Introduction and Variations on a Theme by Mozart, Op. 9 by Fernando Sor

Introduction and Variations on a Theme from the Magic Flute by Mozart, Op. 9 by Fernando Sor (1778 – 1839) for classical guitar – This is one of the most famous works in the repertoire. As Brian Jeffrey mentions “no space is wasted and the music devotes itself not to ‘guitaristic’ effects but only to itself.” The work is based on a melody from The Magic Flute by Mozart which is near the end of Act I called “Das klinget so herrlich”, in Italian either translating to “O dolce concento”, “O dolce armonia”, or, as Sor chose to use, “O cara armonia”.

Here’s a nice write up on the piece by Richard Long via this Naxos “It has often been noted that Sor…had an affinity with Mozart, and there was a rage for Mozart in London in the years Sor was resident there. Mozart’s opera Die Zauberflöte had been written in German in 1791. Decades later, operas in the German language were still not widely accepted, even in the German states, and many of Europe’s opera companies continued to be dominated by Italians. Thus Die Zauberflöte was better known as Il flauto magico, including at its London début in 1819. The theme “Das klinget so herrlich” was variously translated into Italian as “O dolce concento”, “O dolce armonia”, or “O cara armonia”. The latter title, which Sor biographer Brian Jeffrey also discovered on a vocal score published in London in about 1813, was the one by which Sor knew the piece. Lively and virtuosic, Sor’s Introduction et Variations sur une Thème de Mozart, Op. 9, first published in London in 1821, were dedicated to the composer’s brother, Carlos, also a guitarist.”

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