Phrasing in Mozart

[green]

Case in point: Mozart Rondo in F, K. 15hh, in ASBRCM grade four syllabus this year (piano). A little embarrassed, but I have come to realize that I am not sure re: phrasing and how exactly that is intended to be played. Ex: 3/8 meter, group of 3 eights with slur over them. Is the last note of the slur going to be detached? Or is this simply to show that the downbeat is where the 'empasis should be. Playing with 'too much' detachment on the last note of a slur of 3 eights seems to 'break' the over all line which is a period of 4 bars.

What does mozart intend here. Put an 'overarching' phrase over the logical 4 bar sentence? With an over all dynamic 'hair pin' dynamic shaping, or quite deliberately show the 'detache' of the last note of a slured group of 3 notes?

That last note of a slured group of three cannot be too 'short' or it just 'breaks' the vocal quality of the line.

Anyhow, advice appreciated.

[monk]

The best, most musical way to solve these problems is:

Listen to good recordings of these pieces! (Or a good pianist playing them live.)
Then you will hear how it could sound. Perhaps there is more than one good sounding possibility? Perhaps one is more "historically accurate" than the other, but it's your taste that decides whether you want to be historically accurate or not. "If it sounds good, it is good!"

A big mistake of many players is that they listen too little to other interpretations of their pieces. They try to get the music only via the paper and perhaps a teacher (whom they often follow slavishly).

Best Wishes,
Monk