The manuscript for the Quartet in D major, K.285, which was lost during World War II, was dated by Mozart as "Mannheim the 25th December 1777."
Compositional Technique
The second movement of KV 285b is a simplified version of variations from Mozart's Gran Partita, a serenade for 13 wind instruments from 1781.
Composer Biography
Mozart admitted to his father that he disliked writing for the flute, stating, "I soon grow tired of always having to write for one instrument (one I can't abide, at that)."
Composition History
Mozart received a commission in December 1777 from Mr. de Jean, a music lover from the West Indies, to write "3 small, easy and short concertos and a pair of quartets for the flute" for 200 gulden.
Composition History
The authenticity of the Quartet in G major, KV 285a, is not definitively proven, as the only source is a 1792 edition by Artaria & Co., and no autograph or credible copy is known.
Composition History
KV 298, a light-hearted 'quatuor d'airs varies', was intended for chamber music among friends, indicated by its playful instructions like "Rondieaoux - Allegretto grazioso, ma non troppo presto, pero non troppo adagio - cosi-cosi - con molto garbo ed espressione."
Composer Biography
At 21, Mozart left his position as concertmaster in Salzburg to seek a better job or to earn money and reputation as a freelance musician in cities like Munich, Augsburg, Mannheim, or Paris.
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