Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is best known for his iconic symphonies, operas, and piano concertos, but beyond these masterpieces lies a treasure trove of lesser-known works that showcase his genius in unexpected ways. From hidden gems in chamber music to overlooked choral pieces and theatrical curiosities, these compositions reveal different facets of Mozart’s creativity.
Here are ten remarkable yet underappreciated Mozart works that deserve a closer listen. And, by the way, which is your favourite Mozart work? We asked several top performers for their favourite piece by Mozart - the results are intriguing...
Lesser known Mozart gems
1. Ch’io mi scordi di te? (I forget you?), K505
Mozart’s concert arias are a treasure trove of neglected masterpieces. ‘Ch’io mi scordi di te?’ ('I forget you?') is actually an aria and miniature piano concerto rolled into one, showing us just how closely related are the worlds of Mozart’s operas and concertos.
2. Davide penitente, K469
Mozart salvaged the music of his great unfinished Mass in C minor, K427, by turning it into a cantata with new words, and adding two spectacular arias. The music itself places grand Handelian choruses cheek by jowl with passages in operatic style.
3. Adagio & Rondo in C minor, K617
The most ethereally beautiful of the shorter pieces Mozart composed at the end of his life combines the unique sound of the glass harmonica with a quartet consisting of flute, oboe, viola and cello.
4. Sonata in F major for piano duet, K497
This grandest of all Mozart’s piano duets is in effect a symphony in disguise, complete with an imposing slow introduction. The last two movements, in particular, find Mozart revelling in his contrapuntal mastery.
5. Adagio for two clarinets & three basset horns, K411
The mellow sound of the clarinet and its lower-pitched cousin, the basset horn, gives Mozart’s wind writing a special character. This piece scored for them has a velvety sonority that lends the music a nostalgic quality.
More little known Mozart gems
6. Fantasia in F minor, K608
This extraordinary work is part of a set of pieces for a mechanical organ, composed by Mozart during the final year of his life. Its intense and dramatic outer sections enclose a middle section in the form of a serene series of variations.
7. Suite for piano, K399
During the year 1782, Mozart became fascinated by Bach and Handel. He completed no more than the Overture, Allemande and Courante of this Baroque-style suite, but they stand comparison with the corresponding movements in Bach’s Partitas and English Suites.
8. Zaide, K344
This Singspiel, a forerunner of Die Entführung aus dem Serail (The Abduction from the Seraglio), was left incomplete, but it’s full of great music. Mozart’s use of melodrama – music interspersed with spoken dialogue – is striking.
9. Masonic Funeral Music, K477
Mozart was, famously, a Freemason. And he composed this dignified and beautiful music for a Masonic funeral. Opening with deep ‘sighs’ on the oboes, echoed by three basset horns and double bassoon, this is one of the most tragic and austere of Mozart’s orchestral pieces. The use of a melody in the plainchant style, from the Bible's Lamentations of Jeremiah, adds to the atmosphere of grief.
10. Duos for violin & viola, K423 & 424
These two miraculous pieces are wonderful portals into the inner workings of chamber music. The two players are treated as equals virtually throughout, and Mozart’s scoring for this slenderest of ensembles is endlessly inventive.