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MOZART – Serenade ‘Eine Kleine Nachtmusik’ (complete work) K.525 – FOUR CELLOS

Other Identification:
“Eine kleine Nachtmusik” (Serenade No. 13 for strings in G major), K. 525, is a 1787 composition for a chamber ensemble by Wolfgang Amadé Mozart (1756–1791), and is one of Mozart’s most famous works. The German title corresponds to “a little night music”. The work is written for an ensemble of two violins, viola, and cello, but is often performed by string orchestras – meaning that this new cello ensemble version may be performed by four solo cellos or by a fuller cello ensemble or orchestra.

The work was completed in Vienna on 10th August 1787, around the time Mozart was working on the second act of his opera Don Giovanni. It is not known why it was composed, though it is quite probable that it was a commission, whose origin and first performance were not recorded. The work was not published until about 1827, long after Mozart’s death, by Johann André in Offenbach am Main. It had been sold to this publisher in 1799 by Mozart’s widow Constanze, part of a large bundle of her husband’s compositions. Therefore, it may well have fallen into obscurity before the publisher’s rescue!

Movements or sections:
The work has four movements (original keys shown):
Allegro (G major)
Romanze: Andante (C major)
Menuetto: Allegretto (G major, with trio in D major)
Finale: Allegro (G major)

The music opens with a bright allegro in sonata form with a very small development section. A slow, lyrical second movement follows, with some intricacy in the darker middle section. The third movement is a light minuet, and the finale is a brisk rondo.

Originally, the piece contained a second minuet, but that movement has been lost.

Instrumentation:
QUARTET OF FOUR CELLOS
In theory, it is well possible to play in a cello orchestra, if the intonation is reasonably good!

4 PDFs, one for each movement containing all parts

Approximate difficulty:
Medium to Difficult – the first voice employs regular thumb position though of comfortable registers; all other parts are more comfortable.

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