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Köchel Number (K.)

Köchel's thematic catalogue of Mozart, numbered roughly in chronological order

Musical FormBWVHoboken Number

K. (the Köchel number) is the thematic catalogue of Mozart's music, compiled by Ludwig von Köchel in 1862. It follows chronology, so K. 1 is a childhood piece and K. 626 the Requiem; the number gives a rough position in Mozart's short life.

Rough is the operative word. The catalogue has been revised repeatedly; newly found works were squeezed in with letters, such as K. 285a, and renumbering has left some pieces with both an old and a new K. number. A K. number is not an exact date of composition either.

Nor is K. a ranking. K. 331 is the piano sonata whose finale is the "Turkish March"; K. 525 is a modest serenade. The number is a house address, not a medal.

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Sources

  • 莫扎特 K. 编号及其修订史，参 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, "Köchel, Ludwig von" 与 "Mozart"；目录本体参 Köchel, Chronologisch-thematisches Verzeichnis（1862）；本文为原创表述

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