Solissimo I opens with a long recitative set as a virtuosic cadenza. The simple serene theme that follows is succeeded by four variations: Moderato legato at a slightly faster tempo, Allegro scherzando in a very different atmosphere, Moderato marziale in form of a burlesque march that includes percussive key noises, and a very fast Allegro virtuoso consisting of all sixteenth notes. The final coda offers reminiscences of the theme ending fortissimo in the high register.