8 Variations in G major on “Laat ons juichen, Batavieren!”, K. 24
av Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Mozart’s 8 Variations in G major on the Dutch song “Laat ons juichen, Batavieren!” (K. 24) were written in The Hague in early March 1766, when he was ten. Built on a contemporary patriotic tune by Christian Ernst Graaf, the set shows the touring child-composer turning public melody into fluent keyboard display.[1][2]
Mozart's Life at the Time
In 1766, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791) was in The Hague during the family’s grand European tour, writing keyboard works for local taste and occasion. The theme he chose—Graaf’s “Laat ons juichen, Batavieren!”—was associated with festivities around the accession of William V as stadtholder; an advertisement for the first edition of Mozart’s variations appeared in the Haager Courant on 7 March 1766.[1]
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Musical Character
K. 24 presents a theme and eight variations for solo keyboard (likely conceived for harpsichord or early fortepiano), all in a bright G major soundworld.[2] Rather than radical re-composition, Mozart’s method is the classic variation craft of the young virtuoso: the melody remains audibly “in place” while the surface is continuously refreshed through figuration and keyboard textures—running passagework, patterns that alternate the hands, and episodes that intensify the harmony before resolving back to the tune.
Notably, at least one later editorial discussion points to small notational ambiguities already in the first edition (for example, questions of missing repeat signs), a reminder that these early tour pieces often survive through print traditions rather than a securely detailed autograph score.[1] Even so, the set is unmistakably Mozartian in instinct: economical, lucid, and eager to turn a public song into a miniature “concert” for the keyboard.
[1] Bärenreiter preface (PDF) with notes on K. 24: Graaf as source of the song, Hague context, Haager Courant advertisement dated 7 March 1766, and editorial remarks (repeat signs, etc.).
[2] IMSLP work page for Mozart’s 8 Variations on “Laat ons juichen,” K. 24: basic catalog data (theme + 8 variations, key, instrumentation) and links to editions.