Mozart: Symphony No. 2 in B flat major, K. 17

Introduction

The piece of music once known as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Symphony No. 2 in B♭ major, KV 17, is now considered to be not by him, but by possibly his father, Leopold Mozart. This symphony has been given the number Anhang C 11.02 in the sixth edition of Ludwig Ritter von Köchel's catalog of Mozart's music., and is now also catalogued as Eisen B♭ 6 in Cliff Eisen's catalog of Leopold Mozart's symphonies.

The piece is in four movements in the usual quick-slow-minuet-quick pattern:

1. Allegro
2. (Andante)
3. Menuetto I & II
4. Presto

The publication of this symphony in the Alte Mozart-Ausgabe, the first collected edition of Mozart's music, shows several points at which smaller, editorially-supplied notes are given, suggesting an unfinished composition. For instance, in "Menuetto I," only the first violin and cello/double bass parts are completed; the second violin and viola parts in their entirety in this movement are editorial additions.

Since K. 17 is now believed not to be by W.A. Mozart, the Neue Mozart-Ausgabe does not include this symphony as part of its edition.