The Variations on a Theme by Mozart, Op. 9 by Fernando Sor is one of the most celebrated works ever written for the classical guitar — a set of brilliant, inventive variations on a melody from Mozart's The Magic Flute that has enchanted audiences since its publication in London in 1821.
The Mozart Theme
The borrowed melody comes from near the end of the first act of Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute, 1791), where Papageno plays his magic chimes and the slaves of Sarastro are enchanted by the sound — "Das klinget so herrlich, das klinget so schön" ("How wondrously it rings, how beautifully it sounds"). It is one of the most luminous, simply beautiful melodies Mozart ever wrote: just a handful of notes, but entirely inevitable. Sor presents it in E major with a purity that honours its original character.
Theme and Variations
See the full Sor guide and the Studies.
