Mozart: Phantasie für eine Orgelwalzer K608 for flute and strings

£18.00

Description

Arranged by Bill Thorp with optional ‘continuo style’ keyboard
FE1045

Allegro
Andante
Allegro

Three pieces and one sketch by Mozart for mechanical clock or ‘Orgelwalze’ survive. Such clocks had a mechanism whereby music could be played by means of a cylinder, much in the way musical boxes work today. Mozart was commissioned in 1790 by one ‘Herr Müller’; this was in fact Joseph Count Deym von Stritez, who had been compelled to leave Vienna after a duel and had returned under the alias of Müller. Mozart clearly accepted the first commission for financial reasons. He wrote in a letter to his wife Constanze:

“I did start, but unfortunately, because I hate the job, I wasn’t able to finish it. I write some every day but have to postpone as I get bored and surely, if there wasn’t such an important reason to force myself, I would certainly leave off; yes, if it were a large clock, and the thing would sound like a true organ, then it might be fun; but as it is, the work consists solely of little pipes, which sound high-pitched and too childish for my taste.”

It seems likely that at some point a new clock, with a much larger range, was acquired by Deym von Stritez as the resulting music is of extraordinary expressive power: it is barely credible that Mozart could have written this work without a greater stimulus.

Such works invite arrangements as they were never intended to be played by a keyboard and present technical problems in that format. This arrangement of K608 for flute and strings with optional ‘continuo style’ keyboard is a perfect solution.

Duration 15 minutes

Score and set of 6 parts £18

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