The Fantasia in F minor, K.594, was commissioned by Count Josef Deym for a musical automaton in his museum, which housed a mausoleum for Emperor Joseph and Field-Marshal Laudon.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Mozart highly esteemed the organ, calling it the 'King of Instruments', and enjoyed improvising on it, though he wrote little specifically for the instrument.
Performer Biography
David Goode, the organist on this recording, was organ scholar at King's College, Cambridge, and served as Organist at Eton College for 17 years.
Composition History
Many of Mozart's 'organ' works were originally composed for mechanical instruments, such as musical clocks, rather than for a traditional pipe organ.
Instruments
The album features the Metzler organ at Trinity College, Cambridge, which incorporates surviving pipework from the original 1694 'Father' Smith instrument.
Historical Context
Mozart's rediscovery of Baroque counterpoint around 1782 was linked to his enjoyment of the organ and exposure to works by Bach and Handel through Baron von Swieten.
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