Interactive piano piece
Learn Marche funebre del Sig. Maestro Contrapunto KV 453a
A 16-bar mock funeral march in C minor that Mozart inscribed in his student Barbara Ployer's music book in 1784, subtitled 'del Sig. Maestro Contrapunto' — a wry joke about stuffy counterpoint teachers. The interactive score and tempo slider let you control the weight of this short C-minor funeral march — slowing it down reveals the deliberate starkness of Mozart's two-voice writing.
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Press Play for the full piece, or choose Opening and switch to Wait for note for guided right-hand practice.
About the piece
A miniature funeral march — composed in the same sketchbook as a piano concerto.
The Marche funèbre del Sig. Maestro Contrapunto, KV 453a, is a brief, sardonic piece in C minor that Mozart jotted into a sketchbook in 1784, on the same pages as sketches for the Piano Concerto No. 17 in G major, KV 453. The title — 'Funeral March of Master Counterpoint' — suggests it was a private joke, possibly aimed at a pedantic theorist or a rival composer who took fugal writing too seriously.
The piece is stark and economical: a short march figure in C minor, barely twenty bars, with two voices that move in simple parallel and contrary motion. Its darkly comic character is unusual for Mozart and gives a glimpse of his private humour. It remained unpublished until the twentieth century and is rarely performed, but it fits naturally at the piano and has a grim little charisma all its own.
Practice path
March before you play — feel the tread in your body.
The march rhythm must feel physically inevitable before it reaches the keys. Tap or walk the beat before sitting down: a slow, heavy two-beat, with each beat carrying weight. That physical sense transfers directly to the keyboard touch — the notes must feel like footsteps.
Score basis: Generated MusicXML from Mutopia MIDI. Public domain composition; Public Domain; MusicXML generated for Pianodemy. Attribution: Mutopia Project (https://www.mutopiaproject.org/ftp/MozartWA/KV453a/k453a/).
MIDI source: Mutopia Project (https://www.mutopiaproject.org/ftp/MozartWA/KV453a/k453a/). Public Domain.
Questions
Before you practice.
Short answers for learners and for searchers deciding whether this is the right version to start with.
01Why did Mozart call it 'Marche funebre del Sig. Maestro Contrapunto'?
The subtitle translates as 'Funeral March of Mr. Master Counterpoint.' It is believed to be a light-hearted joke, perhaps mocking a pedantic music teacher, though some scholars think it may be a self-deprecating reference to Mozart himself.
02How hard is Mozart KV 453a?
It is a beginner piece — only 16 bars long in C minor — but the dotted rhythms require care. Most students can learn it in a single session.
How to use this V1
Heavy but not loud — a funeral tread, not a military fanfare.
At 60% tempo, play with more arm weight than usual and listen for a dark, serious tone from the very first note. At 90%, use wait-for-note mode to ensure the two voices stay precisely together — any blur or rush will destroy the march character. The final bar should feel like a coffin lid closing, not a door slamming.