Biography

The BeginningThe Beginning  Born in Salzburg, Austria  January 27, 1756  Baptized as: Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart

Childhood  Wolfgang began to mimic his 7 year old sister, Nannerl, playing the piano at age 3.  His father, Leopold, began to tutor them both.  By age 5 Wolfgang was beyond Leopold’s level of teaching.  Leopold took the siblings to the Bavarian court for what became several European tours.  They met many prestigious musicians such as: Johann Christian Bach.

Teens  At age 13 Leopold and Wolfgang travel to Italy for an extended tour ( )  Gregorio Allegri’s Miserere, performed in the Sistine Chapel  Composed three new operas:  Mitridante, re di Ponto  Ascanio in Alba  Lucio Silla

Early AdulthoodEarly Adulthood  Hieronymus von Colleredo, appoints Wolfgang assistant concertmaster  Grows bored and travels with mother till she falls ill  Returns home to become organist in Salzburg  Settles in Vienna 1781  Meets wife Constanze and has two surviving children:  Karl Thomas  Franz Xaver

Career of WolfgangCareer of Wolfgang  1783 studied Baroque elements of Johannes Christain Bach and George Frederic Handel  1784 joined the Freemasons  In this year he appeared in 22 concerts, five of which he produced and performed solo  Sought an appointment as a court musician

Career cont.Career cont.  Collaborated with Lorenzo da Ponte to create:  The Marriage of Figaro  Don Giovanni  Late 1780’s Emperor Joseph II appoints Wolfgang chamber composer  Wolfgang’s finances deteriorated  1790 the last Da Ponte Opera Cosi Fan Tutte premiered

Final YearFinal Year  Composed most well-known works:  The Magic Flute  The final piano concerto in B-flat  The Clarinet Concerto in A minor  The unfinished Requiem  About this time Mozart fell ill and died on December 5, 1971 from rheumatic fever.

Overview  All the traits of Classical music: clarity, balance and transparency  Enlivened many elements used in the Baroque period  Influenced by popular composers of the time, Johann Christian Bach and the Mannheim Orchestra  Italian overture and opera buffa both also greatly influenced his music  Continually sophisticated his work  Played with the instrumentation and orchestral texture to create masterpieces of musical art

Composition HistoriesComposition Histories

Piano Concerto No. 23 in “A” Major  Written for piano and orchestra  Finishedin March 2, 1786,  Score consists of one flute, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns and strings  Wind instruments are equal to the string instruments in the composition  Keys corresponded to specific moods  “A” major represented a warm, tender and cheerful mood

No. 23 cont.No. 23 cont.  Mozart knew that this concerto was special  Sent it to prospective patron, Prince Fürstenberg in Donaueshcingen  With the composition Mozart wrote  “these compositions which I keep for myself or for a small circle of music-lovers and connoisseurs (who promise not to let them out of their hands)”  Wanted to assure the prince that the compositions had not been popularly advertised and were known only to a few select persons  He hoped that His Highness would eventually commission symphonies, concertos and chamber works regularly for his own orchestra.

Overture, The Magic Flute  Considered the last great-completed work of Mozart’s life  Passed away two months after the premiere  The overture is scored for: flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, horns, and trumpets in pairs, three trombones, timpani and strings  Compact and energetic piece  Very few pauses in the music and the dynamics used make it sound much more complex than it really is

Overture cont.Overture cont.  Member of the Freemasons after 1784, Mozart wrote music for many of the Masonic lodges  Considered a Masonic opera due to the symbolism  A genre of opera known as singspiel, which means song- play and is a reference to the music dramas of the German- language  The story of the opera is about Tamino, who with traveling companion Papageno helps to rescue Pamina, held in the evil clutches of her mother the Queen of Night.

Listening GuideListening Guide

Piano Concerto No. 23 in “A” major TimeAnalysis of: Piano Concerto No. 23 in “A” major Intro First Subject: Theme 1A is played only by the piano. :40 Theme 1B is played first by the orchestra alone and then joined by the soloist. 1:15 Second subject: Theme 1C is the solo piano again with the same orchestral decorations. 1:44 Theme 1D by the piano extends control to the orchestral instruments.

2:12 Theme 1B material again played by the orchestra and acting as a codetta to the exposition 3:31 The form of the second movement is in ternary form, somewhat operatic in tone.. This is theme 1E. 4:14 Incorporating the string instruments again we repeat 1E 4:43 There is a brief cadenza to end the development section. 5:03 The third movement seen is in the form of a rondo. Beginning back with Theme A again in the typical sonata form of ABA 6:03 It closes using material from Theme D. Piano Concerto No. 23 cont.Piano Concerto No. 23 cont.

Overture, The Magic Flute TimeAnalysis of: Overture, The Magic Flute Intro Introduction with Variation 1 Theme A 1:23 Theme B 2:21 Theme C 2:33 You can still hear the first theme under the second and the texture is smoother on the second theme than it was in the first. Returns again to Theme B

Overture, The Magic Flute cont.Overture, The Magic Flute cont. 3:01 End of the first Variation, returns to theme A 3:30 There are awkwardly long pauses that you expect to stretch on until they are punctuated by another blast from the wind instruments section. There is a lacking in the range of keys played during this section and continues on for some time. 3:43 Returns again to Theme B in a higher key 4:15 Theme C 4:50 Theme B repeats with variation throughout the rest of the piece including a cadenza concentrating on the string instruments. 6:21 Ends with a crescendo repeating short sequences of theme B and theme C.

Bibliography  “Wolfgang Mozart” Bio.TruStory. Biography.com. Web. Oct. 5, 2013  “2. Mozart – Piano Concerto No. 23 in A, II. Adagio” Asiyclassical.com. Web. Oct. 5, 2013  Sheranne, Robert. “Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart”. IPL2.com. Web. Oct. 5, 2013