Eine kleine Nachtmusik

What it is

The Serenade No. 13 in G major, K. 525, known as Eine kleine Nachtmusik, was composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart for a small string ensemble and completed in Vienna on 10 August 1787. It has four surviving movements, though a fifth movement is believed lost.

Why it matters

The reason Mozart wrote this piece, and whether it was ever performed in his lifetime, is unknown — it was not published until decades after his death. The title comes simply from his own catalogue entry describing it as 'a little night music.' Its enduring popularity shows how a work with almost no recorded history behind it can still become one of the most recognised pieces of classical music.

Look closer

• What does it mean that we don't know why or for whom this piece was written?
• How can a simple catalogue entry turn into a famous title?
• What questions remain unanswered about the missing movement?