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Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus

Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus, 1756-91, Austrian composer, b. Salzburg. Mozart represents one of the great peaks in the history of music. His works, written in almost every conceivable genre, combine luminous beauty of sound with classical grace and technical perfection.

Early Years

A remarkable prodigy, Mozart was taught to play the harpsichord, violin, and organ by his father, Leopold, and began composing before he was five. When Mozart was six, he and his older sister, Marianne, were presented by their father in concerts at the court of the Empress Maria Theresa in Vienna and in the principal aristocratic households of central Europe, Paris, and London. His progress as a composer was amazing; by the age of 13 he had written concertos, sonatas, symphonies, a German operetta, Bastien und Bastienne (1768), and an Italian opera buffa, La finta semplice (1769). During a tour in Italy (1768-71) he absorbed Italian style, received great acclaim for his concerts in Rome and other major cities, and successfully produced his opera Mitridate, re di Ponto (1770).

In 1771 Mozart was appointed concertmaster to the archbishop of Salzburg. However, he was dissatisfied with his position and the restrictions placed on his work, and after six years he went on tour in search of a better post. He traveled with his mother, visiting numerous cities, including Munich, Mannheim (where he fell in love briefly with the singer Aloysia Weber), and Paris. Despite the successful performance in Paris of his Symphony in D (1778), known as the Paris Symphony, Mozart did not receive much attention there.

Maturity

After resuming his post at Salzburg in 1779, Mozart composed Idomeneo (1781) for the Bavarian court. One of the best examples of 18th-century opera seria, it marks the first opera of Mozart's maturity. In the year of its production he resigned from the archbishop's service and moved to Vienna, where in 1782 he married Constanze Weber, the sister of Aloysia. Financial difficulties beset him almost immediately, since he was unable to secure a suitable position and had to earn his living by teaching and giving public concerts.

In Vienna, Mozart met Haydn, and the two developed a long and warm friendship that benefited the work of each. Mozart's six string quartets (1782-85) dedicated to Haydn are testimony of his influence. Die Entführung aus dem Serail (The Abduction from the Seraglio, 1782), a singspiel combining songs and German dialogue, brought Mozart some success.

The Viennese court opera was dominated by Italian tradition, and in his next operas Mozart turned to the style of the Italian opera buffa. With the librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte he created the comic masterpiece Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro, 1786), which, after a lukewarm reception in Vienna, became a sensation in Prague. From that city also came the commission that resulted in Don Giovanni (1787). Although it has come to be regarded as one of the most brilliant operas ever written, it was considered rather difficult by his public, which preferred his more frivolous works.

At the death of Gluck (1787), Mozart succeeded him as chamber musician and court composer to Joseph II. His salary was far less than Gluck's had been, however, and his financial troubles persisted to the end of his life. An example of the elegant pieces written for social occasions at this time is the famous serenade for strings, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (1787).

Last Works

In the space of three months in 1788 Mozart composed his last three symphonies—No. 39 in E Flat, No. 40 in G Minor, and No. 41 in C, called the Jupiter Symphony; they all display a complete mastery of classical symphonic form as established by Haydn. In 1789 Mozart traveled to Berlin, where he was presented to King Frederick William II. Mozart's last three string quartets (1789-90) were written for the king, an accomplished cellist. Returning to Vienna, Mozart composed his clarinet quintet (1789); his last opera buffa, Così fan tutte (1790), and his last piano concerto, the Piano Concerto in B Flat (1791).

In Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute, 1791), with libretto by the actor Emmanuel Schikaneder, Mozart returned to the German opera in the singspiel, bringing this form of light musical entertainment to a height of lyrical and symbolic art. Its composition was interrupted by a commission from a wealthy nobleman for a requiem mass and by the composition of La Clemenza di Tito (1791), an opera seria for the coronation of Leopold II as king of Bohemia.

After the production of Die Zauberflöte, Mozart worked feverishly on the requiem, with the foreboding that it would commemorate his own death. He died at the age of 35 without finishing it; the work was completed by his pupil Franz Süssmayr. A thematic catalog of Mozart's works was made by Ludwig von Köchel and published in 1862; an edition revised by Alfred Einstein appearing in 1937. Mozart's works are usually identified by their numbers in this list.

Leopold Mozart

Mozart's father Leopold, 1719-87, besides being the teacher and promoter of his famous son, was a capable composer and author of A Treatise on the Fundamental Problems of Violin Playing (1756; tr. 1951), of interest today as a record of 18th-century musical practice.

Bibliography

See W. A. Mozart's letters, ed. by E. Anderson (tr., 2 vol., 2d ed. 1966), and selected letters, ed. by R. Spaethling (tr., 2000); biographies by O. Jahn (tr. 1891, 3 vol.; repr. 1970), A. Einstein (4th ed. 1959), O. E. Deutsch (2d ed. 1965), E. Blom (rev. ed. 1937, repr. 1985), M. Solomon (1995), P. Gay (1999), R. W. Gutman (2000), and J. Rushton (2006); studies on his quartets by T. F. Dunhill (1927), his operas by E. J. Dent (2d ed. 1947, repr. 1970), his symphonies by G. de Saint-Foix (tr. 1947, repr. 1968); J. Liebner, Mozart on the Stage (1972, repr. 1980), H. C. Robbins Landon, Mozart's Last Year (1988, repr. 1999); W. Stafford, The Mozart Myths (1991).

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2004.
Licensed from Columbia University Press
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
orig. Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart

(born Jan. 27, 1756, Salzburg, Archbishopric of Salzburg—died Dec. 5, 1791, Vienna) Austrian composer. Son of the violinist and composer Leopold Mozart (1719–87), he was born the year of the publication of Leopold's best-selling treatise on violin playing. He and his older sister, Maria Anna (1751–1829), were prodigies; at age five he began to compose and gave his first public performance. From 1762 Leopold toured throughout Europe with his children, showing off the “miracle that God allowed to be born in Salzburg.” The first round of touring (1762–69) took them as far as France and England, where Wolfgang met Johann Christian Bach and wrote his first symphonies (1764). Tours of Italy followed (1769–74); there he first saw the string quartets of Joseph Haydn and wrote his own first Italian opera. In 1775–77 he composed his violin concertos and his first piano sonatas. His mother died in 1779. He returned to Salzburg as cathedral organist and in 1781 wrote his opera seria Idomeneo. Chafing under the archbishop's rule, he was released from his position in 1781; he moved in with his friends the Weber family and began his independent career in Vienna. He married Constanze Weber, gave piano lessons, and wrote The Abduction from the Seraglio (1782) and many of his great piano concertos. The later 1780s were the height of his success, with the string quartets dedicated to Haydn (who called Mozart the greatest living composer), the three great operas on Lorenzo Da Ponte's librettos—The Marriage of Figaro (1786), Don Giovanni (1787), and Così fan tutte (1790)—and his superb late symphonies. In his last year he composed the opera The Magic Flute and his great Requiem (left unfinished). Despite his success, he always lacked money (possibly because of gambling debts and a fondness for fine clothes) and had to borrow heavily from friends. His death at age 35 may have resulted from a kidney infection. No other composer left such an extraordinary legacy in so short a lifetime.

Learn more about Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
List of compositions by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
This is a selective list of the works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, listed by genre. For a complete list, ordered chronologically, see Köchel catalogue.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was prolific and wrote in many genres. Perhaps his best-admired work is in opera, the piano concerto, the symphony, and in the string quartet and string quintet. Mozart also wrote much work for solo piano, other forms of chamber music, masses and other religious music, and endless dances, divertimentos, and other forms of light entertainment.

How Mozart's compositions are listed

  • The indication "K." or KV refers to "Köchel (Verzeichnis)", i.e. the (more or less) chronological (i.e. by composition date) catalog of Mozart's works by Ludwig von Köchel. Note that this catalog has been amended several times, leading to ambiguity over some KV numbers (see e.g. Symphony No. 25). A version of the Köchel catalog can be found here and here.
  • The compositions of Mozart listed below are grouped thematically, i.e. by type of composition. Not all thematic groups of Mozart's works have a separate numbering that is generally accepted: Köchel only numbers Symphonies (1 to 41); Piano concertos (1 to 27, leaving out some early transcriptions by Mozart) and a few other groups. On the other hand, for string quartets, most chamber music and vocal music there is no such numbering (or at least no general accepted one).
  • Only relatively few of Mozart's compositions have Opus numbers, as not so many of his compositions were published during his lifetime, so numbering by Opus number proves quite impractical for Mozart compositions.

Symphonies

Mozart's symphonic production covers a 24 year interval, from 1764 to 1788. According to most recent investigations, Mozart wrote not just the 41 symphonies reported in traditional editions, but up to 68 complete works of this type. However, by convention, the original numbering has been retained, and so his last symphony is still known as "No. 41". Some of the symphonies (K .297, 385, 550) were revised by the author after their first versions.

Childhood symphonies (1764–1771)

These are the numbered symphonies from Mozart's early childhood. It should be noted that there are also a fair amount of unnumbered symphonies from this time period.

Salzburg-era symphonies (1771–1781)

These symphonies are sometimes subcategorized as "Early" (1771–1773) and "Late" (1773–1775), and sometimes subcategorized as "Germanic" (with minuet) or "Italian" (without minuet). None of these were printed during Mozart's lifetime.

Although not counted as "symphonies" the three Divertimenti K. 136–138, in 3-movement Italian overture style, are sometimes indicated as "Salzburg Symphonies" too.

Late symphonies (1781–1791)

For years this was categorized as a Mozart symphony, but later scholarship determined that it was actually composed by Michael Haydn (Symphony No. 25), and Mozart wrote only the slow introduction for it.

The three final symphonies (Nos. 39–41) were completed in about three months in 1788. It is quite likely that he hoped to publish these three works together as a single opus, although actually they remained unpublished until after his death. One or two of them might have been played in public in Leipzig in 1789.

Concertos

Piano concertos

Mozart's production for piano and orchestra are numbered from 1 to 27. The first four numbered concertos are early works (Piano Concertos Nos 1-4 (Mozart)). The movements of these concertos are arrangements of keyboard sonatas by various contemporary composers (Raupach, Honauer, Schobert, Eckart, C.P.E. Bach). Concertos 7 and 10 are compositions for three and two pianos respectively. The remaining twenty-one are original compositions for solo piano and orchestra. Among them, fifteen were written in the years from 1782 to 1786, while in the last five years Mozart wrote just two more piano concertos.

Violin concertos

Mozart's five violin concertos were written in Salzburg around 1775. They are notable for the beauty of their melodies and the skillful use of the expressive and technical characteristics of the instrument, though Mozart probably never went through all the violin possibilities like others (e.g. Beethoven and Brahms) did after him. (Alfred Einstein notes that the violin concerto–like sections in the serenades are more virtuosic than in the works titled Violin Concertos.)

Horn concertos

Arguably the most widely played concertos for horn, the four Horn Concertos are a major part of most professional horn players' repertoire. They were written for Mozart's lifelong friend Joseph Leutgeb. The concertos (especially the fourth) were written as virtuoso vehicles that allow the soloist to show a variety of abilities on the valveless horns of Mozart's day.

The Horn Concertos are characterized by an elegant and humorous dialogue between the soloist and the orchestra. Many of the autographs contain jokes aimed at the dedicatee.

Other concertos

Concertante symphonies

Piano music

See also: List of solo piano pieces by composer: M
Mozart's earliest composition attempts begin with piano sonatas and other piano pieces, as this is the instrument on which his musical education took place. Almost everything that he wrote for piano was intended to be played by himself (or by his sister, also a proficient piano player). Examples of his earliest works are those found in Nannerl's Music Book. Between 1782 and 1786 he wrote 20 works for piano solo (including sonatas, variations, fantasias, suites, fugues, rondo) and works for piano four hands and two pianos.
Media

Solo piano works

Sonatas

Miscellaneous pieces

  • Nannerl's Music Book
  • Andante in C, K. 1a
  • Allegro in C, K. 1b
  • Allegro in F, K. 1c
  • Minuet in F, K. 1d
  • Minuet in G, K. 1e
  • Minuet in C, K. 1f
  • Minuet in F, K. 2
  • Allegro in B-flat, K. 3
  • Minuet in F, K. 4
  • Minuet in F, K. 5
  • Allegro in C, K. 5a
  • Andante in B-flat, K. 5b
  • Fantasy No. 1 with Fugue in C major, K. 394 (Vienna, 1782)
  • Fantasy No. 2 in C minor, K. 396 (Vienna, 1782)
  • Fantasy No. 3 in D minor, K. 397 (Vienna, 1782)
  • Fantasy No. 4 in C minor, K. 475 (Vienna, May 20, 1785)
  • Rondo No. 1 in D major, K. 485
  • Rondo No. 2 in F major, K. 494 (finale to K.533 above initially published alone)
  • Rondo No. 3 in A minor, K. 511
  • Adagio for Piano in B minor, K. 540 (Vienna, 1788)
  • Allegro and Rondo for piano in F major, K. 547a (Vienna, Summer 1788) (adapted from K. 547 and K. 545)

Variations

Dual piano/performer works

Piano Four-Hands

Two Pianos

Chamber music

Violin music

He also wrote for piano and violin (16 complete sonatas, plus several fragments and two variation sets), where —mainly in the more mature years— the piano does not play just a support to the other solo instrument, but builds a dialogue with it.

Childhood violin sonatas (1763–66)

Mature violin sonatas (1778–88)

Variations for violin and piano

String duos and trios

String quartets

This cycle, in three movements, is interesting as far as these works can be considered precursors of the later —more complete— string quartets.
*String Quartet No. 1 in G major, K. 80/73f (1770)
*String Quartet No. 2 in D major, K. 155/134a (1772)
*String Quartet No. 3 in G major, K. 156/134b (1772)
*String Quartet No. 4 in C major, K. 157 (1772–73)
*String Quartet No. 5 in F major, K. 158 (1772–73)
*String Quartet No. 6 in B-flat major, K. 159 (1773)
*String Quartet No. 7 in E-flat major, K. 160/159a (1773)

Much more stylistically developed. In Vienna Mozart is believed to have heard the op. 17 and op. 20 quartets of Joseph Haydn, and had received from them a deep impression.
*String Quartet No. 8 in F major, K. 168 (1773)
*String Quartet No. 9 in A major, K. 169 (1773)
*String Quartet No. 10 in C major, K. 170 (1773)
*String Quartet No. 11 in E-flat major, K. 171 (1773)
*String Quartet No. 12 in B-flat major, K. 172 (1773)
*String Quartet No. 13 in D minor, K. 173 (1773)

  • Haydn Quartets K. 387, 421, 428, 458, 464, 465, Opus 10 (1782–1785)

Mozart returned to the quartet in the early 1780s after he had moved to Vienna, met Haydn in person, and developed a friendship with the older composer. Haydn had just published his set of six quartets Opus 33, which are thought to have been a stimulus to Mozart in returning to the genre. These quartets are often regarded as among the pinnacles of the genre.
*String Quartet No. 14 in G major, ("Spring") K. 387 (1782)
*String Quartet No. 15 in D minor, K. 421/417b (1783)
*String Quartet No. 16 in E-flat major, K. 428/421b (1783)
*String Quartet No. 17 in B-flat major ("Hunt"), K. 458 (1784)
*String Quartet No. 18 in A major, K. 464 (1785)
*String Quartet No. 19 in C major ("Dissonance"), K. 465 (1785)

This work was published by (dedicated to?) Franz Anton Hoffmeister, as well as the Prussian Quartets. Mozart's last three quartets, dedicated to the King of Prussia Friedrich Wilhelm II, are noted for the cantabile character of the parts for cello (the instrument played by the king himself), the sweetness of sounds and the equilibrium among the different instruments.

* String Quartet No. 21 in D major, K. 575 (1789)
* String Quartet No. 22 in B-flat major, K. 589 (1790)
* String Quartet No. 23 in F major, K. 590 (1790)

String quintets

The string quintets (K. 174, 406, 515, 516, 593, 614), for two violins, two violas and cello. Charles Rosen wrote that "by general consent, Mozart's greatest achievement in chamber music is the group of string quintets with two violas..

This is a transcription for string quintet of the earlier Serenade for wind octet in C minor (K. 388).

Piano trios

  • Piano Trio in B-flat, K. 254
  • Piano Trio in G, K. 496
  • Piano Trio in B-flat, K. 502
  • Piano Trio in E, K. 542
  • Piano Trio in C, K. 548
  • Piano Trio in G, K. 564

Other chamber music

Serenades, divertimenti, and other instrumental works

The production for instrumental ensembles includes several Divertimenti, Notturni, Serenades, Cassations, Marches, and Dances, besides, of course, the Symphonies. Mozart's production for orchestra is written for string ensembles (like the early Divertimenti K. 136–138), as well as for wind instruments ensembles and the varied combinations of string and wind.

Serenades

Divertimenti

  • Galimathias Musicum (Quodlibet), K. 32 (1766)
  • Cassation in G, K. 63 (1769)
  • Cassation in B-flat, K. 99 (1769)
  • Divertimento in E-flat, K. 113 (1771)
  • Divertimento in D, K. 131 (1772)
  • Divertimenti, K. 136–138 (1772)

Although sometimes described as string quartets, they are almost certainly for strings with double bass and are like Sinfonias in the Italian style.

  • Divertimento in D, K. 205 (1773)
  • Divertimento in F "Lodron", K. 247 (1776)
  • Divertimento in D, K. 251 (1776)
  • Notturno in D for Four Orchestras, K. 286 (1776–77)
  • Divertimento in B-flat "Lodron", K. 287 (1777)
  • Divertimento in D, K. 334 (1779–80)
  • Divertimento for two horns and strings, A Musical Joke, (Ein Musikalischer Spaß,) K. 522

Dances

Mozart left a huge production of dances for orchestra, including the genres of Minuetto (more than 100), Contredanse and Allemande (or Teitsch, or Laendler, or German Dances).

In his production of minuets, Mozart generally followed Haydn's example, preferring the slow character of the dance. Allemandes (56 between 1787 and 1791) were written mainly for public balls in Vienna. In the Contredanse production, also written mainly in Vienna, some examples of program music are found, like Il Temporale K. 534, La Bataille K. 535, Canary K. 600/5, etc.

  • 6 Menuets, K. 61h
  • 7 Menuets, K. 65a
  • 4 Contredanses, K. 101/250a
  • 20 Menuets, K. 103
  • 6 Menuets, K. 104/61e
  • 6 Menuets, K. 105/61f
  • Menuet in E-flat, K. 122
  • Contredanse in B-flat, K. 123
  • 6 Menuets, K. 164
  • 16 Menuets, K. 176
  • 4 Contredanses, K. 267/271c
  • Gavotte in B-flat, K. 300
  • 3 Menuets, K. 363
  • 5 Menuets, K. 461
  • 6 Contredanses, K. 462/448b
  • 2 Quadrilles, K. 463/448c
  • 6 German Dances, K. 509
  • Contredanse in D, "Das Donnerwetter", K. 534
  • Contredanse in C, "La Bataille", K. 535
  • 6 German Dances, K. 536
  • 6 German Dances, K. 567
  • 12 Menuets, K. 568
  • 6 German Dances, K. 571
  • 12 Menuets, K. 585
  • 12 German Dances, K. 586
  • Contredanse in C, "Der Sieg vom Helden Koburg", K. 587
  • 6 Menuets, K. 599
  • 6 German Dances, K. 600
  • 4 Menuets, K. 601
  • 4 German Dances, K. 602
  • 2 Contredanses, K. 603
  • 2 Menuets, K. 604
  • 3 German Dances, K. 605
  • 6 German Dances, K. 606
  • 5 German Dances, K. 609
  • Contredanse in G, K. 610

Sacred music

Mozart's sacred music is mainly vocal, though also instrumental examples exist, like the Sonate da Chiesa for 2 violins, double bass and organ, composed between 1767 and 1780. Mozart's sacred music presents a rich stylistic mosaic: Gregorian choral elements meet rigorous counterpoint, and even operatic elements can sometimes emerge. Stylistic unity and consistency is present over all his sacred music work. We include in this genre, for their liturgical character, also the compositions written for the Masonic Lodge, like The Cantata Laut Verkunde unsre Freude K623 and the Maurerische Trauermusik (Masonic Funeral Music) K477.

Masses

  • Mass No. 1 ("Missa brevis") in G major, K. 49
  • Mass No. 2 ("Missa brevis") in D minor, K. 65
  • Mass No. 3 in C major (Dominicusmesse), K. 66
  • Mass No. 4 ("Missa solemnis") in C minor, K. 139
  • Mass No. 5 ("Missa brevis") in G major, K. 140
  • Mass No. 6 ("Missa brevis") in F major, K. 192
  • Mass No. 7 in C major (Missa in honorem Sanctissimae Trinitatis), K. 167
  • Mass No. 8 ("Missa brevis") in D major, K. 194
  • Mass No. 9 ("Missa brevis") in C major (Spatzenmesse), K. 220
  • Mass No. 10 ("Missa brevis") in C major ("Credo" Mass), K. 257
  • Mass No. 11 in C major (Spaurmesse or Piccolomissa), K. 258
  • Mass No. 12 ("Missa brevis") in C major ("Organ Solo"), K. 259
  • Mass No. 13 ("Missa longa") in C major, K. 262
  • Mass No. 14 ("Missa brevis") in B-flat major, K. 275
  • Mass No. 15 in C major ("Coronation"), K. 317
  • Mass No. 16 ("Missa solemnis") in C major (Missa aulica), K. 337
  • Mass No. 17 in C minor ("Great"), K. 427
  • Requiem Mass in D minor, K. 626 (completed by Franz Xaver Süssmayr after Mozart's death)

Other sacred music

Church sonatas

  • Church Sonata No. 1 in E-flat, K. 41h (1772)
  • Church Sonata No. 2 in B, K. 68 (1772)
  • Church Sonata No. 3 in D, K. 69 (1772)
  • Church Sonata No. 4 in D, K. 144 (1772)
  • Church Sonata No. 5 in F, K. 145 (1772)
  • Church Sonata No. 6 in B, K. 212 (1775)
  • Church Sonata No. 7 in F, K. 241a (1776)
  • Church Sonata No. 8 in A, K. 241b (1776)
  • Church Sonata No. 9 in G, K. 241 (1776)
  • Church Sonata No. 10 in F, K. 244 (1776)
  • Church Sonata No. 11 in D, K. 245 (1776)
  • Church Sonata No. 12 in C, K. 263 (1776)
  • Church Sonata No. 13 in G, K. 274 (1777)
  • Church Sonata No. 14 in C, K. 278 (1777)
  • Church Sonata No. 15 in C, K. 328 (1779)
  • Church Sonata No. 16 in C, K. 329 (1779)
  • Church Sonata No. 17 in C, K. 336 (1780)

Organ music

Operas

Concert arias, songs and canons

See also

References

External links

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