Twelve Variations on "", K. 265/300e, is a composition for solo piano by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, composed when he was around 25 years old (1781 or 1782). This piece consists of twelve variations on the French folk song "". The French melody first appeared in 1761, and has been used for many children's songs, such as "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star", "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep", and the "Alphabet Song".
Music
This work consists of the theme in an A–B–A form, each element in eight bars, and twelve variations, all in the time signature of , except the last in , and in the key of C major, except number 8 which is in C minor. Only the final two variations have tempo indications, Adagio and Allegro respectively. The twelfth variation recapitulates the previous variations and adds a 11-bar coda. The variations vary in rhythm, harmony and texture, and despite elaborate modification and ornamentation, the theme remains recognisable throughout."Twelve Variations on Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman, K 265" by Betsy Schwarm, Britannica
Composition date For a time, it was thought that these variations were composed in 1778, while Mozart stayed in Paris from April to September in that year, the assumption being that the melody of a French song could only have been picked up by Mozart while residing in France. For this presumed composition date, the composition was renumbered from K. 265 to K. 300e in the chronological catalogue of Mozart's compositions.Variationen für Klavier, Kritischer Bericht (Kurt von Fischer, 1962), vol. IX/26, pp. 54–73, Neue Mozart-Ausgabe Later analysis of Mozart's manuscript of the composition by Wolfgang Plath rather indicated 1781/1782 as the probable composition date.Based on booklet notes by Robin Golding, 1991 for Daniel Barenboim's Mozart: The Complete Piano Sonatas and Variations, EMI Classics 8 CD box No. 5 73915 2
The variations were first published by in Vienna in 1785 as part of a collection of piano pieces by Mozart, including Twelve Variations on "La belle Françoise".
References
Further reading "How the Melody of 'Ah! vous dirai-je, maman' Spread to the World", analysis of all twelve variations, Galaxy Music Notes "Mozart, I saw what you did there: Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman", analysis by Chris Gallant, 14 July 2015, Catapulting into Classical
External links