In the final section of Mozart’s D Minor Fantasy, we can see how different Note Types make a different musical effect. The upbeat sixteenths to m.91 are Unmarked Notes. However, the upbeat sixteenths to m.93 are different note types: a Continuous Note, and a Last Note under a slur.
The Unmarked Notes are released (non-legato), which allows them to proceed directly to the high D at the downbeat of m.91—an unhindered, ongoing, energetic movement that Mozart marked forte.
The Continuous Note (legato) and Last Note Under a Slur (played a lesser dynamic and released) upbeat to m.93, however, creates a natural diminuendo. Even at a quick tempo, this striking difference (marked piano) lessens the energy of the sixteenths, which turns this final section toward a cadence.
Although the sixteenths' durational values might sound “approximate” or generally similar, their different note types create specific effects that bring each moment of the music more fully to life. The subtle energetic differences that Mozart wrote through his choices of note types are the ultimate detail of his music’s artistry. By performing them, all musicians can communicate his music’s “force and meaning”—the messages he intended for his art. (Pianists today can perform these five note types by training a slightly different use of weight, which will be demonstrated in the workshop on July 28).
