Serenade for Winds in B-flat Major, “Gran Partita” K. 361

Composer: MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus
  • Mozart’s Serenade for Winds in B-Flat Major, “Gran Partita,” was written sometime between 1781-84. The work comprises seven movements, including the well-known third movement “Adagio” that was featured in the 1984 film, Amadeus:
    1. Largo – Molto Allegro
    2. Menuetto
    3. Adagio
    4. Menuetto: Allegretto
    5. Romance. Adagio – Allegretto
    6. Tema con variazioni: Andante
    7. Finale. Molto Allegro (Rondo)1
  • The piece is written for (an unusually large ensemble of) thirteen wind instruments.
  • The compositional history of this serenade is shrouded in mystery. No surviving correspondence mentions the piece, and posthumous testimonies seem to contradict rather than confirm any theories.
    • The subtitle, “Gran Partita,” was likely added posthumously, when the score was finally bound and published.2

Sources

  1. “Serenade in B-flat major, K.361/370a (Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus),” IMSLP, accessed July 25, 2025, https://imslp.org/wiki/Serenade_in_B-flat_major,_K.361/370a_(Mozart,_Wolfgang_Amadeus).
  2. Ewan West, Notes in accompanying booklet, Mozart: Serenade in B flat ‘Gran Partita’ performed by The Albion Ensemble, Helios 55093, 2002, compact disc.

Cut IDs

21889 11920 10130 42767 44605 44603 44604 45037