Twelve variations on the French folk song "Ah! vous dirai-je, maman" K. 265

For these variations, Mozart used a melody by an unknown composer that was written around 1765. Today it is known as the beloved children’s song with the lyrics “twinkle, twinkle, little star.” The original French lyrics, however, are about a young woman who confesses to her mother what happened when she met her lover in the forest. Here, Mozart shows how artfully such a simple melody can be arranged in a series of variations.