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Mozart's production for orchestra is written for string ensembles (like the early Divertimenti K. 136–138), as well as for wind instruments ensembles and the varied combinations of string and wind. Mozart left a huge production of dances for orchestra, including the genres of Minuetto (more than 100), Contredanse and Allemande (or Teitsch, or ...
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- Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart raised the symphony to heights that in many respects remain unsurpassed. Of his 50-odd symphonies, produced between 1764 and 1788, the earliest ones are conventional but precocious, reflecting influences of Johann Christian Bach, Giovanni Battista Sammartini, and Joseph Haydn. An invigorating first movement predominates, followed by a light cantabile movement and a fast finale or minuet (minuets in his symphonies date mostly after 1767). The Symphony in B-flat Major, K 22 (1765; “K” or “Köchel” numbers—named for Ludwig, Ritter (knight) von Köchel, the scholar who catalogued Mozart’s musical corpus—are the standard way of identifying Mozart’s works) contains a lovely chromatic slow movement in the key of G minor.
Mozart’s exposure to Europe’s main musical currents led him to synthesize the playful Italian homophonic and operatic style with serious German polyphony. This is evident in the agitated Symphony in G Minor, K 183 (1773)—a Sturm und Drang work and his first minor-key symphony—and in the cheerful Symphony in A Major, K 201 (1774). In these works the balance of interest shifts to the last movement. The addition of codas, which extend the closing sections and reaffirm the tonic, the increased length and scope of slow movements and minuets, and a growing orchestral sensitivity all point toward maturity. In contrast with those of Haydn, Mozart’s slow movements lean toward the sonata form with their inherent drama.
Mozart, unlike Haydn, was not a formal experimenter; he reused successful structural formulations in later works. It was his treatment of melody that set him apart. He preferred to ignore monothematic structure; and his first and second themes, neither folklike nor mosaic-like, contrast strongly. His harmonic range is narrow compared with Haydn’s, but within his range he constantly transformed thematic material. Development sections expand with the introduction of new thematic material and modulations over a wider tonal field. His recapitulations tend to be straightforward. In this mature period, Mozart’s symphonies became unified thematically and expressively, using fuller imitation, more singing figuration, and freer instrumentation (the Symphony in D Major, K 297 [Paris], introduces clarinets). Mozart rejected Mannheim gesture in favour of better-integrated dynamics.
Mozart’s last 10 years saw him further exposed to Haydn’s influence and very aware of J.S. Bach’s music. The monumental last six symphonies reflect his experience as an opera and chamber music composer. The Symphony in C Major, K 425, has a rare, slow chromatic introduction, while Symphony in D Major, K 504 (Prague), dispenses with the minuet, has all three movements in sonata form, and uses canonic development (development by means of exact imitation). The last three symphonies (K 543, in E-flat major; K 550, in G minor; K 551, in C major [Jupiter]), summits of the Classical genre, are bold in their harmonies and counterpoint; the serious minuet of K 550 foreshadows the scherzo of Beethoven’s Fifth. (The scherzo is a rapid, rhythmic, minuet-derived form.)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart raised the symphony to heights that in many respects remain unsurpassed. Of his 50-odd symphonies, produced between 1764 and 1788, the earliest ones are conventional but precocious, reflecting influences of Johann Christian Bach, Giovanni Battista Sammartini, and Joseph Haydn. An invigorating first movement predominates, followed by a light cantabile movement and a fast finale or minuet (minuets in his symphonies date mostly after 1767). The Symphony in B-flat Major, K 22 (1765; “K” or “Köchel” numbers—named for Ludwig, Ritter (knight) von Köchel, the scholar who catalogued Mozart’s musical corpus—are the standard way of identifying Mozart’s works) contains a lovely chromatic slow movement in the key of G minor.
Mozart’s exposure to Europe’s main musical currents led him to synthesize the playful Italian homophonic and operatic style with serious German polyphony. This is evident in the agitated Symphony in G Minor, K 183 (1773)—a Sturm und Drang work and his first minor-key symphony—and in the cheerful Symphony in A Major, K 201 (1774). In these works the balance of interest shifts to the last movement. The addition of codas, which extend the closing sections and reaffirm the tonic, the increased length and scope of slow movements and minuets, and a growing orchestral sensitivity all point toward maturity. In contrast with those of Haydn, Mozart’s slow movements lean toward the sonata form with their inherent drama.
Mozart, unlike Haydn, was not a formal experimenter; he reused successful structural formulations in later works. It was his treatment of melody that set him apart. He preferred to ignore monothematic structure; and his first and second themes, neither folklike nor mosaic-like, contrast strongly. His harmonic range is narrow compared with Haydn’s, but within his range he constantly transformed thematic material. Development sections expand with the introduction of new thematic material and modulations over a wider tonal field. His recapitulations tend to be straightforward. In this mature period, Mozart’s symphonies became unified thematically and expressively, using fuller imitation, more singing figuration, and freer instrumentation (the Symphony in D Major, K 297 [Paris], introduces clarinets). Mozart rejected Mannheim gesture in favour of better-integrated dynamics.
Mozart’s last 10 years saw him further exposed to Haydn’s influence and very aware of J.S. Bach’s music. The monumental last six symphonies reflect his experience as an opera and chamber music composer. The Symphony in C Major, K 425, has a rare, slow chromatic introduction, while Symphony in D Major, K 504 (Prague), dispenses with the minuet, has all three movements in sonata form, and uses canonic development (development by means of exact imitation). The last three symphonies (K 543, in E-flat major; K 550, in G minor; K 551, in C major [Jupiter]), summits of the Classical genre, are bold in their harmonies and counterpoint; the serious minuet of K 550 foreshadows the scherzo of Beethoven’s Fifth. (The scherzo is a rapid, rhythmic, minuet-derived form.)
Mozart's orchestras were quite small by today's standards. The scores for his orchestral works often include no percussion at all, and when they do usually just the tympani. We can list several reasons for his small orchestras: He played in smaller spaces for smaller audiences. Concerts were often held in palaces or even private homes.
People also ask
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- Requiem. Mozart’s Requiem is possibly the greatest ever example of the power of music. After receiving a commission from an anonymous source, Mozart embarked on one of the most soul-searching musical journeys of his life.
- Horn Concerto No.4. A cheery horn melody, coupled with playful strings, is enough to put anyone in a good mood. Mozart wrote it in 1786 for his friend Joseph Leutgeb, a virtuoso horn player.
- The Marriage of Figaro. Mischievous scurrying strings, interrupted by grandiose wind and brass fanfares, Mozart manages to tell more or less the whole story of his opera in its overture’s first eight bars!
- Piano Concerto No.21, ‘Elvira Madigan’ Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.21 has received much of its popularity from its use in themes, and it’s also one of his greatest works.
Example 1. Chord spacing types. Context determines the best choice among these. For a blended sound, we often use integrated “interlocking” voicing, taking care to balance the different strengths of each instrument according to the register; conversely, to achieve a different color for each note, use wider spacing.
The classical orchestra is defined by how it sounds and is made up. Classical music is often considered 'classical' simply if it was written before the 1900s. Some of these composers include Wagner, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Stravinsky, Mozart, and Beethoven.
Symphony No. 40 (Mozart) Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550 was written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1788. It is sometimes referred to as the "Great G minor symphony", to distinguish it from the "Little G minor symphony", No. 25. The two are the only extant minor key symphonies Mozart wrote.
