Solos for violin

Mozart was particularly fond of sonatas for keyboard and violin. They also contributed greatly to his recognition as a composer, as almost all of them were published during Mozart’s lifetime. The earliest works date from the Grand Tour of Western Europe and were published in Paris, when Mozart was eight years old (KV 6–9). The latest originated in the late 1780s. The violin parts of Mozart’s sonatas were considered elaborate and demanding in the 18^th century, although with few exceptions—e.g. the Sonata in B-flat, KV 454, written for the violin virtuoso Regina Strinasacchi—the focus is clearly on the keyboard instrument. In Vienna, Mozart also published two sets of variations for piano and violin (KV 359 and KV 360).