Notturno for Two Sopranos and Bass in F, “Ecco quel fiero istante” (K. Anh.A 47.03)
av Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
The Notturno “Ecco quel fiero istante” (K. Anh.A 47.03) is a brief secular ensemble in F major, usually dated to Vienna (c. 1783) and transmitted without firm autograph evidence. Although long associated with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791), its authorship has also been questioned, with the text linked to Mozart’s circle through Gottfried von Jacquin.
Background and Context
“Ecco quel fiero istante” appears among the small group of Viennese Notturni for voices with basset-horn trio—an intimate, late-evening genre cultivated in domestic music-making rather than the theater. Modern cataloguing typically places this item in 1783 (Vienna), when Mozart—newly married and establishing himself as a freelance composer and pianist—was deeply engaged with Italianate vocal style in both the salon and the stage-adjacent concert scene.[1][2]
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Attribution, however, is not secure: the work is widely circulated under Mozart’s name, but the surviving transmission does not provide the kind of clear, primary-source grounding (above all, an autograph) that settles authorship beyond dispute. It is therefore safest to regard the piece as traditionally Mozartian, while acknowledging scholarly doubt.[1]
Musical Character
Scored for two sopranos and bass with three basset horns (in F), the Notturno is a single, compact movement marked Andante in 3/4, unfolding as a tender leave-taking in the Italian text (also known as “La partenza”).[2]
On the page, the three basset horns supply a dark, cushioned harmony—more like a softly glowing organ-register than an operatic orchestra—over which the three voices sing in close ensemble rather than in solo display. The vocal writing favors balanced phrases and clear cadential punctuation in F major, with the bass line anchoring the texture while the two sopranos frequently move in consonant parallel motion and gentle imitation, the whole designed for refinement of blend and diction rather than virtuosity.[2]
[1] Internationale Stiftung Mozarteum, Köchel-Verzeichnis entry for K. Anh.A 47.03 (“Ecco quel fiero istante”) with scoring and attribution context.
[2] IMSLP work page for “Ecco quel fiero istante,” K. 436 / K9 Anh.A 47.03: key, date ca. 1783, instrumentation (2 sopranos, bass, 3 basset horns), and public-domain score access.