The third movement is a minuet in D major, 3/4, marked Allegro. Its overall layout is Minuet – Trio – Minuet (A–B–A′). Minuets or scherzos in this three-part design are frequently used as inner movements in classical sonatas.
A (Minuet)
The A section (Minuet) can be divided into three parts and begins in D major. In the fast tempo, the first right-hand note is tied across the barline, while the left hand strikes strong down-beat chords—a defining surface profile. Intermittent staccato touches help project the light minuet character, setting up a contrast between the weighty downbeat in the left hand and the lighter second and third beats in the right. A–a (the opening of A) develops a principal figure that moves mostly in quarter-note values with little large-scale motion.
The music then proceeds to the next subsection of A. A–b develops the boxed figure as its chief material, but the span is very short—too brief to count as a full new theme; thus it is more convincing to view the entire A section as a binary unit. After this short A–b, from bar 25 the music moves to A–a′. Here the first motive returns in a striking guise: within a right-hand trill on D, the melody unfolds in the inner voice. Beginning in the right-hand inner voice, it then passes to the left-hand inner voice, and after the right-hand trill ends, the two hands proceed in unison with the inner-voice line. From bar 32 the reprise most closely resembles the opening, yet continuous chromatic motion keeps the key deliberately veiled.
Rising together with chromatic harmonic progressions, the A-section drive reaches a sforzando at bar 37; at bar 38 a French augmented-sixth resolves to V. Clear D-major writing reasserts itself, and at bar 43 an imperfect authentic cadence occurs. A short codetta follows—beginning in the low register and built from the opening motive—with the hands tossing the figure back and forth; motion remains minimal around the tonic, and the A section closes. Notably, there is no perfect authentic cadence with the tonic in the soprano here—another distinctive feature of this close.
B (Trio)
The Trio is driven by triplet figuration as its principal material and begins in G major, the subdominant of the home key. It falls into two large parts with a short link between them. The triplet accompaniment pervades the entire Trio—standing in marked contrast to the Minuet, where triplets never appeared. Over this inner-voice accompaniment, melodies alternate between the two outer voices (both hands) as another key motive. Dynamics that stress weak beats contrast clearly with the A section, which emphasized strong beats. The staccato usage seems borrowed from A, and the piano cantabile outline of the melody likewise resembles A’s principal line. Harmonic change is modest; writing proceeds mainly through sequential change in the inner voice. From bar 65 the music naturally modulates to D major.
From bar 68 a four-bar link appears: the triplet rhythm drops out, easing the sense of forward push. With a clear homophonic accompaniment and a right-hand melody, the texture settles and breathes before moving on. Although the link has moved to D major, within three bars it returns—via C-natural—to G major, ushering in the second part of the Trio.
The continuation proceeds much as before: the same motives reappear. From the end of bar 81 the music turns smoothly back to D major (the original tonic). Thereafter, over V, the same dominant-centered motion is reiterated, neatly preparing the return of the A section.
The third movement is a minuet in D major, 3/4, marked Allegro. Its overall layout is Minuet – Trio – Minuet (A–B–A′). Minuets or scherzos in this three-part design are frequently used as inner movements in classical sonatas.
A (Minuet)
The A section (Minuet) can be divided into three parts and begins in D major. In the fast tempo, the first right-hand note is tied across the barline, while the left hand strikes strong down-beat chords—a defining surface profile. Intermittent staccato touches help project the light minuet character, setting up a contrast between the weighty downbeat in the left hand and the lighter second and third beats in the right. A–a (the opening of A) develops a principal figure that moves mostly in quarter-note values with little large-scale motion.
The music then proceeds to the next subsection of A. A–b develops the boxed figure as its chief material, but the span is very short—too brief to count as a full new theme; thus it is more convincing to view the entire A section as a binary unit. After this short A–b, from bar 25 the music moves to A–a′. Here the first motive returns in a striking guise: within a right-hand trill on D, the melody unfolds in the inner voice. Beginning in the right-hand inner voice, it then passes to the left-hand inner voice, and after the right-hand trill ends, the two hands proceed in unison with the inner-voice line. From bar 32 the reprise most closely resembles the opening, yet continuous chromatic motion keeps the key deliberately veiled.
Rising together with chromatic harmonic progressions, the A-section drive reaches a sforzando at bar 37; at bar 38 a French augmented-sixth resolves to V. Clear D-major writing reasserts itself, and at bar 43 an imperfect authentic cadence occurs. A short codetta follows—beginning in the low register and built from the opening motive—with the hands tossing the figure back and forth; motion remains minimal around the tonic, and the A section closes. Notably, there is no perfect authentic cadence with the tonic in the soprano here—another distinctive feature of this close.
B (Trio)
The Trio is driven by triplet figuration as its principal material and begins in G major, the subdominant of the home key. It falls into two large parts with a short link between them. The triplet accompaniment pervades the entire Trio—standing in marked contrast to the Minuet, where triplets never appeared. Over this inner-voice accompaniment, melodies alternate between the two outer voices (both hands) as another key motive. Dynamics that stress weak beats contrast clearly with the A section, which emphasized strong beats. The staccato usage seems borrowed from A, and the piano cantabile outline of the melody likewise resembles A’s principal line. Harmonic change is modest; writing proceeds mainly through sequential change in the inner voice. From bar 65 the music naturally modulates to D major.
From bar 68 a four-bar link appears: the triplet rhythm drops out, easing the sense of forward push. With a clear homophonic accompaniment and a right-hand melody, the texture settles and breathes before moving on. Although the link has moved to D major, within three bars it returns—via C-natural—to G major, ushering in the second part of the Trio.
The continuation proceeds much as before: the same motives reappear. From the end of bar 81 the music turns smoothly back to D major (the original tonic). Thereafter, over V, the same dominant-centered motion is reiterated, neatly preparing the return of the A section.