T: String Quartet in G Major, K. 80, III (Menuetto)

Wolfgang Amedeus Mozart (1756-1791) was one of the most influential composers of the classical era. He was already proficient on violin and piano by age 5, which is the same age in which he began composing. In 1770, when Mozart was 14 years old, he composed “String Quartet in G Major, K. 80”. The string quartet has 4 movements: “Adagio”, “Allegro”, “Menuetto”, and “Rondeao Allegro”. The third movement, “Menuetto”, begins in the key of G major, but modulates to D major on beat one of measure 12. It then modulates back to G major on beat one of measure 16. When listening to a recording of the movement, it is hard to hear the modulation because Mozart snuck in the C sharps so smoothly.

Mozart uses non-harmonic tones in the first violin, second violin, viola, and cello parts. In measure three, the violin has a neighboring tone and an appoggiatura. The violin also has escape tones throughout the piece. -3 and 6-5 suspensions occur in measures 4 and 24 in the first violin and viola parts. Throughout the movement, there are passing tones and neighboring tones in the second violin, viola, and cello parts. There are also many 6/4 chords, including passing 6/4 chords in measures 3, 11, 12, and 14. This movement has two sections: A and B. However, A occurs again at the end of the movement. The first section, A, occurs in the measures 1 through 8, and has two parts: a and b. This section is a contrasting period, because there is a half cadence on measure 4, a perfect authentic cadence on measure 8, and the entire section repeats. The next section, B, occurs in measures 9-20, and has three parts: a, b, and c. There is a perfect authentic cadence at measure 16, and a half cadence at measure 20. Section A occurs again from measures 21-28. There is a half cadence at measure 24 and a perfect authentic cadence at measure 28. The entire movement is in sectional rounded binary form.