When I first heard yesterday that there was a newly discovered piano piece by Mozart, my first thought was, "This has to be a hoax." After all, it's not possible to find new music from a composer who has been dead for 230 years, right? But after I realized it was in fact January 28 and not April 1, I did some research and found a video from the Salzburg Music Festival's Mozart Week, which has been celebrating the famous composer's birthday each January since 1956. In the video, Ulrich Leisinger and Rolanda Villazon discuss the process of finding and authenticating Allegro in D major, k. 262 b/16. After analyzing the paper, ink, and handwriting, the experts determined it was an authentic Mozart composition. Comparing dates in letters and diaries of Mozart and his family led the experts to conclude this piece was composed and mailed to his sister, Nannerl, sometime in 1773. You may be thinking, "I don't care about the historical background. What about the music itself?" The music does not disappoint. The piece, in a standard ABA form, has all the sparkling cheerfulness we expect from Mozart. I'll leave you to listen here while I head to my piano to learn this new music.
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AuthorI am a piano teacher who loves teaching music and discussing personality styles. I also enjoy playing music with others, whether that is chamber music, piano duets, or singing in a choir. My favorite composers are Bach and Haydn. Archives
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