The Essential Works of Mozart

INTRODUCTION TO ESSENTIAL/RECOMMENDED LISTS

This list is one of essential compositions, those we feel you must have in your recorded collection of Mozart works. Most of them are the familiar, workhorse, compositions that are frequently heard—as they should be. For a new, or fairly recent starting collector, we feel these are the basic works you need to build on. Many of these works are discussed in the Mozart literature, as well as in articles and postings on our Forum and other Mozart discussion areas. If you are just starting out, we feel owning these works will give you a greater appreciation and understanding of Mozart the musician.

We know most collectors do not collect only Mozart recordings, and to some Mozart is a "secondary" composer to Wagner, Beethoven, Stravinsky etc. We know these collectors will not initially have space or money to build a large Mozart collection, so we offer these essentials to chose from, in order to supplement your collection and have the basic Mozart at hand.

If, after building your essential library you feel the need to continue on (which you will), we have a number of Recommended works to build on. These works are those that we feel should be in your library, and in an ideal world (if everyone had the space and money) everyone would want to own them. Some just miss being “essential”, while others are just enjoyable to listen to and need no other justification to recommend them.

The Essentials

Church music

Mass in c-minor K427

Ave verum corpus K618

Requiem in d-minor K626

Operas

Le nozze di Figaro K492

Don Giovanni K527

Die Zauberflöte K620

Vocal

Recitative and Aria “Ah, lo previdi…Ah, t’invola agl’ occhi miei” K272

Szena with Rondo “Ch ‘io mi scordi di te…Non temer, amato bene” K505

Symphonies

Symphony #39 in Eb K543

Symphony #40 in g-minor K550

Symphony #41 in C K551

Serenades and Divertimenti

“Haffner” Serenade K250

Gran Partitta for 13 instruments K361

Wind Serenade “Nachtmusik” in c-minor K388

“Eine kleine Nachtmusik” K525

Concertos

Violin Concerto #3 in G K216

Sinfonia Concertante for Violin and Viola in Eb K364

Clarinet Concerto in A K622

Piano Concerto in Eb #9 K271

Piano Concerto in d-minor #20 K466

Piano Concerto in C #21 K467

Piano Concerto in c-minor #24 K491

Chamber for Strings

String Quartet in A K464,

String Quartet in C “Dissonance” 465

String Quintet in g-minor K516

Clarinet Quintet in A K581

Piano Quartet in g-minor K478

Piano music

Sonata in A K331

Fantasia and Sonata in c-minor K457 and 475