Mozart Piano Sonata no. 14, K. 457

The Piano Sonata no. 14 in C minor, K. 457, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was composed and completed in 1784. It was published in 1785 together with the Fantasy in C minor, K. 475 by the publishing firm Artaria, Mozart’s Viennese publisher. The title page bore a dedication to Thérèse von Trattner, one of Mozart’s pupils. The sonata was composed during the approximately 10-year period of Mozart’s life as a freelance artist in Vienna after he removed himself from the patronage of the Archbishop of Salzburg in 1781. It is one of the earliest of only six sonatas composed during the Vienna years, and was probably written either as a teaching tool or for personal use. Sonatas during this time were generally written for the domestic sphere - as opposed to a symphony or concerto, they were designed to convey ideas in a small, intimate setting.