 through, and the bass with the second violin move entirely on c and g. Only when the hurdy-gurdy falls out do the accompanying voices become livelier. Notations like legato-bows and staccato dots indicate that Mozart was familiar with the rhythmical possibilities of the wheel.
The second piece in which Wolfgang Mozart wrote for the hurdy-gurdy has almost the same instrumentation: in the third dance of the "Vier Deutschen Tänze" ['Four German Dances'] (K. 602), again in C major, the hurdy-gurdy is also used in a trio although this time as the only melody instrument, since the flutes are missing. Two lines are written for the hurdy-gurdy, of which the lower gives the drone sounds (ex. 43). In contrast to the trio of the menuette this has no legato bows or other notations. However in compensation the drone notes are given, and in the manner in which they are to be emphasized, the accentuation on one and three counts with the wheel is established without any special notations.
Wolfgang Mozart used the hurdy-gurdy as a melody instrument only in pieces which recall folk music with their simple melodies. In 1755 his father Leopold composed a multi-movement work called "Die Bauernhochzeit" [translation JW: "The Peasant Wedding"], which was consciously connected with the country people and their musical instruments: horns, oboes, violins, hurdy-gurdy, bagpipes, viola, fagotte,
cellos and basses. Hurdy-gurdy and bagpipes were put right in with the rest of the instruments and not displayed in solo passages, but were played only in common with the other instruments.
The hurdy-gurdy intended by Leopold Mozart is tuned in D and has a range of two octaves, from d' to d'''. The work has five movements with the following titles and keys: Marcia villanesca (D), Menuet und Trio (D), Andante (d), Menuet (A), and Trio (D), Finale (D). Hurdy-gurdy and bagpipes are used very sparingly and only in the movements in D major, thus the first and fifth movements, as well as the two trios. Again only the melody line is written for both instruments and a drone line is not present. The drone strings and pipes must sound however, since the instruments immediately pause when the piece begins to modulate into another key which does not harmonize with the drone tones of these instruments (ex. 44). The confinement of the two instruments to movements in D major lead to the same conclusion. In addition the fagottes, cellos and partly the horns, which are played in unison, indicate the use of drones. When the hurdy-gurdy and bagpipes begin to play, then the fagottes, cellos and basses almost always remain on d and hence probably on the low drone tone of the two instruments. Only when the drone instruments cease playing does the bass take on more movement. The melodies of the individual pieces are very simple, especially for the bagpipes and the hurdy-gurdy. No great technical demands are made on the players of these instruments (ex. 45). Despite the sparing use of both instruments Leopold indicates for the hurdy-gurdy a precise accentuation. This shows that the technique of separating and connecting individual notes with the help of the wheel was familiar to country players (ex. 46, ex. 47).
The works in which Leopold and Wolfgang Mozart used the hurdy-gurdy indicate that these composers knew the hurdy-gurdy only as a country instrument. Leopold Mozart even used it to characterize this music. The use of the hurdy-gurdy and the simple melody lines provided for it
without any ornamentation or runs indicate that in the case of both composers they were not stimulated by the French hurdy-gurdy fashion, but handled the instrument in their works just as it was familiar to them from their surroundings.
It was only in France that the hurdy-gurdy could not only acquire increasing respect as a popular instrument of the nobility, but also receive a tangible repertoire within this sphere. Although the French court of the "ancient regime" was a model for the other European courts, the preference for the hurdy-gurdy and bagpipes was not adopted by any other court. The hurdy