8 Pieces in a Miserere (lost), K. 297a (A major)
ヴォルフガング・アマデウス・モーツァルト作
Mozart’s 8 Pieces in a Miserere (K. 297a) is a lost group of short sacred additions, dated to March–April 1778 in Paris, when the composer was 22. It survives only as a catalogue entry for music written to be inserted into a larger Miserere setting, leaving its precise musical character and scoring uncertain.
What Is Known
The work listed as 8 Pieces in a Miserere (K. 297a) is described as lost: no manuscript or copy is known to survive, and there is therefore no securely recoverable text to edit or perform [1]. The International Mozarteum Foundation dates the related Parisian Miserere material to March–April 1778, aligning it with Mozart’s difficult sojourn in Paris (March–September 1778) during which he sought commissions and public successes [1] and produced major orchestral work such as the “Paris” Symphony, K. 297 (also composed in 1778, when he was 22) [2].
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The title strongly suggests brief liturgical inserts—likely intended to alternate with, or supplement, an existing choral Miserere (Psalm 51) rather than to form an independent concert piece. Beyond that basic function, the circumstances of performance, exact placement within the service, and intended forces remain unknown.
Musical Content
Because no music survives, nothing can be said with confidence about melody, texture, or formal design. Even the scoring is uncertain: while individual catalogue sub-items connected with this Miserere complex elsewhere are described with choral forces (e.g., SATB) [1], K. 297a as a set cannot be characterized securely as choral, instrumental, or alternatim (organ/choir interchange).
[1] International Mozarteum Foundation (Köchel Verzeichnis): KV 297a/12 page showing status (lost) and dating (03–04.1778) for related Miserere material.
[2] Wikipedia: Symphony No. 31 in D major, K. 297 (“Paris”), summarizing Mozart’s 1778 Paris stay and age 22 context.