Mysterious piano piece was ignored for centuries. It was written by Mozart, officials say

An obscure piano manuscript that had been ignored for centuries is now believed to have been authored by one of the world’s most famous composers: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

The sensational discovery was revealed by Austrian officials on Sept. 8, following an extensive investigation into the document.

The manuscript — titled “Milan Variations” — was donated by a private collector to the Styrian Music Association in 1877 and has been housed in a state archive since 2005. Throughout its long history, it has been shrouded in mystery.

While it was mentioned in Mozart’s catalog of music, it had been thought of as “un-Mozartian” and was never attributed to the prolific composer. It’s never been published and likely has not been played for well over 200 years.

All that has been certain is that the piece was created for the 1771 wedding of Archduke Ferdinand Karl and Maria Beatrice d’Este, which took place in Milan.

But now, an investigation has been completed that proves Mozart’s authorship, officials said.

Paul Duncan, a music historian at the Austrian state archives, determined the manuscript originated from a Vienna-based copyist named Johannes Traeg — possibly during Mozart’s lifetime.

A German scientist, Carsten Wollin, went even further, claiming that it was indeed written by Mozart — who was 15 years old at the time of Archduke Ferdinand Karl’s wedding.

The discovery — which is considered a great achievement — helps fill in a gap of roughly seven years during which Mozart is not known to have written piano pieces, officials said.

Mozart, who died in 1791 at just 35 years old, composed more than 600 works, according to the Opera Philadelphia.

Google Translate was used to translate a news release from the Austrian government.