A long-lost composition by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, originally believed to be destroyed, has been uncovered in a library in Leipzig, Germany. This remarkable find, dating back to the 1760s and likely written during Mozart’s early teenage years, is a 12-minute piece that was performed for what could potentially be its world premiere—260 years late—in Salzburg, Austria, on September 19.
The discovered manuscript is thought to be a copy created in the 1780s of Mozart’s original work. Archivists made the discovery while compiling the latest Köchel catalogue of Mozart’s compositions, referring to the piece as Ganz kleine Nachtmusik. Researchers are aware of several concealed chamber music works by Mozart, based on a list compiled by his father during the composer’s lifetime. This recent discovery adds to a growing collection of about a dozen reemerged Mozart works.
