Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

and
the classical concerto
 Classical Style
• Simplicity
• Balance
• Formal perfection
• Diversity within unity
• Seriousness or wit as appropriate
• Lack of ornamentation or frills
 Johann Christian Bach (1735 – 1782)
The “London” Bach
• Youngest son of Johann
Sebastian Bach
• Studied with his brother, CPE
Bach
• Worked first in Milan, then
moved to London, where he
gained an international
reputation
• First to write “piano” concerti
• Big influence on the young
Mozart
The Galant and Early Classical Concerto
• Very popular as a vehicle for virtuosos and
composers wanting to show off their talent
• Typically composed by the performer
• Like the Baroque concerto, it usually was a 3-
movement work, Fast-Slow-Fast
• In their first movements, these mid-century
concerti combine the ritornello-episode form of
the Baroque concerto with the contrasts of key
and thematic material of the new “sonata” form
 How does this work?
• Three solo sections =‘s three main sections in sonata form
(exposition, development, recapitulation)
• These are surrounded by four orchestral sections that act
sort of as ritornelli
• The first presents all or most of the main ideas, the
following ones are shorter
• The tradition of the improvised “cadenza” just before the
final ritornello is an opportunity for the performer to show
off with runs and trills. It’s start is signalled with a 6/4
chord in the orchestra, and the soloist cues the end with a
long trill on the dominant.
It’s “fun” (!) to see how this works out in our
J.C. Bach example
• M. 1-43: First ritornello w/2 themes and a closing theme (CT)
• M. 44-105: First episode uses both themes, first in I, the
second in V
• M. 106-114: Short second ritornello using CT
• M. 115-144: Second Episode w/new material, harmonic
modulations, ending on a cadence on V
• M. 146-190: Third episode presenting Theme 1, Theme 2 and
the CT all in the tonic
• M. 191: Cadenza
• M. 192 to end: final ritornello
A Musical Genius
• Child prodigy
• Master of every genre
• First important musician
to attempt a career free
of bonded patronage
• Lived only 35 years,
composed over 600
works
• One of the first important
piano virtuosos
 The Prodigy
• Showed early talent
• Perfect pitch age 3
• Father trained, and then took on
tours of Europe
• Mozart encounters and imbibes
musical cultures from around Europe,
first hand.
• Travels included Mannheim and other
German centers, London, Italy and
France
• Played concertos and piano
pieces, improvised, composed
• Minuets age 5
• First symphony age 8
• Oratorio age 11
• Opera age 12
Back to Salzburg
• Ceased touring at 16
• Returned to Salzburg as
unpaid 3rd concertmaster in
the court of Archbishop
Collorado (under dad)
• Required to compose
church music (learned style)
• Wanted to compose operas
and instrumental music
(galant/classical style)
 Salzburg
• Worked for 8 years
• 1780 commission to write an opera seria for Munich,
Idomoneo
• After several months, recalled to Salzburg by the
Archbishop
• Tired of being treated as a servant, and having
experienced a more independent lifestyle, Mozart
leaves the court of the Archbishop for Vienna
• Against his father’s wishes
• Sacrifice of steady employment and promise of patronage
 Vienna
• 10 years (1781-91)
• Freelance
– Taught lessons
– Composed
• Instrumental
• operas
– Gave concerts
• Public
• private
– Publishing
– Considered best pianist in Vienna
– 1787 appointed chamber music
composer to the emperor as a
reward for his contribution to
Viennese musical life
 Mozart’s death
• Though a hard worker,
could not manage money
• Expenses outweighed
significant returns
• War with Turks 1788-89
leads to decline in
patronage
• 1791, Mozart dies, with
little money for a funeral,
he is buried in a common
grave
 Mature Style
• denotes compositions written in Vienna
• Shows the influence of
– Haydn
• Personal friend and admirer
• Closely studied by Mozart
– Bach
• Introduced to his music by Baron van Swieten
• Made arrangements of Bach’s music
• One of the reasons for a more contrapuntal style in late Mozart
– Handel
• Also introduced by van Swieten
• Made reorchestrations of his most famous works (Messiah) still sometimes
used today
 The Piano
• Haydn used it, but came into its own with Mozart
as a solo and chamber instrument
• 19 piano sonatas
• A recognized virtuoso
• Piano music written for
– Pupils
– Domestic music making
– Publication
– To show off his virtuosity
 The Piano Concerto
• Wrote 17 while living in Vienna
• Vehicles to demonstrate his abilities in
concerts
• Hoped to appeal to connoisseurs and general
listeners
• Show mastery of audience expectations as
well as a subtle melding of baroque
(ritornello) and classical (sonata) patterns
 Piano Concerto in A major, K.488
• Composed 1786
• Can be understood with sonata expectations
as well as ritornello expectations
• Combination derived from the Piano Concertos of J.C.
Bach whom Mozart met as a young touring virtuoso in
London
 The Form –sometimes called
“Double Exposition Form”
Exposition
Ritornello First Episode Ritornello
1st theme transition 2nd Theme Closing Theme 1T Tr. 2T CT TR NT
A------------------------------------------------------------- A------/\/\/\E-------- E-----------------
1 18 30 46 67 82 98 114 137 143

Development
Second Episode
NT
Modulations retransition
149 178
 Form, cont.
• Recapitulation
• Ritornello 3rd Episode Ritornello Cadenza Ritornello
• 1t 1t tr 2t CTNT Tr NT CT
• A-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
• 198 206 213 228 244 261 284 290 297 298

• What elements suggest Ritornello?

• What elements suggest Sonata Allegro?
• Why is a new theme necessary in the solo exposition (2nd
ritornello)?