Marche funebre KV 453a
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Mozart wrote this little march into the music-book of his pupil
Barbara Ployer in 1784.  The subtitle "del Signor Maestro
Contrap[p]unto" (by Mr. Master Counterpoint) could be a humorous
reference to Mozart himself, although no definitive evidence of this
interpretation has been given.

It is interesting to note that the beginning rhythm (one quarter, one
dotted eighteenth, one sixteenth, two quarters) is the same used in
the main theme of piano concertos KV 451, KV 453, KV 456 and KV 459,
all composed in 1784.  Considering that at least one of them (KV 453)
was intended to be played by Barbara Ployer, it is tempting to
consider this little Funeral March as a musical caricature of the
concertos.

Maurizio Tomasi, May 2004