The Classical Music Book

129

See also: Stamitz’s Symphony in E-flat major 116–117 ■ The Magic Flute 134 –137 ■

“Eroica” Symphony 138–141 ■ Der Freischütz 149 ■ The Ring Cycle 180 –187

Wolfgang Amadeus

Mozart

Born in Salzburg, then part

of the Holy Roman Empire,

in 1756, Mozart followed in

the footsteps of his father,

Leopold, a musician and

composer in the archbishop’s

court. Yet Mozart’s brilliance

as a violinist, pianist, and

composer meant that Salzburg

often seemed stifling, even

provincial, and he tried to

find employment elsewhere.

In 1781, he settled in the

city of Vienna, the seat of

Habsburg pomp and power.

Working as a freelance

composer, he perfected genres

such as the symphony, the

concerto, and the string

quartet, and wrote a handful

of highly successful operas.

Mozart died of mysterious

causes in late 1791, at the age

of 35, leaving behind some

600 musical works and an

extraordinary legacy for the

generation that followed.

final three symphonies, Nos. 39–41,

including the Symphony No. 40 in

G minor, K.550, possibly composed

for a projected concert series in

a central Viennese casino. These

works represent the culmination

of the symphonic genre during

the Classical period—though they

also look ahead to the music of

the 19th century, with its emphasis

on a broad range of harmonies,

along with concert programs

ascribing distinct narratives and

themes to musical pieces.

Expressive forces

As a young man, Mozart had been

influenced by the Sturm und Drang

(“storm and stress”) movement that

emphasized emotion and creative

individuality. This style, which

took its lead from contemporary

literature, is also evident in works

by the pioneering and prolific

“father of the symphony,” Joseph

Haydn. In music, Sturm und Drang

found expression in the use of

minor keys, syncopated rhythms,

melodic leaps, and other flourishes,

all of which characterize Mozart’s

“Little” G minor symphony (No. 25,

K. 183/173dB), completed in 1773.

This moody music often went

hand in hand with the virtuoso

playing associated with the city

of Mannheim in Germany, which

Mozart visited in both 1763,

when he was seven years old,

and again in 1777–1778, at age 21.

Mannheim’s instrumentalists

were famous for creating dynamic

shifts and thrilling crescendoes.

But it was not just the style of the

Mannheim symphony that was

new. Its structure also differed from

its counterparts, consisting of four

rather than three movements. The

symphony’s previously dancing ❯❯

CL ASSICAL 1750 –1820

Other key works

1773 Symphony No. 25

in G minor

1779 Krönungsmesse

1786 The Marriage of Figaro

1790 Cosi fan tutte

1791 Requiem (incomplete)

Mozart often composed music

in segments before fleshing them

out as finished manuscripts, such

as the one below of his Symphony

No. 40 in G minor.

US_128-131_Mozart_Symphony.indd 129 26/03/18 1:00 PM