Text a wolfgang amadeus mozart

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is one of the main representatives of Viennese Classics. He was born on the 27th of January 1756 in Salzburg (Austria). His father Leopold, an outstanding musician, provided him with an excellent musical education. So when Wolfgang was a six-years-old child he was appreciated as the greatest pianist and violinist. In his childhood he made many concert tours over Europe, played in Vienna, Paris, London, in many cities of Italy. In 1769 Mozart was employed as Konzertmeister (violinist) at the court of Salzburg Archbishop. 10 years later he received a post of organist in the same place. Most probably his official duties hindered creative work. So since 1781 Mozart lived as a free composer in Vienna and died on the 5th of December 1791 in terrible poverty.

In 1862 Ludwig von Koechel published a chronological list of all the compositions by Mozart. It includes more than 600 works in every musical genre: nearly 30 scenic works, 40 symphonies and as many as instrumental concertos, masses, cantatas, songs, marches, dances, serenades and so on.

Mozart wrote his first opera “Bastien and Bastienne” when he was twelve. It was first performed in 1768 in Vienna. The utter simplicity of the story and the naive charm of Mozart's immature style combine to make this a truly delightful work a German counterpart of Pergolesi's “The Maid as Mistress”. Except for this miniature work “The Abduction from the Seraglio” was Mazart's first opera in the German language and stands as the first really significant German opera. It was written during Mozart's courtship of Constanze Wеbеr, whom he married one month after its first performance. It reflects the happiness of this period in its long array of ingratiating arias and its scenes of irresistible charm and humor.

Mozart's opera “Don Giovanni” is regarded as one of the greatest operas of all times. It was first produced in Prague in 1787. The opera consists of two acts. Particularly noteworthy are the overture whose slow beginning anticipates the music accompanying the appearance of the statue in the final scene, the “Catalog Aria” by Leporello in which he relates to Donna Elvira the account of Don Giovanni's thousands of amorous adventures, Don Giovanni's “Come to the Window”, a serenade with mandolin accompaniment addressed to Zerlina, the “Ballroom music” which contains the famous minuet and the “Dinner Music” near the end of the opera with its quotations from Martin у Soler’s “A Rare Thing” and from Mozart's own “Figaro”.

The “Marriage of Figaro”, opera buffa in four acts, is written by Mozart after Beaumarchais play, continuation of his “The Barber of Seville”, the source of Rossini's opera of the same name. Mozart's “Marriage” was produced in Vienna in 1786. Musicologists point out the looseness and confusion of the plot which actually enhances the value of the opera, living a charming quality of Rococo lightness and above all, causing the listener to give up all efforts to follow the action and including him to accept the music as a central element of the opera. Needless to say that only music of such outstanding charm and artistic greatness as Mozart's could lead to this very desirable result.

Mozart's last opera “The Magic Flute” indicates a decided change in his approach to opera, a change which was unfortunately cut short by his death in 1791 two months after the performance. The Italian opera buffa idea which prevails in “Figaro” and “Don Giovanni” is replaced here by a seriousness of purpose and sincerity of feeling presaging Beethoven.

Of equal importance are Mozart's instrumental works. Mozart was the first to write truly great symphonies namely the “Prague Symphony” (1786) and his last three symphonies in E-flat, G-minor and G-major (“Jupiter Symphony”) written in 1788.

Sometimes Mozart dedicated his music to rulers and sovereigns. This fact by no means reduces the value of the work. So a set of three string quartets is called “Prussian Quartets” or “King of Prussia Quartets”. They are composed in 1789-90 and dedicated to Frederick William III, king of Prussia, who in 1789 had invited him to Berlin. The cello parts are unusually elaborate, obviously intended to please the king, who played this instrument.

Mozart's music is so magnificent and so charming that up to hitherto he is the most performed composer.

Proper Names

Salzburg [’sxltsbWg]

Austria [’Ostriq]

Leоpold [’liqpould]

Ludwig von Koechel [’ludvig fOn ’kWhql]

Bastien [’bRstjAn]

Bastienne [’bRstjqn]

Giovanni Battista Pergolesi [,Giou’vRni bq’tistq ,pWgou’leizi]

Seraglio [se’rRliou]

Constanze Weber [’kOnstqns ’vebqr]

Leporello [,lipq’relou]

Donna Elvira [’dOnq el’vQiqrq]

Zerlina [’tsWlinq]

Martin у Soler [’mRtin i’soulq]

Piere Beaumarchais [’pjer bOmAr’Se]

Seville [’sevil]

Rossini [rO’sJni]