at least as much in the episodes as in the main theme itself, which a beautiful little invention. In fact, the two main episodes are developed with the freedom usually associated with a fantasia or concerto cadenza, with harmonies almost as adventurous as those of the Minuet in D and with passionately elaborate piano writing.