More than two centuries after his death, two additional works have recently been identified as being composed by the Austrian master. While the pieces might have been played before, Sunday will be the first time they will be performed as compositions of the popular prodigy.

The venue is Salzburg, Amadeus’ birthplace and the city that nurtured his early musical career. The International Mozarteum Foundation will officially present the piano pieces at a hotly awaited event that will feature a live performance by Austrian pianist Florian Birsak.

Officials, protecting the works like state secrets after officially announcing their discovery last week, have said only that they were created by a young Mozart and are contained in a manuscript owned by the Mozarteum for more than 100 years.

“These are two substantial pieces of piano music, composed before Mozart’s 10th birthday,” Ulrich Leisinger, the Mozarteum’s head of research, said in an e-mail to The Associated Press.
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Hm. New singles from musical artists after their career tend to be duds. Further, digging into the vaults doesn’t bring out the Greatest.  A new song tracked onto a compilation or anthology – convincing completists to buy it.  Remember the two Beatles songs from the last decade?
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Most likely resembles the latter. One of the two pieces is said to have leaps, crossed hands, speed etc. to mostly show off (written when M. was pretty immature). Something I read includes a remark that probably applies to the piece or at least to the period: The Salzburg court trumpeter and close friend of the Mozart family, Johann Andreas Schachtner, described being shown an inkblot-stained score of a part of concerto written by the young Mozart. Mozart’s father, Leopold, had first dismissed the piece – but then looked at it a little more closely. “Look here Mr Schachtner,” he said. “See how everything is correct and regularly set – it is only useless because it is too difficult for anyone to play.”
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Anyway, when I manage to save up for a European vacation, I’m not going to travel over to the Mozarteum, opting instead to the Bachitorium.

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