Andante in C major

A small piece with a change of pulse

The first four bars move in three, with trills woven into a recurring right-hand figure. The move to two beats then changes the way the phrases travel. This is the detail to listen for: the piece is short, but its two metres should not sound interchangeable. The lower staff supplies a changing outline rather than a repeated accompaniment pattern, so both hands deserve attention.

Make the ornaments part of the phrase

Try the opening without its trills first, listening for the melody beneath the decoration. Add the ornaments without allowing them to interrupt the pulse. Orli Shaham’s Mozart teaching stresses varied articulation rather than one uniform touch. Her advice concerns Mozart playing generally; here, experiment with how the opening figure differs from the more flowing notes after the metre change.

Music in this edition

1. Andante in C major