Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, aged 13, by Giambettino Cignaroli, 1770
Thanks to the work of researchers, classical music fans are getting new music from Mozart over 230 years after his death.
The newly discovered “Serenade in C” is a work made up of seven miniature pieces for string trio. It was uncovered in the Leipzig Municipal Libraries network during the process of updating the Köchel Catalog: a chronological list of Mozart’s compositions that serves to organize Mozart’s vast body of work. The catalog is updated every couple of decades to include new works, revisions, and other changes that Mozart scholars discover over the years.
The new work appears to have been written early in Mozart’s life. The manuscript’s date of 1780 would position it in the prolific composer’s mid-20s, but stylistically, the work shares characteristics with Mozart’s pieces from his pre-teenage years. The attribution of “Wolfgang Mozart” instead of “Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart” is also another clue; Mozart didn’t start signing works with his middle name until he was thirteen years old.
Watch the newly discovered piece, in its entirety, recorded at WFMT's studios!
Serenade in C received its first recorded performance at the launch of the new Köchel Catalog in Salzburg, September 19, 2024. It was also played for the public on the steps of the Leipzig Opera a few days later. But “Serenade in C” wasn’t the only new work added to the recent revision. The current Köchel Catalog contains 95 new pieces by the composer that have been discovered since the last update in 1964. It was published on September 20, 2024, with a new length of 1,392 pages and KV numbers that stretch from 1 to 721.
Only time will tell where the newly resurfaced "Serenade in C" fits into Mozart's legendary compositional catalog. For a thorough look at his most important works (as we see them today!), check out WFMT's definitive ranking of Mozart's top 10 works.
For more information about Mozart's newly found Serenade in C, check out the Smithsonian article on the discovery: This Lost Mozart Composition Hasn’t Been Heard for Centuries. Now, You Can Listen to It.
