Fantasia in D minor, K. 397
Mozart's Fantasia in D minor, K. 397, is an intermediate piece, Octotune grade 6 of 8: an improvised-sounding work of contrasts, from rippling arpeggios and a sighing Adagio to quick runs, ending in a bright Allegretto in D major.
At a glance
| Composer | Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791) |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Intermediate: grade 6 of 8 |
| Key | Key signature: 1 flat (B♭) |
| Time | 2/2 |
| Tempo | 80 quarter-note beats a minute, as the app starts it (it can go slower) |
| Length | 305 measures, about 4:43 |
| Hands | both hands |
| Right hand | D2 to F6 |
| Left hand | A1 to F5 |
It reaches past the staff: see ledger lines explained.
Levels in the app
| Version | Grade | Levels |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasia in D minor, K. 397 | 6 of 8 | Melody, Melody and bass, Full |
Practice notes
Mozart wrote his Fantasia in D minor, K. 397, in Vienna in the early 1780s. A fantasia sounds like an improvisation: it changes mood and tempo freely instead of following a set form. Mozart left it unfinished; the closing measures most editions print were added after his death.
How it is built.
- An opening of arpeggios. Both hands ripple through slow broken chords in triplets, D minor, then others, dark and quiet.
- The Adagio. A sighing melody over soft repeated chords, interrupted by pauses and sudden runs.
- Presto flourishes. Quick runs, like cadenzas, that break into the Adagio before it resumes.
- The Allegretto. The key signature changes to two sharps and the music turns to D major: a bright, simple tune that ends the piece.
The tricky parts
- Changes of tempo. Octotune follows the tempo changes as it plays; practice each section at its own pace first.
- Accidentals. Many, throughout the D minor sections.
- Quick runs. Practice them slowly, in groups, with a fixed fingering.
- Quiet control. Much of it is soft; keep the arpeggios even.
Practice plan
- Learn it in sections: set the loop to one section at a time, hands separately in Wait for me.
- The runs slowly, at 40–50% speed.
- Join the sections, letting each have its own character.
Before you start: Octotune's path through Unit 11, and a few easier Mozart pieces, like the Minuet in F, K. 2. Its accidentals and range go well beyond the path.
Questions
Is Mozart's Fantasia in D minor hard?
It is an intermediate piece, Octotune grade 6 of 8. The slow sections are within reach, but the quick runs and the many changes of tempo and mood take control and patience.
Did Mozart finish the Fantasia in D minor?
Not quite. He left it unfinished, and the closing measures most editions print were added after his death, probably by the composer August Eberhard Müller.
Credits and license
- Music: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791)
- Typeset by Andrés Necochea for the Mutopia Project
- License: Public Domain
- Source and printable sheet music: the Mutopia Project’s page for this piece