🌸 March Challenge: M is for Mozart
This March, M is for Mozart — and for springtime clarity.
After all the color and rubato of the Romantic challenge, it’s time to clean the palette. Mozart asks for balance, lightness, and real control. There’s nowhere to hide, and that’s exactly why he’s so good for us.
Choose one Mozart piece (or even just an exposition or theme) and stick with it for four weeks.
Each week we’ll focus on something specific:
Balance and evenness
Articulation and touch
Phrase and structure
Taste and performance
Short excerpts are absolutely welcome. All levels are welcome.
If you’re in, comment below with what you’re playing. Let’s make March clear, elegant, and focused!
35 replies
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I'll play KV576 D major (the whole sonata) for a competiton in March. This is just for me.
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Great idea for a new challenge, Dominic! I'm going to learn the third movement, Allegretto grazioso, from the Sonata NÂş 13 in B flat major K 333. I've always felt this music embodies the pure spirit of Mozart, though I've never played it. This seems like the perfect opportunity, thank you!
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I would like to use this challenge to dig up the sonata in a-minor k310. I think it might have been 3 years since I learned it first time, but have put it aside since then.
When I first learned it I had many “trouble spots”, so I know it will be a big challenge for me. -
I’ll be playing the 3rd movement of the A major concerto KV414. I’m scheduled to perform this with a string quartet at the end of May, so I am looking forward to this event.
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I would like to participate with the third movement of the Sonata in F Major (KV 533 and KV 494). The Rondo (KV 494) was composed in 1786, two years before the first two movements of the sonata.
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Sonata in B-flat K 333, 1st mvmt
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I think I'll try the first movement of the clarinet quintet, k581. My wife plays clarinet. We'll see how far we can get!
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I will try to learn an entire sonata, but for the challenge I will learn either the first movement of Sonata no. 7 in C major, the first movement of Sonata no. 11 in A major, or the third movement of Sonata no. 17 in B-flat major, or in some places, B major.
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I like to learn 12 variations on Ah! Vous dirai-je, Maman. Twinkle ✨ little star.
Although I am not able to practice piano next month due to traveling, but my intention is to learn this piece slowly during the year.
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I’m going to play the first movement of K545, the “simple” one. I’ve never played a Mozart sonata. I think it’s a good place to start and it’s within my playing ability.
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I am going to learn the Fantasie in d minor KV 397.
My parallel indulgence will be the Romance from the Piano Concerto No. 20 in d minor, KV 466.
The Fantasie because I messed around with it when I was quite young and ambitious. I'm sure I had the edge on it as a youth but it's time to catch up and make amends for ignoring it for so long. As a kid, I had an anthology called, "The Great Masters" and I clearly remember this Fantasie and of course, the famous Piano Sonata in C major KV 545 and spending many hours in this book while not practicing my grade book assignments.
The Romance (2nd movement) is just because. Need I explain? It's just perfect. I also just realized it will be good practice for me with broken chords, arpeggios, and hand cross-overs. And this will benefit my other current passion of Schubert's first Impromptu D 935 in f minor.
Thanks for the opportunity and reminder to pay attention to Mozart. And lest anyone believe Dominic is steering us away from the Romantic period, is it possible Mozart was a romantic but he just didn't know it?
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Dominic, There seems to be two separate threads about this. Is there a way to merge the two?
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Great challenge for March! I would like to play K331 Sonata
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I think I'll just watch from the sidelines this time around. We'll be gone for the month, and my father just passed, so I'm not sure I'll have the energy for this challenge. But I'll enjoy all the submissions everyone posts! I hope y'all have a wonderful month of Mozart.