This document provides an overview of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's life and works. It discusses that Mozart was a child prodigy born in Salzburg, Austria in 1756 who composed his first symphony at age 8 and first opera at 12. Although he struggled to find steady employment, he wrote in every major genre including operas, symphonies, concertos, and masses. The document also summarizes several of Mozart's most famous works such as his Requiem, Eine kleine Nachtmusik, and Piano Concerto No. 21. It concludes with sections on classical forms such as the sonata form and the development of themes.

1. THE ENJOYMENT OF MUSIC
ESSENTIAL LISTENING
EDITION
by
Kristine Forney
Andrew Dell’Antonio
Joseph Machlis
THIRD EDITION
Lecture Slides – Chapters 27, 31, 32

2. Mozart at the Keyboard with Sister, Nannerl, as
Father, Leopold, Looks On

3. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
1720 1730 1740 1750 1760 1770 1780 1790 1800 1810
Classical Era 1725–1825
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 1756–1791
• Born in Salzburg, Austria, child prodigy on
piano
• Composed 1st symphony by age 8, 1st
opera at 12.
• Father was a composer--Leopold Mozart;
recognized his son’s musical genius early.
• Toured Europe to meet composers,
perform, and learn about styles of
composition and performance.

4. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
(1756-1791)
• Wrote every genre, mostly opera
• In London-performed concerti of J.C. Bach
• Archbishop Hieronymus Colloredo-refused him a more
suitable position in court orchestra
• Had no success acquiring decent job
• Reputation as brat
• All works catalogued by Ludwig von Kochel
• Went to Vienna in 1781 without steady employment,
hoping to support himself by performing on the piano,
selling his compositions, and giving piano lessons.
• Died at age 35.

5. Mozart—
Other Famous Compositions
• Mass in C Minor
• Requiem--a Mass for the Dead--his last, unfinished work
• Eine kleine Nachtmusik
• Symphonies—no. 25 (“Little”), no. 38 (“Prague”), no. 41
(“Jupiter”)
• Operas--Don Giovanni, The Magic Flute, The Marriage of
Figaro, Cosi fan Tutte
• Piano Concertos
• Piano Sonatas

6. Early History of the Symphony
Historical background
• Origins in Italian opera
overture
– three-part form
• Standard ideas, including
“Mannheim” traits
– rocket themes
– steamroller effects

7. The Classical Orchestra
• Thirty to forty
players
• Centered around
string section
• Interchange
among instrument
groups like lively
conversation

8. The Classical Orchestra
• Also called “chamber orchestra”
• Strings--8-10 first violins, 6-8 second violins, 4-6
violas, 3-4 cellos, 2 double basses
• Winds--2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets,
2 French horns
– Trombones used-only in church music &
opera(Haydn, Mozart)
• Percussion--timpani (kettle drums)
• Each section played a more special role-orchestra
worked more as a whole

9. The Classical Symphony
• Symphony-extended composition typically
lasting between 20 & 40 minutes,
exploiting range of tone color and dynamics
of orchestra
• 4 movements.
• Mozart and Haydn used minuet and trio
form for the 3rd movement.
• Beethoven introduced the faster scherzo
and trio as the dance movement.

10. The Classical Symphony
• Great contribution to orchestral music
– Haydn-104, mostly composed for employers
– Mozart over 40, may not have heard them
performed
– Beethoven-9, wrote only when inspired, longer
than previous composers, conceived for
performance in large concert halls

11. The Classical Symphony
• Key-important, provided with title of work, may
be only reference to piece, not necessarily
important to listener
• Each movement self-contained composition with
own set of themes, theme in one movement
rarely appears in another
• Unified by use of same key in 3 movements,
movements balance & complement each other
• Importance of symphony lasted through 20th
century

12. Detailed Forms of the Classical
Period
• Sonata allegro
• Theme and Variations
• Minuet and Trio (song form and trio)
• Rondo

13. Movements
• I. Fast, vigorous movement, always in
sonata-form
• II. Lyrical slow movement-songlike
melodies, can be in sonata-form, ABA form,
theme & variations, NOT in tonic key
• III. Dancelike movement-minuet & trio,
moderate or quick tempo(Haydn, Mozart)
• IV. Heroic fast movement-lively, brilliant,
lighter in mood than opening movement, in
rondo, sonata-form, sonata-rondo

14. Expanding Musical Ideas
• Theme: musical idea, building block
• Thematic development
– melodic outline, rhythm, or harmony varied
– extension, contraction, repetition
– larger forms: provides clarity, coherence, and logic
– motive: melodic or rhythmic fragment of a theme
– sequence: repeated at higher or lower level

15. The Sonata-Allegro Form
• Sonata-Allegro Form
– Became expected form for first movements of
symphonies, concertos, chamber works
– Still used today
– Also found in other movements of
multimovement works
– Sonata form different from sonata

16. The Sonata-Allegro Form
• More than just plan
or scheme
• Features
development of
themes
• Zucchini analogy(old
text)

17. The Zucchini Analogy
Several years ago people in small town in Ohio realized that zucchini
grew abundantly in their gardens and farms. In fact, conditions one
summer were so good that they could never use all of it, and a lot of
zucchini would rot unused on the vine. What to do? They decided to
hold a “Zucchini Festival,” complete with crafts, dancing, music, and,
of course, zucchini. Sure enough, it was chopped, sliced, and ground
up and incorporated in all sorts of vegetable dishes, made into
preserves and pickles, and blended in bread and muffins. Even the
arts were included as many fine pieces of zucchini sculpture were
carved
It’s a bit like that with the development of themes in sonata-form.
Composers take a theme and work it in all sorts of ways. The themes,
or at least parts of them, are still there, but they have been given a
variety of treatments.

18. Sonata Form, Continued
• Expansion of a rounded binary form
– Exposition takes up first part of the binary
form; it is repeated--AA.
– Development and Recapitulation take up
the second part of rounded binary form--
BB (sometimes written as BA).
• Exposition lays out at least 2 main
themes in contrasting, but related keys;
the themes are usually dissimilar in
character (e.g., one fast, one slower).

19. Sonata Form, Continued
• Development--moves through various keys
(modulates), rarely staying in one key for long.
• Recapitulation--returns to tonic key and stays
in that key throughout; themes of the
exposition are heard again, but ALL are in the
tonic key.
• Coda or Codetta--an ending section in the
tonic key; not part of the actual sonata form

20. Sonata Form Diagram

21. Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K.555
(1788)
• Unlikely heard them
performed
• Score calls for typical
orchestra: violins,
violas, cellos, flute, 2
each oboe, bassoon,
Fr. Horn; revised to
include clarinets

22. Symphony No. 40, Movement I
• No. 40, Movement I

23. Difference between developing a
theme vs. varying a theme
• Development
– Involves fragmenting and remolding a theme
• Variation
– Places the entire theme in new settings or gives it
a new harmonic, rhythmic, or melodic costume

24. Minuet and Trio: A Three-Part
Large Form
• Often used as third movement of symphony,
quartets, etc.
• Originated as dance-stately, dignified
• Triple meter(3/4), moderate tempo
• Each part also divided into 3 parts
– Minuet Section = A (a b a) repeated
– Trio Section = B (c d c) repeated
– Minuet Section = A (a b a) not repeated
• Trio section is often in another key and is more lively
in tempo.

25. The Third Movement: Minuet and Trio Form
Minuet/Trio
A B A
||: a :||: b :||: c :||: d :|| a | b |
Minuet Trio Minuet
Dance I Dance II
(3 instruments)
Dance I
(no repeats)

26. Mozart: Eine kleine Nachtmusik, K. 525
A Little Night Music
• One of the most famous chamber music
works of the era
• Title literally means “a little night music”
• Serenade for strings (written for a string
quartet with an added double bass)
• Written for outdoor public performance
• Four movements (originally five)

29. Mozart: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, I
Eine Kleine Nachtmusick, Movement I
Begins at 00:43

30. • Eine Kleine Nachtmusick, Movement III
Mozart: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, III

31. Important Composers of the
Classical Concerto
• C.P.E. Bach--50 keyboard
concertos
• Johann Christian Bach--
dozens of keyboard
concertos
• Haydn
– Cello Concerto in D Major
– Trumpet Concerto in E-flat
Major
• Mozart
– 27 piano concertos
– 5 violin concertos
– 4 horn concertos
– 1 bassoon concerto
– 1 concerto for flute and
harp
– Concerto for 2 Pianos in E-
flat Major
– Clarinet Concerto in A
Major

32. The Solo Concerto
• Soloist (typically piano or violin) and
orchestra
• 3 movement format: fast, slow, fast
• 1st and last movements usually had
cadenza: an improvisatory passage in which
soloist could show off virtuosity on
instrument, fermata
– Often this passage was not written by composer.
– Much of the musical improvisation was based on
themes of the movement.

33. Concerto--Movements
• Second movement--sonata, theme and
variations, or ABA form
• Third movement--Finale--sonata or rondo
form
• Omits the dance movement (minuet and trio)

34. Double-Exposition Concerto Form
• First movement--sonata form
– 2 expositions
• 1st--orchestra alone; all in tonic
• 2nd--soloist and orchestra together; 2nd theme modulates to
related key (as in other sonata form movements)
– Development--avoids tonic, like sonata form
– Recapitulation--all themes in tonic
• Contains cadenza--virtuostic, improvisatory section based on
themes and other material
– Coda--follows cadenza--orchestra plays alone; tonic key

35. The Classical Concerto
The Movements of the Concerto
Closing Theme IITheme I
CadenzaTrans.
& piano theme
Various themes
Coda
Solo Exposition Development Recapitulation
A’ B A
Theme IITheme I Transition
Orchestral Exposition
A
First movement (I)
• First-movement concerto form
• Sonata-allegro with a double exposition
Modulation to new key area

36. Mozart’s Piano Concerto in A
Major
• 1781--Mozart left his native
Salzburg and moved to
Vienna at age 25, hoping to
get a position in a royal
court. There he composed
17 piano concertos in the 10
years before he died (age
35).
• Concerto = soloist plus
orchestra in various
configurations
– Orchestra alone
– Soloist alone
– Orchestra supports soloist
– Soloist supports orchestra
– Soloist and orchestra of equal
importance

37. Piano Concerto in A Major--1st
Movement
• Characteristics of the Four Main Themes
– 1st--serene and balanced, homophonic texture, soft dynamics,
mixture of conjunct and disjunct motion, downward contour
– 2nd--more agitated, homophonic, loud dynamics, upward leaps,
upward contour
– 3rd--short note values, homophonic, soft dynamics, conjunct
motion, contour downward
– 4th--calm, longer note values, polyphonic, soft dynamics,
downward contour followed by upward leaps

38. Piano Concerto in A Major
Movement I
• Movement I

39. The Classical Concerto
The Movements of the Concerto
The second movement (II)
• Slow and lyrical
• Andante, Adagio, or Largo

40. Opera of the Classical Period
• Enjoyed by middle class and aristocracy.
• Public opera houses were very popular.
• Both Haydn and Mozart composed many operas, thought
most of Haydn’s are lost.
• Although Haydn’s operas were in traditional Italian,
Mozart wrote some in German.
– Mozart produced some in folk theaters, called singspiel, rather
than in opera houses.
– Plots often attacked aristocracy or made fun of current figures
of the day.

41. Mozart and the Classical Opera
• Opera types
– Opera buffa
and opera seria
– Opéra comique,
Singspiel, ballad
opera
– Castrato vs.
buffo

42. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
• Master of Opera-wrote in
both German & Italian
• Opera buffa-Italian, all
composed to librettos by
Lorenzo da Ponte
• The Marriage of Figaro-
extremely successful
• Cosi fan tutte(They’re All
Like That)

43. Don Giovanni
• Commissioned by
Prague opera company
• Not popular with
Viennese
• Blend of serious &
comic opera, violence &
the supernatural
• Based on tale of Don
Juan

44. • Lengthy recitative
• Speechlike pattern
• Continuo instruments
Mozart’s Opera Don Giovanni

45. Don Giovanni
• Madamina

49. Sacred Music in the Classical Era
• The Classical era choral music was an
offshoot of the Baroque tradition.
• Principle genres were the Mass, the
Requiem Mass and the oratorio.
• All of these genres were intended to be
performed in church but were eventually
moved to the concert hall.

50. Requiem Mass in D Minor(1791)
• Commissioned by anonymous nobleman through
letter brought by a stranger
• Intended to pass off work as his own
• Composed 9 movements, part of 10th
• Tried to finish on deathbed
• four vocal soloists, 4-part chorus, and orchestra
• expanded use of low brass; organ
• Baroque touches(double fugue in Kyrie)
• Completed by student-Franz Suessmeyer, who filled
out orchestration, completed fragment, added four
movements

51. Mozart’s Requiem: Mass for the Dead
• Dies irae (Day of Wrath)
• thirteenth-century Latin poem
• last portion completed by Mozart
• vision of Judgment Day

52. Mozart, Dies irae, from Requiem (1791)
(Listening Guide)
• Rhymed Latin poem, six verses
• Verse 1: full chorus and orchestra,
homophonic
• Verse 2: chorus and orchestra, polyphonic
• Verse 3: trombone solo, bass solo
– a. Tuba mirum (“A trumpet with an
astonishing sound”)

53. • Verse 4: tenor solo, homophonic orchestra
• Verse 5: tenor solo continues
• Verse 6: alto solo with orchestra
• Verse 7: soprano solo with orchestra, last line
repeated, all soloists
• Verse 8: full chorus setting, dramatic
– Rex tremendale majestatis! (“King of tremendous
majesty”): dotted rhythms, syncopated chords
– Salva me, fons pietatis! (“Save me, fount of piety”):
last line sung softly
Mozart, Dies irae, from Requiem (1791)
(Listening Guide, Count)

54. Requiem Mass, Dies Irae
• Dies Irae
• Tuba mirum

58. by
Kristine Forney
Andrew Dell’Antonio
Joseph Machlis
Lecture Slides
THIRD EDITION
THE ENJOYMENT OF MUSIC
ESSENTIAL LISTENING EDITION
http://wwnorton.com/web/enjoyess2