Mozart's teenage composition discovered: Library unearths a hidden gem
Researchers at the city library in Leipzig have discovered a previously unknown composition by Mozart, according to the newspaper The Guardian. The discovery dates back to the mid- or late 1760s, and the piece was written when the composer was still a teenager.
According to the Leipzig City Library, as cited by "The Guardian", the piece consists of seven miniature parts for a string trio and lasts about 12 minutes.
The researchers came across the piece while working on the latest edition of the Köchel Catalogue, a complete list of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's works. The Leipzig City Library stated that the discovered piece has been named "Ganz kleine Nachtmusik" and is described as "preserved in a single source, in which the attribution of the author suggests that the work was written before Mozart’s first trip to Italy."
According to researchers, the discovered piece is not Mozart's original manuscript, but it is a later copy made around 1780.
The piece "Ganz kleine Nachtmusik" was performed for the first time in Salzburg during the presentation of the new edition of the Köchel Catalogue. Its German premiere occurred at the Opera in Leipzig on Saturday, 21 September.
He composed his first works at the age of 5. Mozart's genius
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in 1756 and died at the age of just 35, in 1791. The Austrian composer is regarded as one of the greatest musical geniuses in history. As a child, he already showed exceptional talent, composing his first works at the age of just five.
The artist's oeuvre consists of almost 600 works. He created, among others, symphonies, operas, concertos, and masses. His works, such as "Requiem" and "Don Giovanni," continue to inspire and delight music lovers worldwide to this day.
