- Born January 27, 1756, in Salzburg
- Died December 5, 1791, in Vienna
- Composed in 1784
- Duration: 21 minutes

On April 29, 1784, Mozart took his seat at the keyboard in one of Vienna’s most illustrious theaters to play alongside a 23-year-old violinist from the Lombardy region of Italy named Regina Strinasacchi. Given how rare it was for a female virtuoso violinist to enjoy a public career in the 18th century, this was an exceptional event. Strinasacchi came from a family of female musicians and received her early training at the Ospedale della Pietà, where Vivaldi had taught and composed, known for providing excellent musical training for young women. Underscoring her reputation as a world-class performer, this concert was just one in a handful Strinasacchi would present in Vienna as part of a multi-year tour in Europe. 

Each virtuoso has a trademark sound and style. For Strinasacchi it was a precise yet nuanced tone. Mozart observed “a great deal of taste and feeling” among her qualities, which his father echoed, writing, “She doesn’t play a note without expression. . . . She puts her entire heart and soul into the melody she performs, and her tone is as powerful as it is beautiful.” A review remarked, “The sound that she draws from her Cremonese fiddle is like finely polished silver.” Notably, this nonchalant reference is to Strinasacchi’s 1718 Stradivarius violin, crafted in Cremona during the maker’s so called “golden period.” It would transfer hands in 1821 to Louis Spohr, a friend and colleague of Beethoven. Audiences today can still hear this instrument, now played by Miriam Fried. 

An anecdote illustrating the astonishing talents of Mozart and Strinasacchi revolves around Mozart’s delay in writing this piece. The performance was on a Thursday evening. The Saturday prior, Mozart wrote to his father, “I am just now writing down a sonata that we’ll play together.” This forced Strinasacchi to learn her part quickly, while Mozart ultimately improvised his—though he nonetheless placed a score at the piano. Emperor Joseph II was astounded to discover through his opera glasses that Mozart’s pages were mostly blank. Four months later, Mozart completed writing down the piano part, and the “Strinasacchi Sonata” was published. 

One characteristic of the sonata is a tremendous sense of fun, which demonstrates how well suited Strinasacchi must have been to Mozart’s style. An expansive and noble slow introduction kicks off the first movement, which would have allowed Strinasacchi to coax expression from each note. From there, the music becomes breezy and buoyant, with jaunty rhythms, filigree turns, and brilliant runs. Flirting only temporarily with minor tonalities, some sections are replete with chromatics, lending a whimsical sense of sliding and tipping before the main theme returns. In the slow middle movement, Mozart’s skill as an operatic composer is transferred to the instrumental realm. Here, the two instruments sing utterly gorgeous melodies in the manner of an intimate vocal duet. Buzzy energy pervades the final movement, which is in rondo form—the main theme is interpolated with contrasting sections. On full display is Mozart’s hyperactive ability to produce ideas with assembly-line regularity. Through fleet fingers, we are treated to a smorgasbord of moods from playful to pensive. The work sails toward the end as the violin hops and skips above a wave of scales in a joyful conclusion.

Program note © Kathryn Bacasmot