WOLFGANG AMADAEUS MOZART
Romance Andante
Romance Andante
Bridget Mermikides arranges this beautiful movement from Eine Kleine Nachtmusik.
“Although completed in 1787 it was not published until decades after Mozart’s death, and why or for whom it was written is a mystery”
Bridget Mermikides returns to the genius musician Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with a solo arangement of Romance Andante from Eine Kliene Nachtmusik.
Here we return to the work of musical genius Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) with the second movement Romance (Andante) from his Serenade no.13 for Strings in G Major K525, better known as Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. I arranged the famous first movement back in GT241, but this second slow part of the composition is just as well known, easily as beautiful, and still full to the brim with Mozart’s characteristically effortless charm.
Although completed in 1787, the piece was not published until decades after Mozart’s death, and why or for whom it was written remains a mystery. Despite the uncertainty of its origin, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik is undoubtedly one of the best-known pieces of the entire classical repertoire.
At the time of its composition, Mozart had already written an amazing body of work. This included 38 symphonies, 37 concerti for one, two and three pianos, bassoon, violin, flute, harp and horn; 17 operas and hundreds of other works. So his technical prowess, innate command of orchestration and unrivalled creative force were clearly established - all of this at the ripe old age of 30.
As is often the case with the music of Mozart, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik is immediately accessible to all ages and cultures. Some theorists have described his music as having ‘second simplicity’, a fresh, almost child-like quality that can only be reached through a supreme mastery (making something sophisticated sound easy is an art that composers still strive for). This feat is demonstrated in countless classical recordings and performances, as well as its broad use in film and TV scores.
Originally written for a string quartet, with an optional double bass, it is now most often performed by string orchestras. To make the multiple parts playable on solo guitar, I’ve transposed the original key of C Major up a 2nd to D Major, and used drop D tuning. What’s really important here, if you are to get the Mozart character, is to pay attention to the note duration of the chords. This is where much of the Mozartian character lies. The tab captions address this and other details which will help you get to grips with this timeless composition.
NEXT MONTH Bridget arranges Raging Bull’s Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana
TRACK RECORD There are many fine recordings of this piece available, and hearing them can inform your own performance. There’s a serenity to Karajan’s interpretation with the Berlin Philharmoniker (Deutsche Grammophon 2021). And I think you’ll agree that Karl Bohm’s spritely version from the album Mozart: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Posthorn Serenade (1995 Deutsche Grammophon) is also splendid.