Mozart wrote this set of variations in late summer 1778 while in Paris. The theme is taken from an arietta in the 1772 play Julie by Nicolas Dezède, himself a composer of minor distinction. Mozart apparently saw the play in 1778, when a new production was staged in August of that year. This is one of his larger variation sets, both in its nearly 20-minute duration and in its broad and colorful expressive range. The work opens with a statement of Dezède's playful theme, a graceful creation moderately paced and dainty in its sassy cuteness. In the delightful first variation, the tempo increases and most of the writing remains in the upper register. The lively second variant, however, appears largely in the middle ranges, while the ensuing one is energetic and imaginatively expands on the thematic material. The jovial fourth variant begins with jaunty arpeggiated chords and brims with energy and sunshine, and the more serious fifth is comparatively subdued. The next variation is flashier than most in its lively octave passages and other pyrotechnics, while the hearty seventh deftly shifts from energy to inertia several times. The Adagio eighth is lovely in its generally sparkling lightness, and the lively Allegro of the ninth brims with vigor and joy. The work concludes with a cadenza-like treatment of the arietta theme.

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