Eine kleine Nachtmusik
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The Serenade for strings in G major, better known as Eine kleine Nachtmusik ("A little night music" or less literally, "A little serenade"), is one of the most popular compositions by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart wrote it in 1787 in Vienna while working on Don Giovanni. It is not known why or for whom he wrote this piece. It is K. 525 in the Köchel catalogue of Mozart's works.
The work was written for a chamber ensemble of two violins, viola, and cello with optional double bass. It is often performed today with more than one person to a part.
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[edit] Movements
[edit] First
This first movement is in Sonata Allegro form, which aggressively ascends in a "rocket theme." It is one of the most recognized passages of music ever written, even amongst those without musical training. The second theme is more graceful and in D major, the dominant key of G major. The exposition closes in D major and is repeated. The development section begins on D major and touches on D minor and C major before the work returns to G major for the recapitulation -- a repetition of the exposition with both subjects in the same key, as is convention. During the recapitulation, it is in G major with the primary themes from the exposition playing. The movement ends in its tonic key, G major.
[edit] Second
The second movement is a "Romanza", in Andante and contrasting and slower than the first movement. It is in a "section rondo form" and is similar to the sonata rondo form (ABACA). The first theme (A) is graceful and lyrical. It is followed by a more rhythmical second theme (B). The first theme returns (A) and is followed by the third theme (C), which is darker than the first two and includes a touch of c minor. The first theme (A) returns to finish the movement. The key is in C major, which is the sub-dominant of G major
[edit] Third
The third movement is a minuet and trio (ABA). The movement is in the tonic key, which is in G major and is fairly quick with a tempo of Allegretto. It contains two themes, a minuet and a trio. The movement begins with the minuet (A), then the trio theme enters (B), and it ends with the minuet (A). It ends in the tonic key, which is in G major.
[edit] Fourth
The fourth and last movement is in sonata rondo form. This finale returns with the liveliness of the first movement. The movement alters between two main themes during the exposition. In the development, it modulates through various keys and ends in G minor. The two themes return in the recapitulation and finally ends in the coda, in which the first theme returns.
[edit] References in Popular Culture
- The first portion of Eine kleine Nachtmusik is heard approximately 21 minutes into the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Where No One Has Gone Before". It is being played by an unnamed Starfleet officer and three "Classical Period" string quartet musicians accidentally dreamed up by the officer.
- In the third act of The Simpsons episode "Margical History Tour", a parody of Eine kleine Nachtmusik is part of Mozart's (Bart) next opera, "The Musical Fruit" (parody of "The Magic Flute").
