Newly Discovered Mozart Composition Sheds Light on His Early Genius

A previously unknown Mozart composition, "Ganz kleine Nachtmusik", thought to be composed during his teenage years, has been discovered in Germany. The piece was recently added to the Köchel catalogue, shedding new light on the early stages of Mozart's musical development.

A previously unknown piece by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, composed when he was likely in his early teens, has been uncovered in Germany. Dating to the mid-to-late 1760s, the composition consists of seven miniature movements for a string trio, lasting about 12 minutes. This discovery was announced by the Leipzig municipal libraries on September 21, 2024.

Mozart, born in 1756, was a child prodigy who began composing at a very young age. The piece was found while researchers were compiling the latest edition of the Köchel catalogue, the definitive archive of his works. While not written by Mozart himself, the manuscript is believed to be a copy made around 1780, roughly two decades after its composition. The work, titled Ganz kleine Nachtmusik ("Very Small Night Music"), was performed by a string trio at the unveiling of the new Köchel catalogue in Salzburg, Austria.

The manuscript, written in dark brown ink on handmade paper, is believed to have been composed before Mozart’s first trip to Italy. This find is part of a broader update to the Köchel catalogue, which now includes 95 new pieces by Mozart. The updated edition, published on September 20, 2024, spans 1,392 pages and includes works numbered from KV 1 to KV 721.

While the place of Ganz kleine Nachtmusik in Mozart’s catalog remains uncertain, the discovery further highlights his early genius. It was also performed publicly in Salzburg and later on the steps of the Leipzig Opera. This new addition to the Köchel catalogue offers fresh insight into Mozart's early compositions and his lasting influence on classical music.