The second movement is in compound ternary form A–B–A with Trio. The meter is 3/4, and—unlike the first movement in C♯ minor—it is set in the tonic’s parallel major, D♭ major. Marked Allegretto, it has a minuet-like character.
A
A itself divides into a–b–a′.
A–a.
The opening A–a features a melody that moves stepwise in quarter-note values. It begins with an anacrusis on I⁶ in D♭ major and makes a half cadence on V at bar 4. At bar 8 a perfect authentic cadence (PAC) closes the first sentence.
From bar 9 the right-hand melody is in octaves. The two-note stepwise descents (by seconds) continue, but the phrase now shapes into short units that descend, leap, then descend again. Strong beats are tied, so the accent shifts to beat two—a syncopated effect. As before, there is a half cadence in the 4th bar and a PAC in the 8th, ending A–a.
A–b.
The music remains in D♭ major. Between the sequential melodic steps, chromatic passing motion appears; the writing stays in a narrower register and feels denser than A–a. This subsection is an 8-bar period: no cadence at bar 4, then a half cadence at bar 8, leading into A–a′.
A–a′.
Picking up from the preceding V, A–a′ begins on I and stays in D♭. It repeats A–a, but the right hand now carries the melody in octaves, heightening its profile, and proceeds again to a half cadence in bar 4. The following phrase is expanded: rather than repeating the 8-bar unit, the post–half-cadence 2-bar idea is varied and reiterated, driving toward the close. At bar 34 a sforzando arrives on I⁶₄ followed by a rest; then from bars 35–46, in the low register and pp, a quiet PAC in D♭ closes the A section.
B (Trio)
The B section subdivides into B–a and B–b (i.e., binary, not ternary). A notable trait is that the key does not change: B also stays in D♭ major.
B–a.
An 8-bar design. Repeated sforzandi on beat three shift the accent pattern—a variant of the earlier syncopation. In the left hand, A♭ is held as a tenor-register pedal for the entire 8 bars while the bass line alone varies. The right hand, moving in octaves, leaps more than in the A section. The phrase doesn’t break at bar 4 but continues; a PAC at bar 8 closes B–a.
B–b.
Again no modulation. The bass starts on D and then descends chromatically by step: D–D♭–C–C♭–B♭–A♭. While the left hand keeps this sequential stepwise motion, the right hand runs a chain of leaps—down a 5th, up a 4th, repeatedly. The harmony moves chromatically across the sequence. Although the earlier sforzandi drop out, the right hand still enters on beat three. When the bass reaches A♭, bar 51 states I, immediately followed by V7/IV → IV. At the end of this 8-bar unit, neither V nor I cadence appears—IV sounds instead. The next 8-bar unit contrasts with the previous one by eschewing leaps: both hands move stepwise. At bars 59–60 a PAC in D♭ restores the tonic; the music returns to A for the reprise and the movement ends.
The second movement is in compound ternary form A–B–A with Trio. The meter is 3/4, and—unlike the first movement in C♯ minor—it is set in the tonic’s parallel major, D♭ major. Marked Allegretto, it has a minuet-like character.
A
A itself divides into a–b–a′.
A–a.
The opening A–a features a melody that moves stepwise in quarter-note values. It begins with an anacrusis on I⁶ in D♭ major and makes a half cadence on V at bar 4. At bar 8 a perfect authentic cadence (PAC) closes the first sentence.
From bar 9 the right-hand melody is in octaves. The two-note stepwise descents (by seconds) continue, but the phrase now shapes into short units that descend, leap, then descend again. Strong beats are tied, so the accent shifts to beat two—a syncopated effect. As before, there is a half cadence in the 4th bar and a PAC in the 8th, ending A–a.
A–b.
The music remains in D♭ major. Between the sequential melodic steps, chromatic passing motion appears; the writing stays in a narrower register and feels denser than A–a. This subsection is an 8-bar period: no cadence at bar 4, then a half cadence at bar 8, leading into A–a′.
A–a′.
Picking up from the preceding V, A–a′ begins on I and stays in D♭. It repeats A–a, but the right hand now carries the melody in octaves, heightening its profile, and proceeds again to a half cadence in bar 4. The following phrase is expanded: rather than repeating the 8-bar unit, the post–half-cadence 2-bar idea is varied and reiterated, driving toward the close. At bar 34 a sforzando arrives on I⁶₄ followed by a rest; then from bars 35–46, in the low register and pp, a quiet PAC in D♭ closes the A section.
B (Trio)
The B section subdivides into B–a and B–b (i.e., binary, not ternary). A notable trait is that the key does not change: B also stays in D♭ major.
B–a.
An 8-bar design. Repeated sforzandi on beat three shift the accent pattern—a variant of the earlier syncopation. In the left hand, A♭ is held as a tenor-register pedal for the entire 8 bars while the bass line alone varies. The right hand, moving in octaves, leaps more than in the A section. The phrase doesn’t break at bar 4 but continues; a PAC at bar 8 closes B–a.
B–b.
Again no modulation. The bass starts on D and then descends chromatically by step: D–D♭–C–C♭–B♭–A♭. While the left hand keeps this sequential stepwise motion, the right hand runs a chain of leaps—down a 5th, up a 4th, repeatedly. The harmony moves chromatically across the sequence. Although the earlier sforzandi drop out, the right hand still enters on beat three. When the bass reaches A♭, bar 51 states I, immediately followed by V7/IV → IV. At the end of this 8-bar unit, neither V nor I cadence appears—IV sounds instead. The next 8-bar unit contrasts with the previous one by eschewing leaps: both hands move stepwise. At bars 59–60 a PAC in D♭ restores the tonic; the music returns to A for the reprise and the movement ends.