Newly discovered "Wolfango" piece premieres today

Posted at 8:10 AM on December 29, 2006 by John Zech
Filed under: The blog

This has been the year of Mozart. To mark the 250th anniversary of his birth, Austria invested about 30 million euros in events promoting Salzburg's most famous son, and it has paid off handsomely for all concerned. Now, to cap off the celebrations, a new piece by the young Wolfie has been discovered and authenticated. The facsimile score for this "Allegro di Wolfgango Mozart" will be officially presented and played by clavichordist Florian Birsak today.

Some time ago, the archives of the city's episcopal office were offered unsigned keyboard works, including this "Allegro." Detailed tests led experts to conclude that the piece was indeed written by Mozart when he was between six and 10 years old. A second score in the collection may also be by him.