When was Eine kleine Nachtmusik composed by Mozart?
Eine kleine Nachtmusik was completed by Mozart in Vienna on the 10th of August 1787. He recorded its completion in his personal catalogue while working on the second act of Don Giovanni.
Questions about Eine kleine Nachtmusik
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What does Eine kleine Nachtmusik mean in English?
The German phrase Eine kleine Nachtmusik literally means "a little night music." Zaslaw and Cowdery have noted that Mozart was likely not giving the piece a special title but simply recording in his catalogue that he had finished a little serenade.
How many movements does Eine kleine Nachtmusik have?
The surviving version of Eine kleine Nachtmusik has four movements: Allegro, Romance (Andante), Menuetto (Allegretto), and Rondo (Allegro). Mozart's own catalogue listed five movements, indicating a second minuet and trio has been lost.
When was Eine kleine Nachtmusik first published?
Eine kleine Nachtmusik was first published around 1827, more than thirty years after Mozart's death. His widow Constanze sold the manuscript to the publisher Johann Andre in Offenbach am Main as part of a large bundle of her husband's compositions.
What instruments is Eine kleine Nachtmusik written for?
Mozart wrote Eine kleine Nachtmusik for two violins, viola, cello, and double bass. It is frequently performed by full string orchestras rather than the small chamber ensemble the score specifies.
What happened to the missing movement of Eine kleine Nachtmusik?
Mozart's catalogue lists a second minuet and trio that has long been considered lost. Musicologist Alfred Einstein suggested it may survive as a minuet in the Piano Sonata K. 498a attributed to August Eberhard Muller, but acknowledged the evidence is limited. Christopher Hogwood and Thurston Dart both recorded versions with substitute movements, using material connected to Mozart's pupil Thomas Attwood and other sources.