Sleigh Ride

From 1787 onwards, Mozart held the prestigious role of Kammermusicus – Imperial Chamber Composer – for Emperor Joseph II. It was during this period that he wrote the bulk of his German dances – 10 sets in all. Most are for small orchestra, with Mozart changing the instrumentation and style in different sections for variety (and perhaps also to give sections of the ensemble a much-needed breather!)

Sleigh Ride is actually the third of a set of 3 German Dances, K605, composed in Vienna in the final year of Mozart’s life. In fact, it is only the trio part of the dance that Mozart dubbed ‘Die Schlittenfahrt’, though the same theme returns in the coda. For these sections, he added a post-horn and bells to the ensemble.

The French horn takes the role of the post-horn in this quintet arrangement, while several of the other instruments take turns in imitating the sleigh bells. The contours of the melody and rising and falling dynamics of the accompanying ‘bells’ help to convey the motion of the sleigh. (For ensembles using a clarinet, rather than French horn, on Part 4, this description will have to be adapted for your audience!)