Six Contredances

Mozart composed a large number of dances, typically in sets of 6 or 12 pieces, for ballroom use. Most dances were composed in a manner that they could be performed with 2 violins and bass, while woodwinds, trumpets, and timpani were typically added for their instrumental color. The most common types of dances were minuets, Deutsche Tänze (German Dances), and contredanses. Minuets and German Dances are invariably in triple meter and usually have an alternate section after which the main dance is repeated. The alternate section was called a Trio, occasionally Minore (even if it was not set in the Minor mode). Minuets and trios consist of two sections, each comprising an even number of measures; both sections are repeated. The German Dance, a forerunner of the waltz, was considerably faster than the Minuet. Contredanses are predominantly in 2/4 meter (rarely in 6/8); they consist of a sequence of up to four sections, each of which is repeated, with a multiple of four bars.

After his appointment as chamber musician and composer to the royal and imperial court in December 1787, Mozart regularly contributed to the balls held during Carnival season at the Redoutensaal in Vienna. These dance cycles often concluded with a Coda. Many of these sets of dances survive in different instrumentations, including for full ensemble, string trio, and also in keyboard reductions, but not all of the latter were apparently produced by Mozart himself.