Mozart: "Voi Che Sapete" - Easy Piano Arrangement

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: "Voi Che Sapete" ("You Who Know") from The Marriage of Figaro

PDF Sheet music, piano solo
Simple Solutions piano arrangement by Henrik Kilhamn

Approximate Grade: 5-
Scale 1 - 8: Beginner - Advanced

Key: Easy key C major + Original key B-flat major included

“You who know what love is” sings Cherubino in Mozart’s big opera hit The Marriage of Figaro. Condensing this music down to solo piano actually reads quite a lot like a Mozart sonata, with a central lyrical line and Alberti bass as a perfect substitute for slightly wider accompaniment textures. As always in Mozart the form is perfectly integrated with thematic features recurring around intriguing episodes. It's originally written in B-flat major with a range suitable for the role of a mezzo-soprano, but turning it into a piano piece I would recommend playing it in the Easy Key transposed version of C major, since it fits the hand much better for this type of material (in B-flat major you risk running into the thumb on black keys in awkward positions).

This arrangement is included in Simple Solutions Volume 5 - A Burning Desire (Intermediate ~ Grade 3-5)

KEY SIGNATURE

The arrangement comes in two versions: both transposed to an easier key signature as well as kept in the original key. The "Easy Key" transposed version is recommended for the most comfortable Simple Solutions experience. It's easier to read notes without many sharps or flats, which frees up a lot of attention for all other musical aspects only at a cost if you have perfect pitch. The version in Original Key serves the purpose of constituting a stepping stone if you wish to continue with the original version or more advanced arrangements in some capacity later on.

ABOUT SIMPLE SOLUTIONS

The Simple Solutions series came from the idea that even not-professionally trained pianists should be able to enjoy the feeling of playing great music from the piano repertoire with their own hands. This is possible with some clever rearranging of the musical material: reducing the range of independent voices and jumps while preserving core ideas of melody and rhythm. In this easier setting, you will instead have enough time on your hands (literally!) to bring the music to life and care about those aspect that often otherwise come second: phrasing, articulation, dynamics, and balance. This will help you develop your over-all musicality, which will be of great value in all other pieces as well.

In the end, if you feel ready for a challenge and want to go forward with proper piano studies that requires years of practice – you can always move on to more advanced arrangements or original piano compositions. They will always be there. In the meantime, these arrangements will bring you close to the same enjoyment as the full versions, because all musical ideas are carefully conserved.

They are just a little bit easier.