Various Minuets (lost), K. 41d (doubtful)
沃尔夫冈·阿马德乌斯·莫扎特
The Various Minuets (K. 41d) are a lost set of orchestral dances, supposedly composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791) in Salzburg in 1767, when he was 11.[1] The work’s attribution is uncertain, and it is generally treated as doubtful in modern cataloguing.[2]
Mozart's Life at the Time
In 1767, the eleven-year-old Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was back in Salzburg after extensive childhood travels, composing at remarkable speed for local needs and patrons. Leopold Mozart’s own thematic catalogue is the principal documentary trace for K. 41d, placing it among other short, functional pieces from the same period.[1] As with several similarly listed works from 1767, the surviving record suggests a practical intention—music for dancing and ceremony—rather than a composition aimed at publication or lasting repertory.
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Musical Character
No score survives for the Various Minuets (K. 41d), and the key (or keys) are not securely known.[2] Leopold’s catalogue entry describes “many minuets” with “all sorts of instruments,” implying flexible, occasion-driven orchestration rather than a single fixed scoring.[3] In style, one would expect concise, symmetrical dance periods (typically in two repeated halves) and, quite possibly, trios for contrast—features common to Salzburg court minuets of the era. Because the piece is lost and its authenticity is doubtful, its main significance lies in what it suggests about Mozart’s early immersion in everyday orchestral dance music in Salzburg.[1]
[1] Digital Mozart Edition (Mozarteum): Leopold Mozart’s catalogue of the early works (English transcription PDF) — documentary basis for lost early items including K. 41d.
[2] Wikipedia: Köchel catalogue entry list showing K. 41d as “Various Minuets (lost)”, dated 1767, Salzburg, with key unknown.
[3] "Aarteista suurin" (Finnish publication) quoting Leopold Mozart’s wording for K. 41d: “Viele Menuette mit allerhand Instrumenten” (many minuets with all kinds of instruments).