What ‘the most important Mozart discovery in decades’ sounds like

In 1778, during a composition class in Paris, a young musician named Marie-Louise-Philippine de Bonnières de Guînes struggled to create a melody. After 15 minutes of frustration, her teacher—Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart—wrote the opening bars of a tune and asked her to continue. In a letter to his father, Mozart described this moment with self-deprecating humor, calling himself "an ass" for being unable to complete the first part of a minuet and asking his pupil to take over. This anecdote, though seemingly trivial at the time, has now become a significant historical artifact due to the recent discovery of a 44-page notebook containing the compositions from these lessons.

The National Library of France made the announcement late last week regarding the discovery of this notebook, which provides a rare glimpse into Mozart's teaching methods. The notebook contains detailed records of the student's attempts and the corrections made by Mozart, offering insights into how he guided his pupils. Among the contents are seven previously unknown works for flute and harp, which experts suggest were composed by de Guînes under Mozart's supervision, although a substantial portion of the music appears to have been written directly by Mozart himself.

Armin Brinzing, the director of the Mozart Library at the International Mozarteum Foundation in Salzburg, Austria, emphasized the significance of this find, calling it "the most important Mozart discovery in decades." The newly uncovered works were performed publicly for the first time on Sunday at the National Library of France, with flutist Mathilde Caldérini and harpist Nicolas Tulliez, both members of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France. These performances will be broadcast on France Musique radio on Monday, marking a new chapter in the dissemination of Mozart's lesser-known compositions.

François-Pierre Goy, a conservator at the National Library, stumbled upon the notebook while examining a pile of anonymous manuscripts in February, just before his retirement. The notebook stood out due to its content, which included the type of harmonic exercises he had practiced as a student. The presence of two distinct handwriting styles—one belonging to the student and the other to the teacher—caught his attention, particularly because of the unique way the teacher drew certain musical symbols. This prompted further investigation, leading him to consult with musicologist Laurence Decobert, who confirmed the authenticity of the handwriting. Subsequently, Brinzing traveled to Paris to verify the manuscript, ultimately confirming that it was indeed written by Mozart.

Historical records confirm that Mozart taught de Guînes between May and July 1778. The manuscript allows scholars to analyze his precise teaching techniques, enabling them to trace each bar of the compositions and understand the extent of Mozart's influence on his student's work. According to Brinzing, this comparison is both intriguing and valuable, shedding light on the collaborative nature of their musical interactions.

The Duke of Guînes aimed for his daughter to develop sufficient compositional skills to produce sonatas for flute and harp, the instruments they both played. While most of the recovered pieces are brief and light, one remains incomplete. However, Mozart significantly revised another piece—a lively movement lasting approximately five minutes—to the point where roughly three-quarters to 80 percent of it is believed to be his own composition, according to Goy. Tulliez, the harpist, highlighted the importance of this particular piece, noting that it represents a notable addition to the existing repertoire. Prior to this discovery, the only known Mozart composition featuring the harp was the Concerto for Flute, Harp and Orchestra in C major, K. 299, which he composed around the same time for the Duke of Guînes.