Serenade No. 7 (Mozart)

Serenade No. 7
Haffner
by W. A. Mozart
1777 Bologna portrait of Mozart
Key	D major
Catalogue	K. 250/248b
Style	Classical period
Commissioned by	Sigmund Haffner the Younger
Composed	1776 (1776)
Performed	21 July 1776
Duration	1 hour
Movements	8
Scoring	Orchestra

The Serenade for orchestra in D major, K. 250 (248b), popularly known as the Haffner Serenade, is a serenade by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart named for the Haffner family. Mozart's friend and contemporary Sigmund Haffner the Younger commissioned the serenade to be used in the course of the festivities before the wedding of his sister Marie Elisabeth Haffner and her intended, Franz Xaver Spaeth. The Serenade was first played on 21 July 1776, on the eve of the wedding.

It is in eight movements:

1. Allegro maestoso - Allegro molto
2. Andante
3. Menuetto
4. Rondeau: Allegro
5. Menuetto galante
6. Andante
7. Menuetto
8. Adagio - Allegro assai

The second, third and fourth movements feature prominent violin solos. Indeed, the rondeau (the fourth movement) has been arranged for solo violin and used as a popular virtuoso piece.

It is assumed that the Marcia K. 249 was intended as entrance and exit music together with this Serenade.

A typical performance lasts roughly an hour.

See also

• Haffner Symphony, K. 385, another celebrated piece commissioned by Haffner

External links

•  Serenade in D KV 250: Score and critical report (in German) in the Neue Mozart-Ausgabe
• Program notes on the Haffner Serenade (curated by the Wayback Machine) for its performance by the New York Philharmonic