Mozart: Capriccio KV 395 / 300g (Ronald Brautigam)

This is a very rare little gem, wonderfully performed by Ronald Brautigam on fortepiano. The “Four Praeambula in C major KV 284a“ were long believed lost. However, a manuscript for a certain untitled piece referred to as Capriccio KV 395/300g existed, and in the Neue Mozartausgabe, published in 1982, Wolfgang Plath proved the the Praeambula and Capriccio were the same piece. The piece was earlier known as “Little C major Fantasy“, and it got the name “Capriccio“ during the middle of the 20th century. The correct name today should of course be “Prealudium in C major KV 284a“. The Capriccio (as I prefer to call it since it is better known by that name) was written in 1777 at the request of Mozart’s sister Nannerl, who wanted a “short praeambolum“ to assist her in her studies. Nannerl also specified that she wanted the piece to modulate from C major to B flat major.