Notturno in F major, “Due pupille amabili” (K. Anh.A 47.01 / K. 439)
ヴォルフガング・アマデウス・モーツァルト作
The Notturno “Due pupille amabili” (K. Anh.A 47.01 / K. 439) is a short Italian terzet for two sopranos and bass, scored with three basset horns, and associated with Vienna in the later 1780s. It survives as part of a set connected with Gottfried von Jacquin, and its precise authorship and chronology are not securely documented.
Background and Context
“Due pupille amabili” is transmitted as a secular notturno (a small-scale evening piece for domestic performance) for two sopranos, bass, and three basset horns in F major [1]. In the Mozarteum’s Köchel entry it is linked with a set of “Sei Notturni” that are dedicated to Countess Hortensia d’Hatzfeld and also bear a dedication naming Gottfried von Jacquin—suggesting a collaborative or at least mediated transmission rather than a straightforward, fully autographic Mozart publication [1].
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The same entry also points to a later Viennese dating (1787–1788) and explicitly credits Jacquin as “Composer” and Mozart as “Arranger” [1]. Some reference listings nonetheless circulate an earlier, approximate date (c. 1783) [2]. In either case, the scoring places the work squarely in the Viennese sound-world in which basset horns (favored by Mozart’s circle) were cultivated for intimate, social music-making.
Musical Character
On the page, the piece reads as a compact, lyrical ensemble song: three voices move largely in clear, homophonic declamation (a shared text rhythm) with brief moments of imitation and echoing entries, as if designed for fluent amateurs as well as professionals [3]. The text (“Due pupille amabili…”) is a conventional amorous compliment, and the musical setting favors graceful, consonant writing rather than theatrical contrast—well suited to a late-evening salon context.
The three basset horns supply the characteristic color: warm mid-register sonorities and sustained harmonies that cushion the singers, with the ensemble often functioning like a soft wind choir rather than an orchestral accompaniment [1]. Whatever the exact division of labor between Jacquin and Mozart, the result is an attractive miniature in which vocal charm and basset-horn timbre are the principal arguments—more a refined social “moment” than a work aiming at large formal drama.
[1] Stiftung Mozarteum Salzburg, Köchel-Verzeichnis entry for “Due pupille amabili” (Anh. A 47,01): scoring, key, dating note, and person attributions (Jacquin / Mozart).
[2] IMSLP work page for “Due pupille amabili” (K. 439 / Anh. A 47/01): widely circulated catalog identifiers and alternate dating claims.
[3] IMSLP PDF score (vocal parts) for “Due pupille amabili”: confirms ensemble layout and notational character.