Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 1756-1791

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 1756-1791

Born in Salzburg

7th child of Leopola and Anna Maria

only he and sister Nannerl survived infancy

Leopold Mozart

Very respected composer

and violinist

Leopold Mozart, 1765.

First

composition

age 5

transcribed

by Leopold

Later composition age 6

Mozart played for

kings and queens.

This portrait of

him was painted in

1762, when he was

six years old.

Children during Mozart’s time dressed

just like adults. He just finished playing

for Empress Maria Theresa of Austria.

The Mozart Family

As Mozart grew

older, his

reputation spread.

Not only was he a

gifted musician,

but he could also

compose his own

music. Mozart at 14, 1770.

Mozart

Able to hear complete pieces in his head

Capability for output

10 years:

8 Symphonies

17 Piano Concertos

6 Operas

Clarinet quartet and quintet

Requiem Mass

11 String Quartets

5 String Quintets

Many Individual Works

“Though it be long, the work is

complete and finished in my mind. I

take out of the bag of my memory

what has previously been collected

into it. For this reason the committing

to paper is done quickly enough.”

— Mozart

“What a delight this is I cannot tell — all this producing takes place in a pleasing, lively dream.”

— Mozart

“People make a mistake who think

that my art has come easily to me.

Nobody has devoted so much time

and thought to composition as I.

There is not a famous master whose

work I have not studied over and

over.”

— Mozart

“[My pay is] too much for what I do,

too little for what I could do.”

— Mozart

Mozart’s Music

Simple melodies

Contrasting moods

Rich orchestration

Perfected the serenade

Mozart’s Music

Favored the piano

Concertos written for his performance

Later symphonies considered his best

Operas

Mozart 2 years before

his death in 1777.

Mozart’s music

was meant to be

fun and

entertaining.

Rondo alla Turka

Piano Concerto in A Major K.488

First movement, Allegro 1786

sold to Prince von Furstenburg

combined elements of sonata and

ritornello form

Mozart & Opera

Opera problems Mozart’s solutions:

1. “stock”characters

2. plots about mythology, gods, aristocracy

3. “stop & go” (aria) (recit.)

4. not cohesive (e.g., sinfonia)

characters have real, believable personalities

plots about real-life middle class

characters

continuous flow

arias and recitatives blended together

style, orchestration, harmony,

melody--all contribute to setting

mood & adding depth to characters

Don Giovanni

"The Best Opera Ever Written"

- Richard Wagner

Libretto

By Court poet – Lorenzo Da Ponte (like Cosi and Figaro)

Based on a very well known existing story.

Don Juan is a stock character.

Da Ponte and Mozart worked closely together on the opera right up to the performance.

Da Ponte

used contemporary characters, not mythological figures or ancient history from Rome or Greece (although he did a few of those, too)

biting social commentary: the decadent aristocracy is compared to the normal, happy, healthy lust and love of the common folk

recitative still used

some in German with spoken dialogue

-- all voice ranges used (instead of the

Baroque’s treble + bass preference)

-- ensembles (groups of solo voices) now

contrasted with arias and recitative

Don Giovanni

Italian comic opera

Don Juan as anti-hero –

critique of aristocracy

Rarely performed in the 1800s –

now regarded as one of Mozart’s

finest operas

1787

Don Giovanni 1787

A comic opera (opera buffa) in 2 acts.

Commissioned by the Prague Opera

company after the success in Prague of

Marriage of Figaro.

Planned as entertainment for visit of

newlywed niece of Emperor – the

archduchess Maria Theresia and Prince

Anton Clemens of Saxony – 14 October

1787.

The Cast As always the singers determined the nature of the music – Mozart had to write to their capabilities. He knew them all except one as he had conducted them in Figaro.

Don Giovanni – Luigi Bassi had been Count Almaviva – a fiery Italian `very handsome and very stupid’ – 22 years old, an excellent mimic and a very good actor.

The cast requires 3 females (all sopranos), 5 males (3 basses, baritone and tenor), plus chorus. This small cast reflects the Prague company exactly.

Characters - Male

Don Giovanni – a cavalier and seducer of women. An ambivalent role that can be played a number of ways. Needs a great voice.

Leporello – servant of Don – his assistant in crime who unlike Don has some reservations about their activities.

Don Ottavio – fiance of Donna Anna.

Masetto – country peasant lover of Zerlina

Commendatore – elderly knight and man of honour.

Characters Female

Donna Anna – daughter of

Commendatore and betrothed to Ottavio.

Donna Elvira a highborn lady from

Burgos – used and abandoned by Don.

Zerlino – a country girl who Don

attempts to seduce.

Synopsis ACT I

Scene 1. The garden of the Commendatore's house

A disgruntled Leporello keeps watch while Don Giovanni tries to add Donna Anna to his list of conquests. Don Giovanni runs from the house, followed by Donna Anna, who is trying to unmask him and calling for help. Her father, coming to her aid, challenges Don Giovanni and is killed by him. Don Giovanni and Leporello make their escape before Donna Anna reappears with her betrothed, Don Ottavio, whom she calls on to avenge her dead father.

Scene 2. A street near an inn

Don Giovanni and Leporello come upon Donna Elvira, who has been seduced and abandoned by Don Giovanni and who is pursuing him. Don Giovanni slips away, leaving Leporello to explain to her that she is but one of many.

Scene 3. The countryside near Don Giovanni's house

Don Giovanni and Leporello come upon a peasant wedding. Don Giovanni orders Leporello to distract Masetto, the bridegroom, while he attempts to seduce the bride, Zerlina. He is interrupted by Donna Elvira, who warns Zerlina and persuades her to come away.

Donna Anna and Don Ottavio, not realising that Don Giovanni is the villain they are looking for, ask for his help. Elvira appears again and accuses Giovanni of faithlessness, and he tries to convince the others that she is mad. As he leaves, something in his voice and manner convinces Anna that he is her attacker and the murderer of her father.

Leporello reports to his master that he has all the peasants feasting and drinking, and Giovanni orders him to ply them wine, as he intends to add to his list of conquests.

Scene 4. The garden of Don Giovanni's house

Zerlina manages to convince the reproachful Masetto that she has done nothing wrong, but he is again suspicious when she is alarmed by Don Giovanni's voice. Another attempt on Zerlina foiled by Masetto's presence, Don Giovanni leads the couple into the house.

Donna Elvira, Donna Anna and Don Ottavio return wearing masks. Accepting Leporello's invitation to join the party, they hope this will make their revenge easier.

Scene 5. A ballroom in Don Giovanni's house

As the guests feast, dance and sing, Leporello distracts Masetto again and Don Giovanni lures Zerlina into another room. When she screams for help Giovanni accuses Leporello. But Elvira, Anna and Ottavio reveal themselves and confront him with their knowledge of his villainy. He makes his escape in the confusion.

ACT II

Scene 1. A street near an inn

Don Giovanni soothes Leporello's indignation with money. He has his eyes on Donna Elvira's maid and changes clothes with Leporello so he will look like one of her class. Elvira appears at a window and laments her continuing love for Don Giovanni. He answers from the shadows that he still loves her, while Leporello, dressed in his clothes, mimes in the street. Elvira comes down and Don Giovanni instructs the disguised Leporello to lead her away while he serenades the maid.

Masetto and his friends appear, armed and in search of Don Giovanni, who, pretending to be Leporello, sends the villagers off in different directions, then catches Masetto off guard and beats him. Zerlina finds Masetto and comforts him.

Scene 2. A courtyard near Donna Anna's house

Leporello has not managed to free himself from Donna Elvira, who still takes him for his master. Donna Anna, Don Ottavio, Zerlina and Masetto find them and accuse Leporello of Don Giovanni's crimes. Elvira tries in vain to intercede for her "husband" but Leporello reveals his identity, pleads innocence and succeeds in making a getaway. Don Ottavio's promises to avenge his beloved's wrongs.

Scene 3. A cemetery, where the Commendatore is buried

Don Giovanni and Leporello have escaped from their pursuers. Giovanni's narrative of a girl who took him for Leporello is interrupted by the voice of the statue of the Commendatore reproving him for his levity and libertinism. Undeterred, he orders the terrified Leporello to invite the Commendatore to dinner. The statue accepts.

Scene 4. A room in Donna Anna's house

Don Ottavio tries to calm Donna's Anna's grief by reminding her that they will soon be married, but she begs to him to delay their wedding.

Scene 5. A banquet hall in Don Giovanni's villa

Don Giovanni is interrupted at supper by Donna Elvira, who wants him to change his ways. He laughs at her and she leaves, but runs back screaming. Investigating, Leporello returns in terror: the statue has come. The Commendatore enters and, refusing to touch earthly food, invites Don Giovanni to dine with him. Don Giovanni accepts and is engulfed by the flames of hell, steadfastly refusing to repent.

The other characters sing an epilogue about how the wicked receive their just deserts.

First Performance

29 October 1787 beginning at 7pm and planned to end at 9.30.

Mozart had composed the overture the night before it was to be rehearsed.

Mozart greeted with great cheers on entering pit to conduct at the keyboard.

A great success and a long run of performances.

Mozart remained in Prague until 13th November.

Boldini wanted Mozart to stay and write another but Mozart had to return to Vienna.

Prague was always a great supporter of Mozart and Mozart remained very fond of the city to the end.

Vienna

The success of Don Giovanni became known in Vienna and helped Mozart get Gluck’s job as Kammermusikus to the Emperor.

Command for Vienna performance by Emperor – 7th May 1788 in Burgtheater.

Joseph II already busy on battlefield of second Turkish War.

Some alterations to arias and scenes to accommodate Viennese taste and singers available.

Mozart conducted first three performances. Only gradually did Vienna warm to the work.

Vienna and Prague versions exist – the Prague is generally preferred.

Terror and Effects.

Don Giovanni is notable for the introduction of terror into opera. Naked fear.

To do this he uses Trombones – always associated with the underworld. They do not appear until Commendatore statue appears on stage to condemn Don Giovanni.

At the end of Act I three orchestras play simultaneously on stage. First band plays Minuet in G in ¾ for oboes, horns and strings; then orchestra II turn up and play Contradanse in G in 2/4 time; orchestra three tune up and play German Dance in 3/8.

Keys As always the opera is carefully constructed in terms of key relationships.

D is the opera key – minor at first (overture and statue scene at end). Overture and opera end in D major.

Second Act leads from G major to A major, D major, F major, E flat (sextet). Then to D major for trumpets and drums. Then to D minor punishment key for murder. Back to D major then D minor for end of sextet in E flat.

Liberty

Act I scene 20 Don’s grant reception in the Hall. After introductory scene with Don, Leporello, Masetto and Zerlina – key changes to C major for entry of Don Ottavio, Donna Anna and Donna Elvira (all masked).

After greeting all Don sings `E aperto tutti, a tutti quanti, viva, viva la liberta’ (it is open to everyone, long live liberty).

Every one seizes the phrase and it turns into triumphal march with trumpets and drums

IS this Da Ponte’s personal tribute to Joseph II and his ideas on personal freedom and enlightenment.

This portrait, painted after Mozart’s

death, is said to look the most like

him. It was painted in 1819.

Mozart was 36

years old when

he died in 1791.

In his short life

he wrote over

600

compositions.

Mozart died

penniless despite

his enormous

talent. One of the

greatest composers

the world has ever

known is buried in

an unmarked

grave.

K. 550 Symphony in G minor,

No. 40 July 25, 1788

One of the last and most beautiful of the master.

Labeled “Romantic” by the people of the time for

Intensity

Chromaticism

Unconventionality

Thematic development

Abundance of Ideas

Ambiguity.

Mozart Piano Concerto in G

Major, K. 453 1784 Mozart wrote 6 piano concertos. This one is written for a 19 year old student, Barbara von Ployer.

Mozart’s concerti are considered the watershed of classical concerti. Grand flourishes as well as intimate conversations make up this style in Mozart’s mind.

Notice elements present from chamber music as well as symphony.

Intimate conversation.

Laughing strings.

Mozart Piano Concerto in G

Major, K. 453 March-like character.

Grand contrasts.

Notice the similarities to the symphony.

Use of the woodwinds for coloration.

Use of classical forms: ritornello – sonata allegro – rondo.

Dazzling writing for the piano as well as for the orchestra.

The Sonata Cycle

Movement I: Long Dramatic, Sonata Form: Allegro fast

Movement II: Slow and lyrical, Theme and Variations or ABA. Andante, Adagio, or Largo

Movement III: Minuet and Trio (18thC.) Minuet and Scherzo (19thC.), Allegretto or Allegro

Movement IV: 18th C = lively and happy ending, Sonata Allegro, Sonata Rondo, Theme and Variations. Very Fast. Allegro, Vivace, Presto. Grand Finale 19th C. Triumph

The Marriage of Figaro

- celebration of “common people” v. the

decadent aristocracy

Chardin The Prayer before Meal 1744

Bourgeois (Genre)

Mozart listening example -- finale from Act II of The

Marriage of Figaro

-- an ensemble scene (six

voices)

-- contrasting emotions

presented simultaneously

(compare that to the

Baroque ideal aesthetic of

Affect, one mood or

emotion per piece)