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Sonatine I - Allegro

in C major · Op. 20, No. 1

Friedrich Kuhlau 1786–1832
Friedrich Kuhlau
C major
Key
Allegro
Tempo
Op. 20, No. 1
Catalogue

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Themes & character
Classic student sonatina·Sonata form in miniature·Clear textures·Published 1820s

At a glance

Catalogue
Op. 20, No. 1
Key
C major
Tempo / character
Allegro

About the piece

The opening movement of Kuhlau's Sonatina in C major, Op. 20 No. 1, among the most widely taught pieces in the entire student repertoire, standing alongside Clementi's Op. 36 as the standard introduction to classical form. Friedrich Kuhlau was a German-born composer who spent his career in Copenhagen, where he was a central figure in Danish musical life. His sonatinas are prized because they present genuine sonata form, with a real exposition, development and recapitulation, at a scale a student can hold in the mind whole.

The composer

Friedrich Kuhlau
Friedrich Kuhlau
1786–1832

Friedrich Daniel Rudolf Kuhlau, sometimes written as Frederick Kulav, was a Danish pianist and composer during the late Classical and early Romantic periods. He was a central figure of the Danish Golden Age and is immortalized in Danish cultural history through his music for Elves' Hill, the first true work of Danish National Romanticism and a concealed tribute to the absolute monarchy.

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