Eine kleine Nachtmusik
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Serenade for strings in G major, better known as Eine kleine Nachtmusik ("A little night music" or less literally, "A little serenade"), is one of the most popular compositions by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart wrote it in 1787 in Vienna while working on Don Giovanni. It is not known why or for whom he wrote this piece. It is K. 525 in the Köchel catalogue of Mozart's works.
The work was written for a chamber ensemble of two violins, viola, and cello with optional double bass. It is often performed today with more than one person to a part.
Contents |
[edit] Movements
[edit] First
This first movement is in Sonata Allegro form, which aggressively ascends in a "rocket theme." It is one of the most recognized passages of music ever written, even amongst those without musical training. The second theme is more graceful and in D major, the dominant key of G major. The exposition closes in D major and is repeated. The development section begins on D major and touches on D minor and C major before the work returns to G major for the recapitulation -- a repetition of the exposition with both subjects in the same key, as is convention. During the recapitulation, it is in G major with the primary themes from the exposition playing. The movement ends in its tonic key, G major.
[edit] Second
The second movement is a "Romanza", in Andante and contrasting and slower than the first movement. It is in a "section rondo form" and is similar to the sonata rondo form (ABACA). The first theme (A) is graceful and lyrical. It is followed by a more rhythmical second theme (B). The first theme returns (A) and is followed by the third theme (C), which is darker than the first two and includes a touch of c minor. The first theme (A) returns to finish the movement. The key is in C major, which is the sub-dominant of G major
[edit] Third
The third movement is a minuet and trio (ABA) and is a more dance-like movement due to its time signature of 3/4, which is more commonly recognised as a waltz. The movement is in the tonic key, which is in G major and is fairly quick with a tempo of Allegretto. It contains two themes, a minuet and a trio. The movement begins with the minuet (A), then the trio theme enters (B), and it ends with the minuet (A). It ends in the tonic key, which is in G major.
[edit] Fourth
The fourth and last movement is in sonata rondo form. This finale returns with the liveliness of the first movement. The movement alters between two main themes during the exposition. In the development, it modulates through various keys and ends in G minor. The two themes return in the recapitulation and finally ends in the coda, in which the first theme returns.
[edit] Fifth (or Second?)
Mozart listed this work as having five movements in his own catalogue of his works. The second movement in his listing, a minuet and trio, was long thought lost. Musicologist Alfred Einstein has suggested, however, that a minuet in Piano Sonata in Bb, K.498a, is the missing movement. Recordings of the Sonata minuet arranged for string quartet have since been created, even though music scholars are not certain that Einstein is correct.
