Sonatinas for piano
36 sonatinas to read and learn at your keyboard, levels 3 to 4, easiest first, each with easier versions made from the score itself.
What a sonatina is
A small sonata: two or three short movements, the first usually quick. Clementi's Six Sonatinas, Op. 36 (1797) and Kuhlau's sonatinas were written for pupils and are still the step between little pieces and the sonatas of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven.
How it goes
A quick first movement, a slow or gentle middle one and a lively last one, often a rondo.
What to read for
In a first movement, a theme in the home key, a second theme in another key (the dominant in a major sonatina), then both again in the home key. Spot the second theme coming back: you have read it already.
What the library's 36 sonatinas print
Time signatures: 12 in 4/4, 10 in 2/4, 6 in 3/4, 5 in 3/8, and 3 in other metres. Tempo words at the start: Allegro (14), Allegretto (7), Andante (2), and Adagio (2); 8 print none. Keys: 35 major and 1 minor, most often G major (13), C major (13), and F major (5).
By Muzio Clementi (17), Friedrich Kuhlau (13), Jan Ladislav Dussek (2), Ludwig van Beethoven (2), Thomas Attwood, and Carl Reinecke.
- Pieces
- 36
- Levels
- 3 to 4
- Key signatures
- 3 flats to 2 sharps
- Length
- 25 to 234 bars
Level 3
Both hands busy, the hand moves around, a sharp or flat or two.
-
Sonatina in C, Op. 36 No. 1: II
Muzio Clementi 1 flat, 3/4, 26 bars Two sources agree -
Sonatina in G
Thomas Attwood 1 sharp, 4/4, 28 bars Community source -
Sonatina in G, Op. 36 No. 2: II
Muzio Clementi no sharps or flats, 3/4, 28 bars Checked against the edition -
Sonatina in C, Op. 36 No. 3: II
Muzio Clementi 1 sharp, 4/4, 32 bars Checked against the edition -
Sonatina in G, Op. 55 No. 2: II
Friedrich Kuhlau no sharps or flats, 3/4, 35 bars Checked against the edition -
Sonatina in G, Op. 20 No. 1: I
Jan Ladislav Dussek 1 sharp, 4/4, 39 bars Checked against the edition -
Sonatina in G, Anh. 5
Ludwig van Beethoven 1 sharp, 4/4, 50 bars Two sources agree -
Sonatina in C, Op. 36 No. 1: III
Muzio Clementi no sharps or flats, 3/8, 70 bars Two sources agree -
Sonatina in F, Anh. 5
Ludwig van Beethoven 1 flat, 2/4, 71 bars Community source -
Sonatina in C, Op. 36 No. 1: I
Muzio Clementi no sharps or flats, 4/4, 76 bars Community source -
Sonatina in C, Op. 36 No. 3: III
Muzio Clementi no sharps or flats, 2/4, 82 bars Checked against the edition -
Sonatina in G, Op. 55 No. 2: I
Friedrich Kuhlau 1 sharp, 3/4, 104 bars Checked against the edition -
Sonatina in C, Op. 20 No. 1: Allegro
Friedrich Kuhlau no sharps or flats, 4/4, 111 bars Two sources agree -
Sonatina in G, Op. 20 No. 1: II
Jan Ladislav Dussek 1 sharp, 3/8, 111 bars Checked against the edition -
Sonatina in G, Op. 36 No. 2: III
Muzio Clementi 1 sharp, 3/8, 111 bars Checked against the edition -
Sonatina in C, Op. 55 No. 3: I
Friedrich Kuhlau no sharps or flats, 4/4, 115 bars Checked against the edition -
Sonatina in C, Op. 55 No. 1: II
Friedrich Kuhlau no sharps or flats, 3/8, 117 bars Checked against the edition -
Sonatina in G, Op. 36 No. 2: I
Muzio Clementi 1 sharp, 2/4, 119 bars Checked against the edition -
Sonatina in C, Op. 55 No. 1: I
Friedrich Kuhlau no sharps or flats, 4/4, 124 bars Checked against the edition -
Sonatina in C, Op. 36 No. 3: I
Muzio Clementi no sharps or flats, 4/4, 128 bars Checked against the edition -
Sonatina in C, Op. 55 No. 3: II
Friedrich Kuhlau no sharps or flats, 2/4, 142 bars Checked against the edition -
Sonatina in C, Op. 20 No. 1: Rondo
Friedrich Kuhlau no sharps or flats, 2/4, 158 bars Community source
Level 4
Real independence between the hands and more accidentals.
-
Sonatina in C, Op. 20 No. 1: Andante
Friedrich Kuhlau 1 flat, 6/8, 25 bars Two sources agree -
Sonatina in F, Op. 36 No. 4: II
Muzio Clementi 2 flats, 2/4, 46 bars Checked against the edition -
Sonatina in G, Op. 20 No. 2: II
Friedrich Kuhlau 3 flats, 2/4, 49 bars Checked against the edition -
Sonatina in A minor
Carl Reinecke no sharps or flats, 4/4, 64 bars Community source -
Sonatina in F, Op. 36 No. 4: III
Muzio Clementi 1 flat, 2/4, 80 bars Checked against the edition -
Sonatina in G, Op. 36 No. 5: II
Muzio Clementi no sharps or flats, 3/8, 82 bars Checked against the edition -
Sonatina in D, Op. 36 No. 6: II
Muzio Clementi 2 sharps, 6/8, 90 bars Checked against the edition -
Sonatina in G, Op. 55 No. 2: III
Friedrich Kuhlau 1 sharp, 2/4, 130 bars Checked against the edition -
Sonatina in G, Op. 20 No. 2: III
Friedrich Kuhlau 1 sharp, 6/8, 131 bars Checked against the edition -
Sonatina in F, Op. 36 No. 4: I
Muzio Clementi 1 flat, 3/4, 142 bars Checked against the edition -
Sonatina in G, Op. 36 No. 5: I
Muzio Clementi 1 sharp, 4/4, 169 bars Checked against the edition -
Sonatina in G, Op. 36 No. 5: III
Muzio Clementi 1 sharp, 2/4, 174 bars Checked against the edition -
Sonatina in D, Op. 36 No. 6: I
Muzio Clementi 2 sharps, 4/4, 181 bars Checked against the edition -
Sonatina in G, Op. 20 No. 2: I
Friedrich Kuhlau 1 sharp, 3/4, 234 bars Checked against the edition
A piece is listed here when its title calls it a sonatina, in English, German, French or Italian.
Other forms
Every form five or more library pieces are named for.
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