Possible unknown Mozart piece to be performed

A previously unknown piece of music that was probably composed by a young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart will be performed for the first time on Friday, the head of an Austrian archive said today.

The piece is marked Allegro di Wolffgango Mozart and probably dates back to the period before 1769, said Ernst Hintermaier, director of the Salzburg Archbishopric's archive.

It is contained in a book of music recently acquired by the archive.

Hintermaier said it was unclear who actually noted down the music of the piece, adding it had to be someone who had close contact to Mozart's family and who was often around the prodigy.

He noted this was one of the grey areas that needed clarifying.

The piece will be performed Friday in Salzburg, the city where Mozart was born in 1756, Hintermaier said.

Other pieces from the book will also be played.

Friday's performance comes as a year commemorating the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth draws to a close.