Köchel catalogue
Ludwig Ritter von Köchel published his first comprehensive listing of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's works in 1862. The 551-page volume bore the title Chronological-thematic Catalogue of the Complete Musical Works of W. A. Mozart. Before this publication, attempts by Franz Gleißner and Johann Anton André had failed to produce a complete record. Köchel arranged the entries in chronological order whenever possible. He included the opening bars of each piece, known as an incipit, to help identify compositions. His system assigned numbers like K. 49 or K. 626 to specific works such as the Requiem in D minor.
Köchel's original catalogue from 1863 required three major revisions over the next century. Alfred Einstein produced a third edition in 1937 that introduced lower-case letter suffixes to handle new discoveries. The sixth edition appeared in 1964 under editors Franz Giegling and Peter H. Reimann. This version restructured many doubtful works into appendices labeled Anh. I through V. Neal Zaslaw released the ninth edition in 2024, abandoning strict chronological ordering for the main body. In this latest version, all previously numbered works returned to their oldest number while newly discovered pieces received numbers extending past 626 up to 721.
The Köchel system divides Mozart's output into a main chronology of 626 works plus five appendices designated Anh. I through V. Appendix I contains lost authentic works while II holds fragments by Mozart himself. Section III lists transcriptions made by others and IV covers doubtful compositions. Misattributed works appear in section V. Later editions added alphanumeric suffixes like K. 626a or K. 196e to accommodate interpolations between existing numbers. Some entries moved between categories as scholarship evolved; Divertimento for Wind Octet in E shifted from appendix C back to the main catalogue as K. 196e despite remaining classified as doubtful.
Scholars determine composition dates using autographs, letters, and historical records found within Mozart's estate. Leopold Mozart compiled partial lists of his son's early works before 1784. A personal catalogue begun by Wolfgang in February 1784 with entry K. 449 allowed relatively precise dating of later pieces. Many compositions written before 1784 could only be estimated due to missing documentation. The New Mozart Edition provides online resources including synchronized score views and audio recordings to assist researchers verifying these timelines.
Criteria distinguish authentic compositions from spurious or misattributed pieces through analysis of handwriting and historical context. Works labeled spurious often carry attributions to composers like Johann Ernst Eberlin or Quirino Gasparini. Doubtful entries include fragments such as Symphony No. 54 in B-flat or Violin Sonata No. 20 in C. Some pieces once thought to be Mozart's were later identified as by Michael Haydn or Leopold Mozart. Modern digital archives allow scholars to compare manuscripts directly against known samples for verification purposes.
Current online resources include the New Mozart Edition and various digital score viewers available today. The Digital Mozart Edition offers synchronized score view and audio playback for selected works. Philips Classics Records released a 180-CD collection called The Complete Mozart Edition between 1990 and 1991. Brilliant Classics issued a single box with 170 CDs plus liner notes on the occasion of Mozart's 250th birthday in 2006. Decca Classics partnered with Deutsche Grammophon and the International Mozarteum Foundation to release Mozart 225: The New Complete Edition in 2016 featuring premiere performances of previously lost compositions.
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Common questions
When did Ludwig Ritter von Köchel publish his first comprehensive listing of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's works?
Ludwig Ritter von Köchel published his first comprehensive listing of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's works in 1862. The volume bore the title Chronological-thematic Catalogue of the Complete Musical Works of W. A. Mozart and contained 551 pages.
What is the highest number assigned to a work in the ninth edition of the Köchel catalogue released by Neal Zaslaw?
Neal Zaslaw released the ninth edition of the Köchel catalogue in 2024 with newly discovered pieces receiving numbers extending past 626 up to 721. This version abandoned strict chronological ordering for the main body while returning all previously numbered works to their oldest number.
How does the Köchel system categorize lost authentic works and misattributed compositions?
The Köchel system divides Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's output into five appendices labeled Anh. I through V where Appendix I contains lost authentic works and section V lists misattributed works. Section II holds fragments by Mozart himself, section III lists transcriptions made by others, and section IV covers doubtful compositions.
Who compiled partial lists of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's early works before 1784?
Leopold Mozart compiled partial lists of his son's early works before 1784. Wolfgang began a personal catalogue in February 1784 with entry K. 449 which allowed relatively precise dating of later pieces.
Which composers are associated with spurious or misattributed works found within the Köchel catalogue entries?
Works labeled spurious often carry attributions to composers like Johann Ernst Eberlin or Quirino Gasparini. Some pieces once thought to be by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart were later identified as by Michael Haydn or Leopold Mozart.