The Serenade for strings in G major, better known as Eine kleine Nachtmusik ("A little night music" or less literally, "A little serenade"), is one of the most popular compositions by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart wrote it in 1787 in Vienna while working on Don Giovanni. It is not known why or for whom he wrote this piece. It is K. 525 in the Köchel catalogue of Mozart's works. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (IPA: , baptized Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart) (January 27, 1756 – December 5, 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. ... Year 1787 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Vienna (German: , see also other names) is the capital of Austria, and also one of the nine States of Austria. ... Don Giovanni (K.527) is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte. ... Portrait of von Köchel Ludwig Alois Ferdinand Ritter von Köchel (January 14, 1800 - June 3, 1877) was a musicologist, writer, composer, botanist and publisher. ...

The work was written for a chamber ensemble of two violins, viola, and cello with optional double bass. It is often performed today with more than one person to a part. Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. ... The violin is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. ... The viola (in French, alto; in German Bratsche) is a string instrument played with a bow. ... The violoncello, almost always abbreviated to cello, or cello (the c is pronounced as the ch in cheese), is a bowed stringed instrument, the lowest-sounding member of the violin family. ... Side and front views of a modern double bass with a French bow. ...

Movements

1. Allegro
2. Romance. Andante
3. Menuetto. Allegretto
4. Rondo. Allegro

The first two measures of Mozarts Sonata IX, which indicates the tempo as Andante grazioso and the metronome marking as = 120. Andante redirects here. ... The first two measures of Mozarts Sonata IX, which indicates the tempo as Andante grazioso and the metronome marking as = 120. Andante redirects here. ... A minuet, sometimes spelled menuet, is a social dance of French origin for two persons, usually in 3/4 time. ... The first two measures of Mozarts Sonata IX, which indicates the tempo as Andante grazioso and the metronome marking as = 120. Andante redirects here. ... a rondo is played between episode which are played by non solo people Rondo, and its French equivalent rondeau, is a word that has been used in music in a number of ways, most often in reference to a musical form, but also in reference to a character-type that... The first two measures of Mozarts Sonata IX, which indicates the tempo as Andante grazioso and the metronome marking as = 120. Andante redirects here. ...

First

Image File history File links violin part of the first theme of Eine Kleine Nachtmusik File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

This first movement is in Sonata Allegro form, which aggressively ascends in a "rocket theme." It is one of the most recognized passages of music ever written, even amongst those without musical training. The second theme is more graceful and in D major, the dominant key of G major. The exposition closes in D major and is repeated. The development section begins on D major and touches on D minor and C major before the work returns to G major for the recapitulation -- a repetition of the exposition with both subjects in the same key, as is convention. During the recapitulation, it is in G major with the primary themes from the exposition playing. The movement ends in its tonic key, G major. Sonata form is a musical form that has been used widely since the early Classical period. ...

Second

The second movement is a "Romanza", in Andante and contrasting and slower than the first movement. It is in a "section rondo form" and is similar to the sonata rondo form (ABACA). The first theme (A) is graceful and lyrical. It is followed by a more rhythmical second theme (B). The first theme returns (A) and is followed by the third theme (C), which is darker than the first two and includes a touch of c minor. The first theme (A) returns to finish the movement. The key is in C major, which is the sub-dominant of G major Sonata rondo form was a form of musical organization often used during the Classical music era. ...

Third

The third movement is a minuet and trio (ABA). The movement is in the tonic key, which is in G major and is fairly quick with a tempo of Allegretto. It contains two themes, a minuet and a trio. The movement begins with the minuet (A), then the trio theme enters (B), and it ends with the minuet (A). It ends in the tonic key, which is in G major. A minuet, sometimes spelt menuet, is a dance for two persons, usually in 3/4 time. ...

Fourth

The fourth and last movement is in sonata rondo form. This finale returns with the liveliness of the first movement. The movement alters between two main themes during the exposition. In the development, it modulates through various keys and ends in G minor. The two themes return in the recapitulation and finally ends in the coda, in which the first theme returns. Sonata rondo form was a form of musical organization often used during the Classical music era. ...

Possible Fifth (or Second?) Movement

Mozart listed this work as having five movements in his own catalogue of his works.^{[citation needed]} The second movement in his listing, a minuet and trio, was long thought lost. Musicologist Alfred Einstein has suggested, however, that a minuet in Piano Sonata in Bb, K.498a, is the missing movement.^{[citation needed]} The sonata's minuet has been recorded in an arrangement for string quartet,^{[citation needed]} although music scholars are not certain that Einstein is correct.^{[original research?]} Alfred Einstein (December 30, 1880–February 13, 1952), was a German-American musicologist and music editor. ...

References in Popular Culture

In the third part of the "Margical History Tour" , the eleventh episode of The Simpsons' fifteenth season,a parody of Eine kleine Nachtmusik is part of Mozart's (Bart) next opera, "The Musical Fruit" (parody of "The Magic Flute"). Margical History Tour is the eleventh episode of The Simpsons fifteenth season. ...

External links

• MP3 file of Eine Kleine Nachtmusik - First Movement