Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was an Austrian composer whose mastery of the whole range of contemporary instrumental and vocal forms—including the symphony, concerto, chamber music, and especially the opera—was unchallenged in his own time and perhaps in any other. Although he did not even live to be forty (January 27, 1756 to December 5, 1791), Mozart still managed to not only be one of the greatest composers of the Classical period, but perhaps of all time. His musical pieces still remain quite popular and well known centuries after his death. Mozart was born in Salzburg, Austria to parents Anna Maria and Leopold Mozart. He was the only son of theirs that survived past birth and he only had one sister, who was nicknamed Nannerl. Mozart became a
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According to the article “Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart” (2016), “Clarity, balance, and transparency are hallmarks, though a simplistic notion of the delicacy of his music obscures for us the exceptional power of some of his finest masterpieces.” Early on in his career, Mozart enjoyed composing Italian overtures, these symphonies consisted of three movements that all blended into each other. Other forms of his music tended to copy the style of J.C. Bach, and the last portion of his earlier works utilized “simple rounded binary forms” that were used by many composers in Vienna at the time (“Mozart,” 2016). Mozart tended to borrow some of his harmonies—including his most recognizable sequences—from the Baroque period and more specifically from Johann Sebastian Bach. The key change that Mozart would add though, is that he would finish his cadences in a strong fashion (“Mozart,” 2016). As Mozart continued to mature, he added even more features of the Baroque style to his musical pieces. For example, as stated by the biography “Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart” (2016), “Some of Mozart’s quartets from 1773 have fugal finales, probably influenced by Haydn.” Once Mozart switched from writing instrumental music to operas, he preceded to compose them in each of the current styles in Europe which included: opera buffa, opera seria and Singspiel. In later operas, Mozart began to utilize subtle changes in …show more content…
The fable of Don Juan the Spanish lover interested numerous composers and playwrights before Mozart ever worked with it. The Mozart version of Don Giovanni is as ruthless as he is seductive; he does anything to satiate his desire for sex, although all of his attempts at sex throughout the opera are foiled. The comic relief in the opera comes in the form of Leporello, Don Juan’s servant, who wishes he could be his master and obtain his life. The Don attempts to rape a young woman named Donna Anna who flees him and brings this issue to her father, the Commandant, who in turn challenges Giovanni to a dual. Don ends up winning the fight and killing the Commandant which causes Anna and her fiancé to desire revenge. The Don searches for more sexual encounters as he eludes his enemies. During one of his adventures he finds himself in the cemetery where the Commandant was buried. Giovanni boldly invites the marble statue of the Commandant that came to life to dinner, even after hearing it proclaim threatening words. Don Giovanni refuses to repent at the banquet hall and is cast to hell by the statue (Kamien, 2015, p. 177-178). Throughout all of this, Mozart’s musical accompaniment helps to accurately depict the characters and mover the action right
According to the article “Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart” (2016), “Clarity, balance, and transparency are hallmarks, though a simplistic notion of the delicacy of his music obscures for us the exceptional power of some of his finest masterpieces.” Early on in his career, Mozart enjoyed composing Italian overtures, these symphonies consisted of three movements that all blended into each other. Other forms of his music tended to copy the style of J.C. Bach, and the last portion of his earlier works utilized “simple rounded binary forms” that were used by many composers in Vienna at the time (“Mozart,” 2016). Mozart tended to borrow some of his harmonies—including his most recognizable sequences—from the Baroque period and more specifically from Johann Sebastian Bach. The key change that Mozart would add though, is that he would finish his cadences in a strong fashion (“Mozart,” 2016). As Mozart continued to mature, he added even more features of the Baroque style to his musical pieces. For example, as stated by the biography “Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart” (2016), “Some of Mozart’s quartets from 1773 have fugal finales, probably influenced by Haydn.” Once Mozart switched from writing instrumental music to operas, he preceded to compose them in each of the current styles in Europe which included: opera buffa, opera seria and Singspiel. In later operas, Mozart began to utilize subtle changes in …show more content…
The fable of Don Juan the Spanish lover interested numerous composers and playwrights before Mozart ever worked with it. The Mozart version of Don Giovanni is as ruthless as he is seductive; he does anything to satiate his desire for sex, although all of his attempts at sex throughout the opera are foiled. The comic relief in the opera comes in the form of Leporello, Don Juan’s servant, who wishes he could be his master and obtain his life. The Don attempts to rape a young woman named Donna Anna who flees him and brings this issue to her father, the Commandant, who in turn challenges Giovanni to a dual. Don ends up winning the fight and killing the Commandant which causes Anna and her fiancé to desire revenge. The Don searches for more sexual encounters as he eludes his enemies. During one of his adventures he finds himself in the cemetery where the Commandant was buried. Giovanni boldly invites the marble statue of the Commandant that came to life to dinner, even after hearing it proclaim threatening words. Don Giovanni refuses to repent at the banquet hall and is cast to hell by the statue (Kamien, 2015, p. 177-178). Throughout all of this, Mozart’s musical accompaniment helps to accurately depict the characters and mover the action right