A recently discovered piece by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart has been identified by German researchers 233 years after his death. The composition, originally called “Serenade in C,” dates back to around 1780 when Mozart was 24 years old. Referred to as “Ganz kleine Nachtmusik,” which translates to “Quite Little Night Music,” the piece was found by researchers working on a new edition of the Köchel catalog, a formal catalog of Mozart’s compositions. It consists of seven miniature sets for a string trio and lasts only about twelve minutes. While the original manuscript does not come from Mozart himself, it is believed to have been written by the young composer in the mid to late 1760s.
Leipzig Municipal Libraries announced the discovery of the composition and believe that Mozart wrote the piece as a teenager in the 1760s. The library has had the manuscript in its possession for an unspecified amount of time, but only recently identified it as a Mozart piece. The manuscript is a copy of the original document, made over a decade later and is written in dark brown ink on medium white handmade paper. The library speculates that the manuscript may have been preserved by Mozart’s sister as a memento of her brother. The piece was performed at the Leipzig Opera by two violinists and a cello player, marking the first time it has been heard in over two centuries.
Ulrich Leisinger, the head of research at the International Mozarteum Foundation, highlighted the significance of the newly discovered piece by Mozart. He noted that while the young Mozart is commonly known for his keyboard music, arias, and sinfonias, there is evidence that he also composed many other chamber works in his youth, most of which are unfortunately lost. The discovery of a complete string trio in Leipzig provides a valuable insight into Mozart’s early chamber music compositions. Leisinger suggested that the source of the manuscript was likely Mozart’s sister and speculated that he may have written the trio as a special gift for her name day.
The piece, originally titled “Serenade in C” and now known as “Ganz kleine Nachtmusik,” was performed at the Leipzig Opera by two violinists and a cello player. The composition is comprised of seven miniature sets for a string trio and lasts approximately twelve minutes in total. The manuscript, although not in Mozart’s handwriting, is believed to have been written by the young composer in the mid to late 1760s. While many of Mozart’s chamber works from his youth have been lost, the discovery of this complete string trio in Leipzig sheds new light on his early compositions and musical style.
The recently discovered piece by Mozart was identified by German researchers over two centuries after the composer’s death. The composition, known as “Serenade in C” and renamed “Ganz kleine Nachtmusik,” is believed to have been written by Mozart as a teenager in the 1760s. The manuscript has been in the possession of Leipzig Municipal Libraries for an unspecified period of time but was only recently recognized as a Mozart piece. The performance of the piece at the Leipzig Opera marked its first public rendition in over 200 years, providing audiences with a rare opportunity to hear a previously unknown work by the legendary composer.
