The Piano Sonatina in C major, Op. 20, No. 1 is a short, three-movement work for solo piano by Friedrich Kuhlau (1786–1832). It is the first of three sonatinas published together as Three Sonatinas, Op. 20 in 1820. Owing to its tunefulness, clarity of structure, and moderate technical demands, the work remains one of Kuhlau’s most widely studied and performed piano pieces.

Background

Kuhlau, a German-Danish composer and pianist, was an influential figure in early-Romantic keyboard writing. His Three Sonatinas, Op. 20, were conceived as pedagogical works, intended to bridge the gap between elementary piano pieces and full-scale sonatas.

The Sonatina in C major, Op. 20 No. 1, exemplifies this purpose: it employs Classical sonata forms and idioms reminiscent of Mozart and early Beethoven, yet with simplified textures and clear phrasing suitable for developing pianists.

The collection was first published in Copenhagen and Leipzig around 1820 and quickly gained popularity across Europe as part of the emerging piano-teaching repertoire.

Structure

The sonatina consists of three movements:

1. Allegro — C major, in sonata-allegro form

2. Andante — G major

3. Allegro – Rondo — C major

Typical performance time for the complete work is about 7–8 minutes.

Style and analysis

Kuhlau’s Sonatina in C major is a representative example of early-19th-century pedagogical Classicism. Its transparent structure and clear harmonic vocabulary make it ideal for developing articulation, phrasing, and dynamic control.

While less virtuosic than Kuhlau’s later piano sonatas (e.g., Op. 59 and Op. 88), the sonatina demonstrates his fluency in the Classical idiom and his gift for elegant, memorable melody.

Because of its stylistic proximity to Mozart and Clementi, the work is frequently included in graded piano syllabi worldwide, including those of the ABRSM, Trinity College London, and the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM).