wolfgang amadeus mozart (1756-1791). general info born in salzburg austria in 1756 son of leopold...
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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
(1756-1791)
General Info
• Born in Salzburg Austria in 1756
• Son of Leopold and Maria Anna Mozart
• Mozart was educated by his father
• Started playing music at age 4
• First composition at age 5
• Performed for royalty at ages 5 and 6
• Played before Louis XV at age 9
Church Music
• Began composing church music at age 12• In late teens/early twenties he worked for
Archbishop Hieronymous Colloredo of Salzburg
• His masses were written for use in worship, not for performance
• Archbishop insisted that mass not be prolonged by music and stay with 3 quarters of an hour
• 2 litanies—one in honor of the Blessed Sacrament, one in honor of the Blessed Virgin
• 17 single movement works written for performance between the Epistle and the Gospel
• 2 settings of the five Psalms and the Magnificat required for celebrating solemn Vespers
• Many masses written for use in worship
Some Sacred Compositions Include:
Mozart Missa
C MinorKV 4271783
Credo in unum Deum
Poietical Analysis
• Created by the composer for his wife as a wedding gift
• Because it was never finished, only parts of it were performed
• First performance was october 26 at St. Peter’s
• Marriage to Constanze
• Death of firstborn
• Great success in Austria including several performances, even one in front of the emperor
• Several new pieces created during this time
• Mass never being finished suggests that it’s a minor work
• Written during anxious period in his life
Eisthesic analysis
• Considered both a major and a minor work because of its incompletion
• Was meant to be used at mass; however, could not be due to time restrictions by the archbishop. Thus mostly sung in performance setting.
• Some believe that it was unfinished because of Haydn and Bach, suggesting that he was trying to keep up with them
Bibliography
Dyer, Joseph: ‘Roman Catholic Church Music, §IV, 4: The 18th Century: Salzburg & the church music of Mozart’, Grove Music Online (Accessed 9 April 2006) <www.grovemusic.com>
Eisen, Cliff: ‘Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, §1: Ancestry and early childhood’, Grove Music Online (accessed 9 April 2006) <www.grovemusic.com>
Eisen, Cliff: ‘Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, §2: Travels, 1763-73’, Grove Music Online (accessed 9 April 2006) <www.grovemusic.com>