Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik During the time of a social movement we know as the Enlightment period, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart made his appearance in Classical music to help express the times of a new social order. With ideas of social justice and equality as well as religious tolerance, music became a way to reach all those who were willing to listen to bring about brotherhood (Wright, 149). Mozart used his beautiful serenade “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” to demonstrate these Enlightment ideas using simple, balanced phrases that created harmonious textures to reflect the feelings and beliefs during this time in the Classical scene (146). Composed in 1787 as a serenade, a light, multi-movement piece mainly played by strings alone …show more content…
In this period, the mentality was to go back to the aesthetic values of the Greeks and Romans to create a feeling of strength and quiet grace which was accomplished in the development of music with timeless worth. The philosophies of Voltaire and Rousseau during this period meant to encourage freedom of speech, social justice and equality, and religious tolerance that moved away from traditional views of church and state and allowed for music of this era to be performed as a means of leveling social classes and eliminating separation between them. This was an important aspect of how Mozart entered into composing music of this time of beliefs as he agreed with the ideas of tolerance and universal brotherhood that were expressed …show more content…
By the age of six he was playing the piano, violin, and organ which led him and his sister to perform for the Empress Maria Theresa, starting his traveling career. Visiting and performing in countries including France, Italy, Germany, and England, Mozart was exposed to various styles of music such as (French) Baroque, (English) choral, (German) polyphonic and (Italian) vocal. With so many influences to build from, composing pieces was no issue for this young man. At age 25, Mozart moved back to Vienna for its active life in music as the city was a cultural mecca (that happened to be ruled by an aristocratic gentry and the capital of the Holy Roman Empire at the time (158)) and used his traveling background to continue composing, performing, and teaching pupils the art of music in this period. In his spare time he also studied works of Bach and Handel, played chamber music with fellow Classical composer Joseph Hadyn, as well as joined the Freemasons, a fraternity of Enlightment – all of which influenced his writings during this time in his life; especially from a musical standpoint