Newly found music score could be by Mozart

BERLIN - Vienna's renowned Musikverein concert house said yesterday it was investigating a recently discovered 18th century music score which archivists believe could be an unknown symphony composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart when he was a child.

The score was found by the Musikverein last autumn among a collection of other 18th century scripts it had purchased in Germany. It is dated 1770- when Mozart would have been aged 13, and bears the title in Italian - "Symphony by Wolfgang Mozart" which is believed to have been written on the document by a scribe.

"Experts in Europe and America are currently studying the score to find out whether or not this is a genuine Mozart" said Otto Biba, the Musikverein's chief archivist.

He said he expected them to reach a conclusion by next year.

"At the moment the odds are about fifty-fifty", he said. Mr Biba said a similar score bearing the name of a little known Austrian composer had already been discovered in the Croatian capital, Zagreb, and the experts were currently trying to establish which one was genuine.

"So far we have established that the paper on our score came from Cologne in Germany which takes us a little nearer to Mozart," he added. He said the Musikverein planned to host a concert next month at which the unknown "Mozart" symphony would be played to an audience.

"We shall be asking members of the public to give their verdict." Mr Biba said.

Austria is to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the composer's birth next year.

- INDEPENDENT