Music Appreciation

1. Music Appreciation Class #7: Mozart

2. The Mozart Project • http://www.mozartproject.org/

3. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart • 1756-1791

4. Getreidegasse No.9

5. Family: Leopold, Anna Maria, Maria Anna (“Nannerl”)

6. Prodigy*

7. First composition "This piece was learnt by Wolfgangerl on 24 January 1761, 3 days before his 5th birthday, between 9 and 9:30 in the evening."

8. Proof • Witnesses • Documentation • Opinions 5 years old: • Sight Read • Compose

9. Touring • 1756 • The “circuit” • Small cities • Paris • Vienna • Ages 5-17

10. Concerts • Harpsichord & Violin • Improvisations • Stunts!? • 2-3 hour concerts • 3-4 performances per day

11. Schedule • Family friends • Royal Court • Society • Church • Private concerts • Musikabend* • Invitations

12. Payments • Cash • Gold • Gifts • Clothing • Jewels

13. Early reports "Everyone is amazed, especially at the boy, and everyone whom I have heard says that his genius is incomprehensible."

14. Fatigue • 1st illness • “Scarlet Fever” • Tuberculosis • Later illness • Rheumatoid arthritis • Constant

15. Composing • Carriage rides • Musical memory

16. Paris! (Salzburg to Munich: 71 miles)

17. Marie Antoinette* • “Will you marry me, yes or no?!”

18. 1764 (8 years old) • London • Handel • Johann Christian Bach • Haydn (?!) • Royal family • Buckingham palace

19. Rebellion • Children – pre-teen • Nan • Health • “Woman’s place” • Wolfgang • Composing • Size • Health

20. Return to Salzburg • Money • Employment • Stability • Composition

21. Italy (14) • Without Nannerl • Formal education • Accademia filarmonica of Bologna • Expulsion • Vatican • Order of the “Golden Spur”

22. Performer Vs. Composer • Child star grows up • Leopold’s pressure vs. Wolfgang’s aspirations

23. Employment 1771-1781 • Salzburg • Konzertmeister • Employer: Archbishop • Fired • “…with a kick in the ass...”

24. The Letters* • "My pen is coarse and I am not polite” • Daily+ • Lifetime • Recipients • Family • Friends • Colleagues • Over 400 preserved and translated

25. Context • Various moods and intentions • To family • Respectful, obedient, loving • To colleagues • Professional, frank, encouraging • Tragically humbling • To friends (and cousin) • Playful, witty, naughty

26. Examples • "I can only weep. I have far too sensitive a heart.“ • "Perhaps if you were with me I might possibly take more pleasure in the kindness of those I meet here. But, as it is, everything seems so empty.“ • “Dear cuzz-buzz, I miss-piss your heart-part!” • “I beg of you, not for me but for my child, a few coins, whatever you can spare…”

27. Signature

28. Variety You can see now that I am able to write any way I want to, beautifully and wild, straight and crooked. The other day, I was in a bad humor, so my writing was beautiful, straight, and serious; today I'm in a good mood, and my writing is wild, crooked and jolly."

29. “K” numbers* “Köchel-Verzeichnis” • Posthumous • Non-chronological • For organization and ease of sale

30. Ludwig Ritter von Köchel

31. Antonio Salieri (1750-1825)

32. Salieri facts • Wealthy family • Royal appointment from 1774-1824 • Wildly popular • Vienna’s favorite composer • Celebrated teacher • Mozart’s son, Franz Xaver • Franz Liszt • Franz Schubert • Ludwig van Beethoven • Long, happy marriage with eight children • Sabotaged performances of Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro”

33. Salieri myths • Alone recognized Mozart’s genius • Therefore, insanely jealous • Secret patron • Requiem • Mozart’s murderer • When did it begin?

34. Fun and Games • Truth or Myths with Salieri and Mozart • http://classyclassical.blogspot.com/2005/08/antonio-salieri-truth-or-fiction.html

35. Amadeus* • Peter Schaffer 1979 • London • Two Olivier Awards • Broadway • Three Tony Awards • Milos Foreman 1984 • 8 Academy awards • Best Movie

36. Manuscript

37. Musical Compositions • 600+ • Age 6 - 1791 • Composed in every major existing genre • Symphonies (41) • Sacred Music • Requiem • Concertos • Violin, Woodwinds (Clarinet) • Piano (#21 in C Major, 2nd movement; March 10, 1785!) • Chamber Music • “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” (Youtube) • 22 Operas • Age 11 - 1791

38. Opera “…everything else I write is just to sustain me until the perfect libretto presents itself…”

39. Why? • Baroque opera traditions • Mozart’s goals • “Real” people/emotions • Drama • Subconscious*

40. 1: Singspiel* • Vernacular • Spoken dialogue • Light subject matter • “The Abduction From The Seraglio” • “The Magic Flute”

41. 2: Opera seria* • Subject matter • Melodramatic • Mythological • Religious • Idomeneo • Titus

42. 3: Opera Buffa* • Only comedic? • Character development

43. Lorenzo Da Ponte* (1749-1838 NYC)

44. Da Ponte quick facts: Professional Writer • Playwright • Poet • Librettist • Royal Court Appointment by (Franz) Joseph II • Close personal and professional friendship with Salieri

45. Da Ponte quick facts: Trivia Personal life • Born Jewish, converted to Catholicism • Priest • Married his mistress • Defrocked, opened a brothel • Moved to New York • US Citizen • Philadelphia grocer • Columbia University professor • Founding member of the Library of Congress

46. Pierre Beaumarchais* (1732-1799)

47. Beaumarchais facts • Watch-maker, inventor, musician, politician, fugitive, spy, publisher, arms-dealer, and revolutionary (French and American) • Playwright (“The Figaro Trilogy”*) • The Barber of Seville • The Marriage Of Figaro • La Mère coupable

48. The Marriage Of Figaro*Characters Aristocracy* • Count Almaviva • Dr. Bartolo • Don Basilio • Rosina (Countess Almaviva) • Marcellina • Don Curzio Commoners* • Figaro • Susanna • Cherubino* • Antonio • Servants *Trouser role

49. Reaction to “The Marriage of Figaro” • Napoleon: “Everything you need to know in order to understand the spirit of (French) Revolution is contained in the truths found in Figaro.”* • Banned in France by Marie Antoinette • Why? • And by her brother, Franz Josef, in Austria?

50. (Franz) Joseph II (1741-1790)