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The short answer
The opening of a sonatina published in 1820. Sonatine I - Allegro is a sonatina by Friedrich Kuhlau. PlayPiano puts it at Level 4, an estimate.
- sonatina
- joyful
- playful
- repeated notes
Also known as Kuhlau: Sonatina in C major, Op. 20 No. 1, first movement.
History
This Allegro is movement 1 of Kuhlau's first Op. 20 Sonatina. The International Friedrich Kuhlau Society dates the sonatina to approximately 1819 and records its first publication by Breitkopf & Härtel in 1820. Those dates belong to the parent work, not to independently documented completion dates for its three movements.
Sources
What to listen for
A clear opening statement
Long C, E and G notes open the phrase before the rhythm becomes more active. Keep the repeated G notes even and let the move from C to B settle naturally.
Answer with a lighter gesture
The melody alternates longer notes with small lead-ins, then turns into an eighth-note line. Keep the lead-ins connected to their destinations and leave the final rest clear.
Repeated figures should stay even
A rest and a low G lead into alternating upper chords and G notes. Keep the repeated pattern steady without making every upper chord equally heavy.
Hear the triplet change
The upper figure changes from straight eighths into triplets. Keep each group of three even and maintain the underlying pulse rather than accelerating with the extra notes.
How to practise it
Let long upper notes sit above an even broken-chord line.
- Practise the G sustain into its later repeated eighths.
- Play the lower cycle softly before adding the upper half notes.
- Connect the stated opening gestures at a comfortable tempo, keeping their distinct releases.
How hard is it
The proposed target is a complete first-movement performance with clear phrase direction and coordinated accompaniment, not just successful note decoding.
About this piece
- Collection
- Sonata journeys
- Licence
- Public Domain
- Source
- mutopiaproject.org
More by Friedrich Kuhlau
- Sonatine I - AndanteLevel 3, estimatedWith Maestro
- Sonatine I - RondoLevel 4, estimatedWith Maestro
