Mozart, German Dance No. 1 K. 586

This piece is a very simple dance tune.

The first section begins with the violins doing eighth notes with the other strings quarter notes in a 3/4 feel that arrives at a HC after 4 measures. Then the rest of the orchestra joins in with the accompaniment doing strong downbeats and gives the music a driving force to the PAC in the eighth measure. And being dance music, this section repeats again.

The next section maintains the same feel but this time the tutti keeps the accompaniment and the violin melody changes pitch though not feel. Once again this section has a half cadence and a PAC, and once again it repeats.

The next section has a total change in mood, which is emphasized by the melody switching away from fairly stacatto eighth notes to a crecendo slur from sol to do. It switches from a slightly march feel (though 3/4 will never sound like a true march) to a feel more of a waltz. The tutti drops out and it is just strings except some long tones from the woodwinds. And, of course, a half cadence followed by a PAC and then it repeats.

The next section stays in the same mood but has a very neat short round section with the violins playing the melody in the first and third bars and the violas echoing that melody in the second and fourth bars, and ends on a HC. The next four bars just plays around the tonic and dominant arriving at a PAC, and once again it repeats.

The first section returns again and is repeated, followed by a return of the second section which is repeated.

I was very surprised at the simplicity of this piece (I only chose it because it was a fairly short Mozart on Naxos) , but then when I thought about it, the only real purpose of this music was for dance, and the dance music of today is quite simple too.