Violin Sonata No. 4 in G major, K. 9
de Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Mozart’s Sonata for Keyboard with Violin Accompaniment in G major (K. 9) was composed in Paris in 1764, when the composer was eight. The work closes the compact “Paris set” K. 6–9, whose title already signals the genre’s balance: a harpsichord-led sonata that can be enriched by a violin line.
Mozart's Life at the Time
In the winter of 1763–64, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791) was in Paris as part of the family’s grand tour, absorbing the city’s fashionable keyboard style and its thriving market for engraved domestic music.[1] Leopold Mozart reported that several of the boy’s sonatas were being engraved in Paris, anticipating the sensation of their publication and presentation at court.[1]
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Musical Character
K. 9 is laid out in three movements—Allegro spirituoso, Andante, and a Menuetto with two parts—an “ambitious” multi-movement span for an eight-year-old, yet written in a clear, galant idiom geared to salon performance.[2][3] The keyboard part carries the principal argument; like the other Paris sonatas, the original French title describes them as harpsichord sonatas that may be played “with violin accompaniment,” and the violin typically colours cadences, reinforces melodic outlines, and brightens textures rather than engaging in equal dialogue.[4] Heard in this light, the sonata documents an early stage in Mozart’s chamber style: concise themes, uncomplicated harmonic motion, and the social practicality of music that works convincingly even when the violin remains discreet.
[1] Mozart & Material Culture (King’s College London): overview of K. 6–9 in Paris, Leopold Mozart letter excerpts (1 and 22 Feb 1764).
[2] IMSLP work page for K. 9: key, year, and movement list (*Allegro spirituoso*, *Andante*, *Menuetto 1 & 2*).
[3] Hyperion Records booklet/notes page (download entry) for the Violin Sonata in G major, K. 9: brief characterization of scale/ambition.
[4] Wikipedia overview of Violin Sonatas K. 6–9: original French title indicating keyboard sonatas with violin accompaniment; Paris context.