MOZART'S: EINE KLEINE NACHTMUSIK, KV 525

Summary

Although K. 525 is one of Mozart's best-known works, it tends to be regarded by performers as a secondary work and therefore receives little interpretative attention.

A study of the composer's original manuscript score reveals a wealth of details that are often overlooked in performances.

We will focus here only on the famous opening of the work to discover that the actual first theme begins shortly afterwards and that the famous chords that unfold at the beginning serve only as a ‘fanfare’.

It should be noted that the work has the same quality as his other great works from the same period and, as always, displays exquisite taste and elegance.

1. The original manuscript

The most striking thing when looking at the original manuscript is the absence of the forte (f) at the beginning, right at the famous folded chords.

The f-like symbols at the beginning, but in the second bar, are repetition symbols, as can be seen below:

The instrumental unison at the beginning, but also the varied instrumentation with melody in the first violins, accompaniment in the second violins and harmonic bass in the cellos and double basses reveal that the first theme of this sonata movement begins right here (bar 3).

As a rule, there is a forte (f) above this beginning in all editions, perhaps because Mozart himself wrote the forte (f) in the repetition of the theme.

As always, Mozart's genius is beyond any doubt. The forte in the recapitulation is fully justified musically by the surprise after the preceding piano passage (p), but not at the beginning of the work, where it functions as a ‘fanfare’ in the sense that it ‘attracts’ the audience's attention shortly before the first theme begins.

2. Analysis

Although only the tonic and the dominant seventh chord in the major key (G major) are involved, Mozart's extraordinary melodic and rhythmic imagination makes this beginning seem like a real melody.

The theme thus begins in bar 5, and the moment of highest tension is in bar 6 on the trill of the melody with the dominant seventh chord and its dissonance, only to dissolve in the elegant appoggiatura of the melody in the following bar (7).

In my opinion, this all sounds very logical to any musician, but the tensions must be “interpreted”, i.e. the listener must be able to hear them.

The harmonic analysis provides us with the tensions and resolutions, but we also see Mozart's ingenuity in the treatment of the accompaniments and the perfect balance of the voices.

The climax is in bar 22, after the ascending scale.

The theme resolves in a section that brings the basses and violas to the fore, only to end on the dominant again, creating tension and driving the work forward.

3. Suggested interpretation

The suggested interpretation is based on the previous analysis, based on all the manuscript information (f, p, fp, etc.), and essentially emphasizes the passages, making dynamic nuances where they are necessary for greater clarity and to support the structural perception of the work.

The accompaniment of the melody is “active”, i.e.

Finally, it is important to prepare the passage before the climax (bar 22) with a pianissimo (pp) in order to achieve a greater effect through the contrast.

4. Notes on tempo

As we always say, the tempo must be fast enough for our ears to grasp the entire musical content, but slow enough to take in all the details.

The versions from the 70s and 80s are generally too slow, while today's versions are too fast.

For me, a tempo between 125 and 135 quarter notes is easy to understand and also allows us to hear all the interpretative details.

5. Conclusion

The formal, harmonic, melodic, etc., structure of the piece The formal, harmonic, melodic etc. analysis is very important in order to understand the whole piece. The formal, harmonic, melodic etc. analysis is very important in order to recognise the entire music of a Mozart work and to translate it into an ‘interpretation’ in the score.

As with a cinema film, correctly identifying the climaxes and all the major and minor structures allows the entire musical discourse to be more organic and effective.

You can listen to this interpretation of Mozart's famous movement here:

https://youtu.be/kimXZyJPn1c

Live concert from the NATIONAL AUDITORIUM OF MADRID

Ensemble Musica Illustrata

Jakob Viñas, conductor

Enjoy!