Hunter Ramsey - Variations Seven and Eight

For this theory homework, I was assigned the seventh and eighth variations of  Mozart’s Piano Sonata in D Major to analyze aswell as compare and contrast them both to the original theme. I think it may be easiest to first discuss how all three are similar in some aspects. Both variations as well as the theme, are in some variety of the key of D. Variation eight ,as well as the theme are in D Major while variation seven is in D Minor. All three of the excerpts are sixteen measures long with two eight measure phrases as well four half measures at both the beginning and the end of the eight-bar phrase to act as a pickup into the subsequent melody. 

Moving onto how each variation compares to the original theme, I would like to begin with discussing variation seven. It’s first and easily the most recognizable difference between the two is the seventh variation being in the parallel minor of the key of the original theme, that being D Minor and D Major respectively. The harmonic rhythm of each piece differs as well. In the theme, the chord changes just about once every strong beat, barring specific measures like seven, nine, and eleven where the chord changes for each quarter note. Whereas in variation seven, the chord changes about once per measure for the first eight measures and then typically twice or four times per measure for the following eight measures. The variation holds a much more somber mood and an overall modally unstable feeling from the prevalent use of chromaticism in both the melody and harmony in variation seven compared to the theme. Speaking of which, both the melody and harmonies see a slight reduction in overall content but see significant change with the use of ornamentation like trills. I believe that Variation VII was written to be an ornamental variation.

As mentioned earlier, the second variation I had been assigned was variation eight which is in the key of D major like the original theme. I believe that variation eight is a figural variation based around an elaboration of the two quarter note motive that occurs as a pickup to each melodic melodic statement in the original theme. Instead of a two quarter note pick up into the ensuing melodic material, variation eight utilizes a quarter note followed by two eighth notes which give the pick-up a further sense of forward motion that is reflected in the contrapuntal style of the variation. The harmonic rhythm of the variation is one chord per each measure in the first eight-measure except for the penultimate measure in which the chord changes for each beat in the measure. In the second eight measures of the piece, the harmonic rhythm speeds up to about two to four chord changes per measure for all measures except those which end melodic statements. Where variation seven very lyrical, variation eight is much more fanfare-like with its short, repeated, and articulate motives. There is also much less chromaticism within variation eight when compared to variation seven