July 25. Symphony in G minor (550 K.).
August 10. Symphony in C major (551 K.).
August 11. Ein Lied beim Auszug ins Feld, unknown (552 K.).[1]
September 2. Eight four-part and two three-part Canoni (553-562 K.).
September 27. Divertimento for violin, viola, and violoncello, in E flat
major (563 K.).
October 27. Terzet for piano, violin, and violoncello, in G major (564
K.).
October 30, December 6, December 24. Tänze (565, 567, 568 K.).
1789. January. German air, "Ohne Zwang aus freiem Triebe" (569 K.).
February. Pianoforte sonata in B flat major (570 K.).
February 21. Tänze (571 K.).
The symphonies in E flat major, G minor, and C major, written in the
three summer months of 1788, show that the inner strength was not
slumbering; but Mozart's appointment as chamber-composer to the Emperor
gave him no impulse to composition, and his official duties were
limited to the preparation of music for the masked balls in the imperial
Redoutensale.[2]
These Redoutensale are situated in the wing of the Hof-burg, which forms
the right side of the Josephsplatz, and originally contained a theatre,
where, upon festive occasions, operas and ballets were performed before
the court; after the erection of the Burgtheater, in 1752, the old
Hoftheater was
{MASKED BALLS.}
(217)
converted into the large and small Redoutensaal now existing, and
concerts, balls, and other entertainments given there. The balls were
masked, and took place on every Carnival Sunday, on Shrove-Tuesday, and
on the three last days of Carnival. Joseph II. favoured them as a means
of drawing different classes together, and frequently appeared at them
with his court; all ranks mixed freely, and considerable license was
allowed. The usual dances were minuets, country dances, and waltzes,
in the last of which only the lower classes joined, on account of the
crowding--just as is the case in "Don Giovanni" (p. 163). The
management of the Redoute was generally in the same hands as that of the
Opera-Theatre, the two being farmed out together. The court monopolised
the Opera-Theatre in 1778 and the Kàrnthnerthortheater in 1785, and kept
the control over them until August, 1794. Thus it came about that the
court theatrical-director ordered the dance music, and although the
pay was only a few ducats for a set of dances, the services of good
composers were claimed for the purpose; Haydn, Eybler, Gyrowetz, Hummel,
and Beethoven all composed for the Redoute, as well as Mozart.[3] During
the years succeeding his appointment--1788, 1789, 1791--Mozart composed
a number of different dances for the masked balls:--
1788. January 14. Country dance "Das Donnerwetter" (534 K.).
January 23. Country dance, "Die Bataille" (535 K.).
January 27. Six waltzes (536 K.).
October 30. Two country dances (565 K.).
December 6. Six waltzes (567 K.).
December 24. Twelve minuets (568 K.).
1789. February 21. Six waltzes (571 K.).
December. Twelve minuets (585 K.).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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