Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

            There is some evidence that Mozart really didn’t care that much for the sound of the flute as a soloist, although he wrote beautifully and convincingly for it in ensemble.  And, there is that although a prolific composer, he only wrote one piece that included the harp—the present one.  But, it doesn’t matter, Mozart being Mozart, the result is masterful, elegant, and more than pleasing. 

            The young Mozart spent much of his time traveling, and April 1778 found the twenty-two year old in an extended stay in Paris, visiting at the home of the Duc de Guînes, an amateur flautist.  This time was probably a low point in the composer’s life.  Paris was expensive, Mozart hated French music, and in July his beloved mother died. >>>

            Mozart, like all composers before the nineteenth century, saw himself as more-or-less a craftsman, serving up what his patrons and audiences wanted and were willing to pay for.  Hence, in addition to Olympian masterpieces such as Don Giovanni and his last symphony, we also have a plethora of smaller, more modest compositions written for everyday social requirements.  His oeuvre includes not only serenades, but cassations, divertimentos, and also dance music, including German Ländler and contredances.   A contredance is one in which the couples face each other in two long lines.  At the end of the seventeenth century, many English folk dances crossed the channel and became popular in France.   By the time of Mozart they were favored in Viennese soci >>>

        Unlike that of many composers of the first rank, Mozart’s genius found fruition in almost every musical genre--imposing or modest.  While it is tempting for many to project romantic notions as the basis for Mozart’s professional motivations, we must remind ourselves that he wrote for his daily bread--not for the eternity of art.  Whether producing masterpieces like Don Giovanni and the piano concertos, or charming little marches such as these--Mozart’s life as a composer was driven by the necessities of the moment (and the patron with ready cash).  Simply put, he “followed the money” and composed what his society needed and was willing to pay for. >>>

            Mozart’s incomparable musical gifts enabled him to compose at the highest level of artistic brilliance in almost every musical genre.  We are privileged to experience his legacy in symphonies, chamber music, wind serenades, choral music, keyboard music—the list goes on and on.  But, unquestionably, his greatest contributions to musical art are his operas.  No one—not even Wagner, Verdi, Puccini, or Richard Strauss exceeded the perfection of Mozart’s mature operas.  The reason, of course, is clear: his unparalleled musical gift is served and informed by a nuanced insight into human psychology that is simply stunning.  His characters represented real men and women on the stage, who moved dramatically, and who had distinctive personalities.   Of no opera is this truer than his >>>