Abstract

This paper explores a particular aspect of the performance speed of Mozart’s minuets from the “Haydn Quartets”. At the time of the first printing of these works (Artaria, 1785), some tempi were changed without regard to the indications of the original manuscripts. The goal of this study is to find an explanation for these alterations. The research method is based on comparative and structural analysis. The investigation starts with the comparison of Mozart’s manuscripts with different printed editions. Most of them take no notice of the tempo
modifications made during the first edition. Knowing that the composer has always revised his works before their print (A. Einstein), one may presume that the idea of changing the tempo appeared during the publication. In a second stage of the research, specific classical minuet tempos are studied, in parallel with those used by Mozart in his string quartets. The tempo indication Allegro appears only three times in the Mozart string quartet literature (K.387, K.428 and K.465), which is a small percentage of the total number of minuets that the composer actually wrote. The reason for this small number is due to the fact that these three movements share close affinities with the sonata form. By using this tempo indication, Mozart alluded to this correlation himself and gave us a clue to his compositional process and intentions. But, subsequently, Allegro was changed into Allegretto, to keep intact the dancing character – the most important quality of the minuets, which assures them a specific mark of nobility and grace. The research concludes that the unique character of the music is more essential to Mozart than any ordinary conventions.

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