By Alkis Karmpaliotis
Founder and Editor-in-Chief of AppreciateOpera.org
Researchers at the Leipzig Municipal Library recently revealed their discovery of an unknown work by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. They discovered the manuscript while finalizing the latest edition of the Köchel Catalog, a chronological list of Mozart's compositions, which is updated every few decades. Titled "Serenade in C," the 12-minute piece features seven miniature movements for string trio.
The manuscript is dated 1780, indicating that Mozart would have been in his 20s at the time of composition; however, musicologists note that the work is more likely to have been composed in his pre-teenage years, and that the manuscript is a copy. Ulrich Leisinger, head of research at the Mozarteum Foundation, said that the piece contains characteristics that suggest Mozart would have been between 10 and 13 years old at the time of composing it. The signing of his name as "Wolfgang Mozart" rather than "Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart" supports this theory since Mozart did not start using his middle name until he was 13.
The piece was given the name Ganz kleine nachtmusik (Very Little Night Music), and given its first modern performance in Salzburg on September 19. Two days later, thousands of people gathered around the Leipzig Opera to hear the piece's German premiere, played by graduates of the Johann Sebastian Bach Music School.
Stylistically, notes Lusinger, the piece is unique compared to Mozart's other music from that time, which primarily comprised arias, symphonies, and works for solo piano. Those of us who love Mozart’s music can identify several themes that the composer repurposed in other works. For example, during the sixth movement, a Menuett, we hear glimpses of the Intrada from Mozart’s opera Bastien und Bastienne, which he composed at 12 years old, and is thought to have inspired the melody of Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony. (~9 minutes into the piece.)
Listen to the official release below:
Social media has erupted in response to the piece's release. The opening bars have already become a TikTok sound, with many users making humorous remarks such as "Mozart dropped a new single" and “Glad I can say I was alive for a Mozart release!” Hopefully, this trend will motivate young people to listen to more of Mozart's music.
I'm Alkis Karmpaliotis, and I'm a senior at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School in New York. I hope you enjoyed this interview! I founded AppreciateOpera.org in 2019, and you can support my work by becoming a member and reading some of my other articles!