London Sketchbook (Mozart)

The London Sketchbook is a collection of musical sketches composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart during his stay in London from April 1764 to August 1765, when he was a child prodigy of eight and nine years old. The sketchbook, formally known as British Library, Add. MS 31754, comprises 43 folios and contains 51 pieces or fragments of pieces, primarily in the hand of Leopold Mozart, Wolfgang's father. Some are also in Wolfgang's own hand.

The pieces are primarily short keyboard exercises, minuets, and other short movements, reflecting the musical education Wolfgang was receiving at the time and also showcasing his developing compositional skills. The sketchbook serves as a valuable historical record of Mozart's early development and provides insight into the teaching methods employed by Leopold Mozart. It also documents the musical influences present in London during the period, including the works of Johann Christian Bach, with whom the young Mozart interacted. The contents are considered juvenilia, but they are significant for demonstrating the precocity of Mozart's talent and offering clues to the later trajectory of his musical genius. The pieces within the London Sketchbook have been studied and performed by musicians and scholars for centuries.