Mozart - Piano Music

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Mozart epitomizes the classical period with its emphasis on beauty, clarity, and balance. One of history's greatest child prodigies, he seems to have arrived at this excellence with very little effort - he composed extremely quickly, virtually without need for revision. But don't be fooled into thinking that his music is all polished surface and innocent, wonderful tunes. There is always a strong sense of drama, and sometimes darkness looms just under the surface.



Top Pieces:


Turkish March (Rondo Alla Turca) in A Minor, K. 331

The "Turkish March" or "Turkish Rondo" is the last movement of the Sonata in A major, K 331. Its joyous character and fast ornamental patterns has made it one of Mozart's most popular piano pieces.

Sonata 16 in C Major, K. 545

Despite its modest scale and the fact that it wasn't made public during Mozart's life, this Sonata is a flawless and remarkable work of a mature master, who in the same summer wrote his last three symphonies.

Fantasia in D Minor, K. 397

This richly expressive piece is incredibly rewarding to take on for the intermediate pianist - but its interpretation remains a considerable challenge even to the most mature and experienced musician.

Piano Concerto 21 in C Major, K. 467

Ever since film director Bo Widerberg used the breathtakingly beautiful second movement in his movie about the tragic love affair between a Danish tightrope dancer and a married Swedish army officer, this has been the most popular of Mozart's piano concertos.

12 Variations on "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" (Ah, vous dirai-je, maman) in C Major, K. 265

Mozart's brilliant take on the world's most well-known children's song. Note that Mozart didn't compose the theme, it's the melody of a French folk song that was already popular when Mozart decided to perform his magic on it.

Biography

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s (1756-1791) father Leopold gave up his own composing to give little Wolfgang intensive musical training. At age five, the boy had written his first compositions and could play the piano blindfolded. He made several European journeys along with his father and older sister Nannerl. Back in Salzburg the thirteen year old Mozart was appointed Concert Master at the Salzburg Court by the Archbishop. He made three tours of Italy, developing his interest in opera. In Rome, after hearing Allegri´s Miserere in the Sistine Chapel, he went home to write it out in its entirety from memory. Another tour took Mozart to Mannheim, the town with Europe’s best orchestra, where Mozart fell in love with Aloysia Weber. Their relationship ended when Leopold ordered his son to Paris, where he spent some unhappy months: his mother who had accompanied him there fell ill and died.

Back in Salzburg, Mozart became increasingly rebellious, fell out of favour with the Archbishop and was dismissed, in his own words, "with a kick in the seat of the pants". In 1781 he settled in Vienna. The following year, Wolfgang married Constanze Weber, Aloysias sister, against his father´s wishes. His Viennese career took off quickly: the opera Die Entführung aus dem Serail was a great success and he began a series of concerts at which he premiered his own piano concertos as conductor and soloist. He developed a friendship with Haydn and became more closely acquainted with the music of Bach and Handel. Mozart became a Freemason in 1784, in the same lodge as Haydn, and worked fervently and successfully to convert his father before the latter´s death in 1787.

Toward the end of the decade, Mozart´s career declined; he had to borrow money and move his family to cheaper lodgings in the suburbs. His last year, however, was one of great productivity and personal recovery, and resulted in some of his most admired works: the opera Die Zauberflöte, the final piano concerto, the Clarinet Concerto, and the unfinished Requiem. His financial situation also improved. Contrary to legend, it appears that he was in quite good cheer until he died of uncertain causes towards the end of the year. This event has given rise to endless speculation – but it’s unlikely that he was poisoned and Salieri most probably had nothing to do with it. Mozart was buried in a communal, unmarked, grave according to the 1784 laws in Austria.


Quotes by Mozart

"It is a mistake to think that the practice of my art has become easy to me. I assure you, dear friend, no one has given so much care to the study of composition as I. There is scarcely a famous master in music whose works I have not frequently and diligently studied."

"The golden mean, the truth, is no longer recognized or valued. To win applause one must write stuff so simple that a coachman might sing it, or so incomprehensible that it pleases simply because no sensible man can comprehend it."

"I never lie down at night without reflecting that —- young as I am — I may not live to see another day. Yet no one of all my acquaintances could say that in company I am morose or disgruntled."

"I care very little for Salzburg and not at all for the archbishop: I shit on both of them."

Quotes about Mozart

"I only wish I could impress on every friend of mine, and on great men in particular, the same depth of musical sympathy and profound appreciation of Mozart's inimitable music that I myself feel and enjoy; then nations would vie with each other to possess such a jewel within their frontiers" (Haydn)

"No earthly remains of Mozart survived save a few wretched portraits, no two of which are alike; the fact that all the reproductions of his death-mask, which would have shown him as he really was, have crumbled to bits seems symbolic. It is as though the world-spirit wished to show that here is pure sound, conforming to a weightless cosmos, triumphant over all chaotic earthliness, spirit of the world-spirit." (Alfred Einstein)

"Mozart is the highest, the culminating point that beauty has attained in the sphere of music." (Tchaikovsky)

"He roused my admiration when I was young; he caused me to despair when I reached maturity; he is now the comfort of my old age." (Rossini)

Mozart Piano Sheet Music

for digital devices or to download & print

Total pieces by Mozart: 178

ID:24
TitleKey YearLevel

Most popular pieces:

Turkish March (Rondo Alla Turca) K. 331A Minor -7
Sonata 16 K. 545C Major 17886
Fantasia K. 397D Minor -6
Piano Concerto 21 K. 467C Major 17858+
12 Variations on "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" (Ah, vous dirai-je, maman) K. 265C Major 17787

All pieces:


Concertos

Piano Concerto 1 K. 37F Major 17678
Piano Concerto 2 K. 39B-flat Major 17678
Piano Concerto 3 K. 40 D Major 17678
Piano Concerto 4 K. 41 G Major 17678
Piano Concerto 5 K. 175 D Major 17738
Piano Concerto 6 K. 238 B-flat Major 17768+
Piano Concerto 7 - for three pianos K. 242 F Major 17768
Piano Concerto 8 K. 246 C Major 17768
Piano Concerto 9 K. 271E-flat Major 17778
Piano Concerto 10 - for two pianos K. 365 E-flat Major 17798
Piano Concerto 11 K. 413 F Major 17838
Piano Concerto 12 K. 414 A Major 17828+
Piano Concerto 13 K. 415 C Major 17838
Piano Concerto 14 K. 449 E-flat Major 17848+
Piano Concerto 15 K. 450B-flat Major 17848+
Piano Concerto 16 K. 451 D Major 17848
Piano Concerto 17 K. 453 G Major 17848+
Piano Concerto 18 K. 456 B-flat Major 17848
Piano Concerto 19 K. 459 F Major 17848
Piano Concerto 20 K. 466D Minor 17858
Piano Concerto 21 K. 467C Major 17858+
Piano Concerto 22 K. 482E-flat Major 17858+
Piano Concerto 23 K. 488 A Major 17868
Piano Concerto 24 K. 491 C Minor 17868+
Piano Concerto 25 K. 503 C Major 17868+
Piano Concerto 26 (Coronation) K. 537D Major 17888
Piano Concerto 27 K. 595 B-flat Major 17918+

Sonatas

Sonata 1 K. 279C Major 17757
Sonata 2 K. 280F Major 17757
Sonata 3 K. 281B-flat Major 17757
Sonata 4 K. 282E-flat Major 17757
Sonata 5 K. 283G Major 17757
Sonata 6 K. 284D Major 17757
Sonata 7 K. 309C Major 17777
Sonata 8 K. 310A Minor 17788
Sonata 9 K. 311D Major 17777
Sonata 10 K. 330C Major 17838
Sonata 11 K. 331A Major 17838
Sonata 12 K. 332F Major 17838
Sonata 13 K. 333B-flat Major 17847
Sonata 14 K. 457C Minor 17848
Sonata 15 K. 533F Major 17888
Sonata 16 K. 545C Major 17886
Sonata 17 K. 570B-flat Major 17898
Sonata 18 K. 576D Major 17898

Variations

8 Variations on "Laat ons Juichen" K. 24G Major 17668
7 Variations on "Willem van Nassau" K. 25D Major 17667
6 Variations K. 54F Major 17887
12 Variations on a minuet by J C Fischer K. 179C Major 17746
6 Variations on "Mio caro Adone" K. 180G Major 17737
9 Variations on "Lison Dormait" by Dezede K. 264C Major 17788
12 Variations on "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" (Ah, vous dirai-je, maman) K. 265C Major 17787
8 Variations on the March "Mariages Samnites" K. 352F Major 17816
12 Variations on "La belle Francoise" K. 353E-flat Major 17787
12 Variations on the romance "Je suis Lindor" by A-U Baudron K. 354E-flat Major 17788
6 Variations on "Salve tu, Domine" K. 398F Major 17838
10 Variations on "Unser dummer Poebel meint" K. 455G Major 17848+
8 Variations on "Come un agnello" K. 460A Major 17848+
10 Variations on an original Theme K. 500B-flat Major 17868
Theme and variations - for four hands K. 501G Major 17868+
9 Variations on a minuet by Duport K. 573D Major 17898+
8 Variations on "Ein Weib ist das herrlichste Ding" by B Schack K. 613F Major 17917

Sonatas and pieces for four hands or two pianos

Sonata - for four hands K. 19 dC Major 17655
Sonata - for four hands K. 357G Major -8+
Sonata - for four hands K. 358B-flat Major -8+
Sonata - for four hands K. 381D Major -8+
Sonata - for four hands K. 497F Major -8+
Sonata - for four hands K. 521C Major -8+
Sonata - for two pianos K. 448D Major -8+
Fugue - for two pianos K. 426C Minor -8+
Adagio and Allegro - for four hands K. 594 F Minor 17908
Fantasia - for four hands K. 608 F Minor 17918

The London Sketchbook

Allegro K. 15 aF Major 17644
Andantino K. 15 bC Major 17646
Minuet K. 15 cG Major 17643
Rondo K. 15 dD Major 17644
Contredanse K. 15 eG Major 17643
Minuet K. 15 fC Major 17643
Prelude K. 15 gG Major 17645
Contredanse K. 15 hF Major 17644
Minuet K. 15 iA Major 17643
Minore K. 15 kA Minor 17643
Contredanse K. 15 lA Major 17643
Minuet K. 15 mF Major 17643
Andante K. 15 nC Major 17645
Andante K. 15 oD Major 17645
Sonata K. 15 pG Major 17646
Andante K. 15 qB-flat Major 17645
Andante K. 15 rG Minor 17645
Rondo K. 15 tC Major 17643
Sonatina K. 15 uF Major 17647
Allemande K. 15 xB-flat Major 17645
Sonata K. 15 yF Major 17645
Minuet K. 15 zG Major 17643
Gigue K. 15 aaC Major 17645
Sonata K. 15 bbB-flat Major 17644
Sonata K. 15 ccD Major 17644
Minuet K. 15 ddE-flat Major 17644
Andante K. 15 eeA-flat Major 17645
Minuet K. 15 ffE-flat Major 17644
Minuet K. 15 ggA-flat Major 17642
Contredanse K. 15 hhB-flat Major 17643
Rondo K. 15 iiF Major 17644
Andante K. 15 kkB-flat Major 17645
Sonata K. 15 llE-flat Major 17646
Presto K. 15 mmB-flat Major 17646
Andante K. 15 nnE-flat Major 17642
Minuet K. 15 ppF Major 17642
Minuet K. 15 qqB-flat Major 17642
Minuet K. 15 rrE-flat Major 17642

Pieces from Nannerl's Music Book

Allegro K. 1 cF Major 17611
Allegro K. 1 bC Major 17623
Andante K. 1 aC Major 17623
Minuet K. 1 dF Major 17623
Minuet K. 1 eG Major 17623
Minuet K. 1 fC Major 17642
Minuet K. 2F Major 17622
Allegro K. 3B-flat Major 17622
Minuet K. 4F Major 17623
Minuet K. 5F Major 17623
Minuet K. 6F Major 17623
Allegro K. 6C Major 17636
Andante K. 6F Major 17635
Minuet K. 6C Major 17632
Minuet K. 7D Major 17632
Allegro K. 8B-flat Major 17637
Allegro K. 9 aC Major 17647

Sonatas for Piano and Violin

Sonata - for piano and violin K. 296C Major -8+
Sonata - for piano and violin K. 301G Major -8+
Sonata - for piano and violin K. 302E-flat Major -8+
Sonata - for piano and violin K. 303C Major -8+
Sonata - for piano and violin K. 304E Minor -8+
Sonata - for piano and violin K. 305A Major 17788+
Sonata - for piano and violin K. 306D Major -8+
Sonata - for piano and violin K. 376F Major -8+
Sonata - for piano and violin K. 377F Major -8+
Sonata - for piano and violin K. 378B-flat Major -8+
Sonata - for piano and violin K. 379G Major -8+
Sonata - for piano and violin K. 380E-flat Major -8+
Sonata - for piano and violin K. 402A Major -8+
Sonata - for piano and violin K. 403C Major -8+
Sonata - for piano and violin K. 454B-flat Major -8+
Sonata - for piano and violin K. 481E-flat Major -8+
Sonata - for piano and violin K. 526A Major -8+
Sonata - for piano and violin K. 547F Major -8+
Sonata - for piano and violin K. 570B-flat Major -8+

Miscellaneous pieces

Dance F Major -2
Glockenspiel - from The Magic Flute F Major -4
Minuet - from the Opera "Don Giovanni" G Major -3
Serenade - from the Opera "Don Giovanni" D Major -3
Papageno's Air - from The Magic Flute F Major 17914
Piano Piece K. 33F Major -3
Minuet K. 61C Major -3
Minuet K. 94D Major -3
Andantino K. 236E-flat Major 17834
Allegro K. 312G Minor 17906
8 Minuets K. 315N/A 17734
Turkish March (Rondo Alla Turca) K. 331A Minor -7
Minuet in D K. 355D Major 17896
Adagio for Glass Harmonica K. 356C Major 17915
Rondo - for piano and orchestra K. 382D Major 17828+
Rondo - for piano and orchestra K. 386A Major 17828
Prelude and Fugue K. 394C Major 17828+
Capriccio K. 395C Major 17778+
Fantasy K. 396C Minor 17828+
Fantasia K. 397D Minor -6
Suite K. 399C Major 17828+
Allegro K. 400B-flat Major 17818
Fugue - for four hands K. 401G Minor 17735
March K. 408C Major 17825
Sorrow March K. 453 aC Minor 17843
Fantasy K. 475C Minor 17857
Rondo K. 485D Major -6
6 German Dances K. 509N/A 17877
Rondo K. 511A Minor 17878
Adagio K. 540B Minor 17887
Gigue K. 574G Major 17898
Allegro K. 626 b/16D Major 17735


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