Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote seventeen Church Sonatas (sonata di chiesa, or Epistle Sonatas) between 1772-80. These works had an established place within the context of liturgical practice in eighteenth-century Austria: its function was to serve as a link between the reading of the Epistle and Gospel at High Mass. Mozart composed seventeen epistle sonatas as part of his duties in the employment of the archbishops of Salzburg. In keeping with the demands for brevity in Salzburg, these are all brief, single-movement pieces. In the earlier works the organ is not given a solo role, merely supporting the strings, but from No. 10 in F major, K. 244, onwards, the composer demonstrates an increasing tendency to more elaborate structures, giving the organ a separate concertante part, and also introducing wind and brass instruments into the accompaniment. This, K.67/41h, is the only church sonata marked Andantino.
