Notes on playing Mozart piano sonatas - Balance between left hand and right hand

It took me three years, seriously speaking, to learn Mozart piano sonata K 311 in D major. I am not exaggerating. This sonata was picked out more than five years ago by my teacher. I found that my attitudes about how to play the sonata at that time somehow stayed at when I was a child - I played it through, felt good, and played it through, again and again. However, that did not get me ready to take an official exam.

Not until I restarted the learning process two years later, I figured out how to practice it in an effective way. There are certain principles that need to be built into the practice routine: a set of rules that should be used when it comes to Mozart. Now that I have performed this piece many times and have a better understanding, I feel I would share my notes and thoughts with who are interested in playing Mozart piano sonatas and who are wanting to play Mozart well enought to perform them.

The notes and thoughts were the result of a lot of efforts and persperation. If they mean a lot to me, I am sure it means a lot to you.

Mozart has a lot of 16th notes accompaniment on the left hand. These 16th notes are not playing a melodic role, but are harmonizing the melody on the right hand. Therefore, they should be played much much lighter than the right hand. How light? Very, very, very! The "balance" does not refer to "equal", but it means in fact "unequal" or "

one hand dominates the other hand"!

Why very, very, very light? The logic is that style-wise Mozart is to be played "light" overall. The only way to accentuate "light accompaniment" on the left hand is to play even lighter!