Kegelstatt trio

1st Movement – Listen to an extract:

2nd Movement – Listen to an extract:

3rd Movement – Listen to an extract:

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1757 – 1792, was a child genius and prodigy. He was composing from very early childhood and could play the piano brilliantly equally early. One of his earliest compositions was Ah! Vous dirai-je, maman (Mother, if I could tell you) which has been corrupted into Twinkle Twinkle Little star. Whilst the theme of this is straight forward, the variations Mozart wrote certainly were not. Mozart produced a staggering amount of music in his short life which was blighted by mental illness and alcoholism.  As well as 41 symphonies, 27 piano concerti, 22 operas, 5 violin concerti, 4 horn concerti and 7 other wind concerti, 36 violin sonatas and a shed load of chamber and other music (marches, minuets, religious music, divertimenti), he wrote the incredible Requiem.

The Kegelstatt trio K 498 or ‘a place where skittles are played’ (a skittle alley) is for an unusual trio, clarinet, viola and piano. He wrote it in 1786 for the von Jacquin family who were close friends. The father, Nicolaus, the son, Gottfried and the daughter, Franziska were very musical and they often made music with Mozart at their house.