Listen to the first piece that Mozart ever wrote… when he was FIVE years old
30 January 2024, 21:25 | Updated: 31 January 2024, 13:48
The charming first keyboard work by a little boy who would rapidly become the classical era’s greatest talent, and change the history of music.
What were you doing at the age of five? Take a breath and have a listen to what a certain Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was up to as a little nipper.
Mozart was born in Salzburg in 1756. His father, Leopold, a distinguished violinist and composer, oversaw his early music education, no doubt spotting his son’s rare talent very early on.
This minuet and trio, in the key of G major was composed by young Wolfgang in December 1761 or January 1762, at home in Salzburg. He wrote the short piece for a harpsichord or similar keyboard instrument.
Read more: The 15 greatest pieces of classical music by Mozart
A minuet and trio are two short dances in triple time, with contrasting moods. Our five-year-old has got the compositional form and technique spot on, but you can also get a sense of that unique, playful and brilliant Mozart voice. Listen below to the charming darting lines, as the world’s greatest genius said a musical hello for the first time...
This composition is listed as KV 1 in the grand, chronological collection of his works. Mozart’s Requiem, written in his final days and left unfinished by the composer is KV 626.
If the talents of a five year old are getting you a bit down, just something to reassure you: there is some academic debate around these earliest works. Some scholars believe Mozart may have been four when he wrote them.