Twelve German dances for dance ensemble

For use at dance events, Mozart composed a large number of dances, typically grouped in sets of 6 or 12 individual pieces. Most of the dances are designed to be performed with just two violins and a bass; for added color, parts for woodwinds, trumpets, and timpani were often included. The most common types of dances were minuets, German dances, and contredanses. Minuets and German dances are invariably in triple meter and usually include an alternating section, after which the main dance is repeated. This alternating section was typically called a *trio*, and occasionally a *minore* (even when not in minor key). Both the minuets and their trios consist of two sections, each containing an even number of bars; each section is repeated. The German dance, a precursor to the waltz, was played much faster than the minuet. Contredanses are mostly in 2/4 time (occasionally in 6/8) and are structured as a sequence of up to four sections, each of which is repeated. The sections themselves consist of multiple four-bar groups. After being appointed chamber musician and composer to the Imperial Court in December 1787, Mozart regularly contributed music for the Carnival season balls held in Vienna’s Redoutensaal. These dance cycles were often concluded with a coda. Many of them survive in various scorings: for large orchestra, for string trio, and in piano reductions—though not all of these were made by Mozart himself.