New music written by Mozart found in library after being 'entirely forgotten' for centuries

The single sheet, described as a preliminary draft, was bequeathed to the library in Nantes in the 19th century, put away and forgotten.

It was only rediscovered when the library in Nantes, western France recently reorganised its archives.

Rare find: Nantes vice-mayor Jean-Louis Jossic displays a previously unknown piece of music by Mozart, discovered by library staff organising the archives

They contacted the International Mozarteum Foundation in Salzburg, Austria, to confirm the piece had been written by the legendary composer.

Ulrich Leisinger, head of research at the foundation said there was no doubt the single sheet was by Mozart.

He said: 'His handwriting is clearly identifiable. There's no doubt that this is an original piece handwritten by Mozart.'

Mozart: It is estimated he wrote the newly discovered piece between 1787-91

He described the work as the preliminary draft of a musical composition.

If sold, the single sheet would be worth hundreds of thousands.

'The fact that an entirely new sheet shows up is extremely rare,' Mr Leisinger added.

He estimated Mozart wrote the piece between 1787 and his death in 1791.

Mozart was interested in church music at that time and was planning to become the choir and music director of Vienna's main cathedral, although he died before he could take up the post.

In all, about 100 such examples of musical drafts by Mozart are known.

Many are notes for works that he went on to complete.

But the rediscovered sheet is the 'draft for a piece that Mozart did not work out for whatever reason,' said Leisinger.

'It's a melody sketch so what's missing is the harmony and the instrumentation but you can make sense out of it,' he said.

'The tune is complete. It's only one part and not the whole score with eight or twelve parts.

'One can really get a feeling of what Mozart meant although we do not know how he would have orchestrated it.'

The sheet appears also to have been examined in the 19th century by Aloys Fuchs, a well-respected autograph hunter who collected works from more than 1,500 musicians.

Fuchs wrote 'authenticity of this present handwriting of W.A. Mozart is confirmed,' in an annotation dated August 18, 1839, in Vienna.

Genuine article: The sheet of music is a melody sketch 'clearly written by Mozart'