


Mozart, W.A. (1756-1791)
Oeuvres Complettes de Wolfgang Amadus Mozart. VI. Sonatines pour le Pianoforte avec accompagnement de Violon et XVI Canons.
Breitkopf & Härtel: Leipzig, [1804]. Pl.n: XVI. first edition of the canons. Oblong large quarto. 83 pp. Only original front cover present. Front cover characteristically discolored and a bit worn; back cover and spine not present and only signatures only just still sewn together. Light water stain on upper right corner of first 36 pp.; some foxing throughout. Nevertheless, a good copy; internally clean without markings.Engraved series title page with vignette. Includes notice on last leaf indicating which texts of the canons are original and which differ from the original.
These are 16 of the 20-odd canons Mozart wrote. Needless to say, the first publication expurgated the original words, since Mozart, known by his intimate circle for his earthiness, had composed them for private performance using scatalogical texts such as "Leck mich im Arsch" ("Lick my ass", K231).
The so-called "Romantic" Sonatas for violin and piano (piano part only included here) were long thought to be by Mozart. Indeed, at the time of this publication, no one doubted that they were by Mozart. The original Köchel catalog of 1862 included them as K55-60, but modern scholarship has demonstrated them to have no authentic association with Mozart, either stylistically or from documentary evidence.
MUS-10573$1,200