Sanssouci

One of the guiding principles of Sanssouci is to focus on all composers from the classical era. This includes lesser-known Viennese composers, composers from various German courts, early pioneers, later followers, female composers and black composers, and composers from all corners of the Western world—from Stockholm to St. Petersburg to Rio de Janeiro.

But… in the end, we can’t avoid the big names: Haydn, Beethoven, and of course, Mozart! Because their music is simply amazing, and because not everything by these composers is equally well-known. Mozart’s wind music, for example, is quite familiar to woodwind players and hornists, but far less so beyond those circles. We want to change that.

In Mozart’s time, and for quite a while afterward, wind music was primarily considered entertainment music. It was meant to provide amusement and wasn’t supposed to be too profound. It was often performed during a formal dinner. Divertimento in F, KV 213, was written as table music for Archbishop Colloredo, and Divertimento in B-flat, KV 186, was likely composed for a similar occasion.

In 1781, Mozart broke with the archbishop and moved to Vienna. There, he continued to write music for wind instruments—not as table music, but as art. At least, that’s what we think. It’s hard to imagine that the somber Serenade in c minor, KV 388, was played during a dinner. Likewise, the standalone Adagio in B-flat, KV 411, shows signs of experimentation. On the other hand, duets KV 487, sometimes called Kegelduetten, are less pretentious: Mozart wrote these pieces to pass the time while waiting for his turn at the bowling alley.

Playlist

1. Divertimento in B-flat (KV 186) for 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 English horns, 2 horns and 2 bassoons

• Allegro assai
• Menuetto
• Andante
• Adagio
• Allegro

2. Divertimento in F (KV 213) for 2 oboes, 2 horns and 2 bassoons

• Allegro spiritoso
• Andante
• Menuetti
• Contredance and rondo (Molto allegro)

3. Parthia (Serenade) in c (KV 388) for 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 horns and 2 bassoons

• Allegro
• Andante
• Menuetto in canone
• Allegro

4. Adagio in B-flat (KV 411) for 2 clarinets and 3 basset horns

5. Duets for 2 wind instruments (KV 487; fragment)

Various performers.