Eine kleine Nachtmusik [A Little Night Music] Divertimento in G for strings

Eine kleine Nachtmusik K. 525 is one of Wolfgang Amadé Mozart’s most popular and best-known works today. This was not always the case: the composition was first printed around 1837, almost 50 years after Mozart’s death, and for a long time lagged far behind Musikalischer Spaß K. 522, which was composed at almost the same time. The composition only began its triumphal march around the world in the 20th century through radio and recordings.

The original title refers to its use in the evening and at night. Night musics (nocturnes) were usually written on the occasion of friends’ name days or on commission. The exact circumstances of the composition of the work, which Mozart entered in his own handwritten catalog of works on August 10, 1787, are not known.

Contrary to the genre designation Serenade, which originated not from Mozart but is only found in the first print, it is apparently a Divertimento. This has consequences for performance practice, as Serenades are orchestral, while Notturni and Divertimentos are chamber music pieces.

Did you know…

that Eine kleine Nachtmusik K. 525 is a fragment?

Mozart gave the exact sequence of movements in his own handwritten catalog of works: “consisting of an Allegro, Minuet and Trio. - Romance. Minuet and Trio, and Finale”. The first minuet movement, which according to Divertimento tradition was in second place in the original five-movement work, was lost—perhaps even during Mozart’s lifetime. The reason for this is that Mozart had originally conceived the slow movement differently. He did not simply cross out the first draft, a Larghetto in C K. 525a, but tore the leaf out of the autograph; however, this also meant that the first half of the double leaf, on which the first minuet and trio stood, became loose and was subsequently lost.