Rondo alla turca by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 
                            
                               Carmen Rodríguez-Peralta 
                            
        
       The Rondo alla turca, which is the final movement of the Sonata in A Major, K 331, is one of 
       Mozart’s most engaging pieces. Today it is played by intermediate piano students as well as by 
       seasoned professionals, and it is enjoyed by everyone, ranging from young children to classical 
       music connoisseurs. Part of its appeal lies in the lively and energetic themes which frequently 
       repeat, and the fact that one of those tunes has a folkloric, march-like quality. 
        
        
       A rondo is a musical form in which one or two themes keep repeating throughout a piece, 
       alternated by contrasting music. This form is particularly accessible when the themes are as 
       charming as Mozart’s, and the listener recognizes these melodies immediately when they are 
       restated. In Mozart’s time Turkish music was very popular in Vienna, and the second of the 
       themes which keeps coming back was inspired by the music played by the Turkish Janissary 
       bands. These Ottoman Empire military bands played energetic marches, which were 
       accompanied by drums and cymbals. Mozart’s theme has the vivacious music played in octaves 
       by the right hand with the left hand providing the rhythmic percussion accompaniment. 
        
       When one plays Mozart, it is imperative to remember the Western Classical Era ideals of clarity 
       of sound and the importance of form and structure. But equally crucial in this Rondo alla turca 
       is to consider the influence of non-western Turkish elements, which helps to make this piece 
       one of Mozart’s most beloved works.