Danny Tan ([log in to unmask]) wrote:

>Why is Mozart's work starts with K--- instead of Op---? Are there any
>particular reason why he is special?

Op is shport for Opus, latin for "work".  Opus numbers (plural is opera
BTW) are assigned usually on publication.  When a composer with didn't
publish most of his music, or it got published in confusing fashion (quck,
are Haydn's Sun Quarets Op.20 or Op.33 - they were published as both) then
the composer's output is often catalogued by one person, who gets to use
their initial in the catalogue numbering.

Thus K is for Koechel, the man who first catalogued Mozart's output.

Other examples:  Bach is catalogued as BWV (Bach Werke Verzeichnis -
forgive the spelling), although the man who put together the first
catalogue was called Schmeider (or Schmieder) and in older sources you
can often see S numbers instead of BWV.

Haydns are prefixed Hob for Anthony van Hoboken, Scarlatti (Domenico)
K for Kirkpatrick - there are many others and I'm sure Dave has a
list somewhere.

Deryk Barker
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 [There's an ever growing list of thematic catalogues at Classical Net
 in the Composer Data section.  -Dave]