Lost Mozart Composition Discovered
Anyone who loves music and has a favorite band knows the feeling of discovering a new song or hearing that a once-lost tune has been found in some record company closet. It’s like stumbling on some kind of musical buried treasure. But when it comes to the classical greats from hundreds of years ago, we often think everything that could be discovered has been discovered. Not so fast. Because recently, a Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composition actually turned up in a German library. This is the deepest of deep cuts.
Mozart From The 1760s
According to a recent report by Pitchfork, the Mozart composition likely came from the 1760s and was meant to run around 12 minutes in total. It was originally composed for a trio of strings.
It should be noted that this wasn’t the original copy of the actual piece Mozart handwrote, but rather a copy of his which may have been made in the late 18th century.
Ganz Kleine Nachtmusik
The Mozart archivists are calling this composition Ganz kleine Nachtmusik which loosely translates to Very Little Night Music. A possibly fitting description of the musical overtones and undertones of this piece. The music has seven miniature movements for the string trio.
This piece of Mozart music is thought to be a fairly rare example of Mozart’s early chamber music compositions, and many experts were under the assumption that these had been lost to history.
This one comes from a time in his life when he was on the younger side, probably in his teens, though representing that he, of course, already was composing well beyond his years.
Already Being Performed
And Mozart fans will be happy to know that the piece is already being performed. September 19, 2024 marked the first time is was played in Salzburg, Austria. The German premiere was set for September 21, 2024 at the Leipzig Opera.
Of course, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Austria in 1757 and is regarded as one of, if not *the* greatest musical geniuses the world has ever known. He showed the crazy musical talent from an early age and started performing as a child. He composed more than 600 pieces in his life and career ranging from symphonies to concertos to operas to chamber music.
Volume Of Work
His best known works include “The Marriage of Figaro” and “Don Giovanni,” and his music is still today performed with the same beauty and elegance.
Mozart paved the way for new forms and structures, much of which hadn’t been seen or heard at the time.
The sheer volume of his work combined with the style is what makes new discoveries like this one so exciting. It’s wonderful to think there could be more of his music tucked away in hidden places, just waiting to be found.
Amadeus
Mozart passed away in 1791 in Vienna at the age of 35. He had gotten sick with a number of different ailments, though no specific cause of death was ever accounted for.
For a picture of his life, Milos Forman’s Amadeus remains the modern classic that can be seen sooner rather than later.
Source: Pitchfork
