Mozart Essay Research Paper From tgbuildermindspringcom To

Mozart Essay, Research Paper

From: tgbuilder@mindspring.com To: QUICKPAPERS@TOTALLY.NET Subject: Submit a paperDate: Tuesday, November 04, 1997 3:06 PMTitle: MozartCategory: otherDescription:Body of paper: Thomas G. Builder257-27-449710-30-97Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 1756-1791Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg on 27 January 1756. His father, Leopold Mozart, was a famous musician and composer in his own right. In his twenty-fourth year, Leopold received an appointment as violinist in the orchestra of the Archbishop of Salzburg, finally rising to the position of chapel master. He composed with fertility, and produced a famous violin method. But, as Leopold himself realized, his greatest work was not his own music, but-his son, Wolfgang. Much has been written about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s phenomenal precociousness. At the age of three, he already sat in front of the harpsichord attempting to find harmonic successions of thirds; whenever he succeeded, his shrill voice rang out joyfully. When Wolfgang was four, his father began to teach him the elements of harpsichord and, playfully, the rules of composition. Wolfgang did not need to learn. He began producing minuets and other small pieces for harpsichord, and several sonatas for harpsichord and violin. He produced with such ease that by his sixth year he had produced an imposing quantity of minuets, sonatas, and even a concerto. His sensitive ear could recognize that the violin of his father’s friend was tuned an eigth of a note lower than he himself tuned his own instrument; and it could rebel so violently against a raucous sound that at the blast of a trumpet he swooned with pain. Music, obviously, came as naturally to him as breathing. When Wolfgang was six years old, therefore, an extensive concert tour brought him to the foremost concert halls and royal courts of Europa. Wherever he performed the sweet charm of his personality and his incredible genius conquered the hearts of music lovers.In Paris, Wolfgang became the darling of Versailles. He was, as so extraordinary that one finds it difficult to believe it unless one has seen him with one’s own eyes and heard him with one’s own ears. The Paris visit was marked by the appearance of Mozart’s first published work, four sonatas for the harpsichord. From Paris, the Mozart’s came to London, where Wolfgang won the heart of Johann Christian Bach, chapel master. In London, Wolfgang gave several sensational performances at the Vauxhall Gardens, which were the subject of great wonder. Towards the close of 1769, the Mozart

s made their first journey to Italia, a journey crowned with glory. In Mantua, they attended a concert of the Philharmonic orchestra, which performed a few of Wolfgang’s compositions in his honour. In Milano, they received a commission for Wolfgang to compose an opera seria for the following year. Bologna brought Mozart into contact with the great Martini, who welcomed the young genius with open arms of admiration and respect. In Roma, there took place that phenomenal proof of Mozart’s genius which has frequently been quoted. Yount Mozart attended a performance of the celebrated Miserere of Allegri which could be heard only in Roma during Holy Week performed by the papal choir. By papal decree it was forbidden to sing the work elsewhere, and its only existing copy was guarded slavishly by the papal choir. At the performance of Mitridate on Christmas day of 1770, the work was a success. One of the soprano arias, contrary to all precedent, was encored. The newspapers commented upon that “rarest musical grace” and that “studied beauty” which seemed to be Wolfgang’s intuitive idiom.

Mozart’s last work was composed under mysterious circumstances. In 1791 a stranger, masked and dressed in grey, accosted Mozart and commissioned him to compose a requiem. The stranger was representing a wealthy nobleman who frequently asked great composers to produce works for him which he later presented under his own name. He was found at his desk unconscious. He was taken to bed, and the physician who had been summoned soon announced that Mozart was seeing his last days. Mozart had already known that he was dying. To his pupil, S xmayer, he explained precisely how the Requiem was to be brought to completion. Shortly before his last breath left him, he attempted to sing parts of his last great work. On 5 December 1791, he said farewell to his family and turned his face to the wall; shortly afterwards he was dead. Mozart’s remains were thrown into a pauper’s grave in the churchyard of St. Mark. One week later, when Constanze returned with flowers to Mozart’s body, she could not find the grave. Because Mozart had died like a pauper, his grave had been left unmarked, his body unidentified. Thus passed probably the greatest genius the world has ever known. Mozart was the greatest composer who ever lived. There is no music happier, more complex, and perfect than his is anywhere to be found. If you do not believe me, listen to Mozart’s music, the music of Heaven. This paper was written by tom builder and they can be reached at tgbuilder@mindspring.com.