Mozart - Gallimathias musicum (Quodilbet) KV 32 - Part I (movs. 1-7/17)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791)

Gallimathias musicum (Quodilbet) for 2 Violins, 2 Oboes, 2 Horns, Cembalo obligato, 2 Bassoons, Viola and Bass, KV 32.

1. Molto allegro
2. Andante
3. Allegro
4. Pastorella
5. Allegro
6. Allegretto
7. Allegro

Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
Sir Neville Marriner


On the return home from the "Grand Tour" of 1764 - 1766, Leopold Mozart received a proposal "so attractive" he could not turn down to stay in Holland from September 1765 to April 1766. During this time in Holland the Mozart children performed at numerous concerts in different cities.

What concerns us here is the installation of the 18 year old Wilhelm V, Prince of Orange, as Regent of Netherlands. For the festivities surrounding this occasion, the 10-year old Wolfgang composed a suite of pieces for small orchestra titled "Gallimathias Musicum".

One might well ask, what is a Quodlibet? The Encyclopedia Britannica on-line gives this brief definition: "musical composition in which several well-known melodies are combined, either simultaneously or, less frequently, sequentially, for humorous effect". Certainly is this very simple, but it gives the general idea. If Wolfgang used melodic fragments of actual airs or dances is questionable. However several pieces can be established as coming from pre-existing models. One is of course the famous Wilhelmus Lied ("Wilhelmus van Nassouwe") that the theme of the concluding fugue is taken from. (Mozart also used this theme for the contemporary originating Piano Variations K25).

More info: http://www.mozartforum.com/Lore/article.php?id=339

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Music

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