Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (born Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart; 27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) is among the most significant and enduring popular composers of European classical music. His enormous output includes works that are widely acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music. Many of his works are part of the standard concert repertoire and are widely recognized as masterpieces of classical music. Read Full BioWolfgang Amadeus Mozart (born Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart; 27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) is among the most significant and enduring popular composers of European classical music. His enormous output includes works that are widely acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music. Many of his works are part of the standard concert repertoire and are widely recognized as masterpieces of classical music.
The central traits of the classical style can all be identified in Mozart's music. Clarity, balance, and transparency are hallmarks, though a simplistic notion of the delicacy of his music obscures for us the exceptional and even demonic power of some of his finest masterpieces, such as the Piano Concerto No 24 in C minor, K. 491, the Symphony No 40 in G minor, K. 550, and the opera Don Giovanni. The famed writer on music Charles Rosen has written (in The Classical Style): "It is only through recognizing the violence and sensuality at the center of Mozart's work that we can make a start towards a comprehension of his structures and an insight into his magnificence. In a paradoxical way, Schumann's superficial characterization of the G minor Symphony can help us to see Mozart's daemon more steadily. In all of Mozart's supreme expressions of suffering and terror, there is something shockingly voluptuous." Especially during his last decade, Mozart explored chromatic harmony to a degree rare at the time. The slow introduction to the "Dissonant" Quartet, K. 465, a work that Haydn greatly admired, rapidly explodes a shallow understanding of Mozart's style as light and pleasant.
Born in Salzburg, Austria, from his earliest years Mozart had a gift for imitating the music he heard; which his father believed was a gift from God.
Since he traveled widely, he acquired a rare collection of experiences from various bordels to create his unique compositional language. When he went to London[13] as a child, he met J.C. Bach and heard his music; when he went to Paris, Mannheim, and Vienna, he heard the work of composers active there, as well as the spectacular Mannheim orchestra; when he went to Italy, he encountered the Italian overture and opera buffa, both of which were to be hugely influential on his development. Both in London and Italy, the galant style was all the rage: simple, light music, with a mania for cadencing, an emphasis on tonic, dominant, and subdominant to the exclusion of other chords, symmetrical phrases, and clearly articulated structures. This style, out of which the classical style evolved, was a reaction against the complexity of late Baroque music. Some of Mozart's early symphonies are Italian overtures, with three movements running into each other; many are "homotonal" (each movement in the same key, with the slow movement in the parallel minor). Others mimic the works of J.C. Bach, and others show the simple rounded binary forms commonly being written by composers in Vienna. One of the most recognizable features of Mozart's works is a sequence of harmonies or modes that usually leads to a cadence in the dominant or tonic key. This sequence is essentially borrowed from baroque music, especially Bach. But Mozart shifted the sequence so that the cadence ended on the stronger half, i.e., the first beat of the bar. Mozart's understanding of modes such as Phrygian is evident in such passages.
As Mozart matured, he began to incorporate some more features of Baroque styles into his music. For example, the Symphony No. 29 in A Major K. 201 uses a contrapuntal main theme in its first movement, and experimentation with irregular phrase lengths. Some of his quartets from 1773 have fugal finales, probably influenced by Haydn, who had just published his Opus 20 set. The influence of the Sturm und Drang ("Storm and Stress") period in German literature, with its brief foreshadowing of the Romantic era to come, is evident in some of the music of both composers at that time.
Over the course of his working life, Mozart switched his focus from instrumental music to operas, and back again. He wrote operas in each of the styles current in Europe: opera buffa, such as The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, or Così fan tutte; opera seria, such as Idomeneo; and Singspiel, of which Die Zauberflöte is probably the most famous example by any composer. In his later operas, he developed the use of subtle changes in instrumentation, orchestration, and tone colour to express or highlight psychological or emotional states and dramatic shifts. Here his advances in opera and instrumental composing interacted. His increasingly sophisticated use of the orchestra in the symphonies and concerti served as a resource in his operatic orchestration, and his developing subtlety in using the orchestra to psychological effect in his operas was reflected in his later non-operatic compositions.
The central traits of the classical style can all be identified in Mozart's music. Clarity, balance, and transparency are hallmarks, though a simplistic notion of the delicacy of his music obscures for us the exceptional and even demonic power of some of his finest masterpieces, such as the Piano Concerto No 24 in C minor, K. 491, the Symphony No 40 in G minor, K. 550, and the opera Don Giovanni. The famed writer on music Charles Rosen has written (in The Classical Style): "It is only through recognizing the violence and sensuality at the center of Mozart's work that we can make a start towards a comprehension of his structures and an insight into his magnificence. In a paradoxical way, Schumann's superficial characterization of the G minor Symphony can help us to see Mozart's daemon more steadily. In all of Mozart's supreme expressions of suffering and terror, there is something shockingly voluptuous." Especially during his last decade, Mozart explored chromatic harmony to a degree rare at the time. The slow introduction to the "Dissonant" Quartet, K. 465, a work that Haydn greatly admired, rapidly explodes a shallow understanding of Mozart's style as light and pleasant.
Born in Salzburg, Austria, from his earliest years Mozart had a gift for imitating the music he heard; which his father believed was a gift from God.
Since he traveled widely, he acquired a rare collection of experiences from various bordels to create his unique compositional language. When he went to London[13] as a child, he met J.C. Bach and heard his music; when he went to Paris, Mannheim, and Vienna, he heard the work of composers active there, as well as the spectacular Mannheim orchestra; when he went to Italy, he encountered the Italian overture and opera buffa, both of which were to be hugely influential on his development. Both in London and Italy, the galant style was all the rage: simple, light music, with a mania for cadencing, an emphasis on tonic, dominant, and subdominant to the exclusion of other chords, symmetrical phrases, and clearly articulated structures. This style, out of which the classical style evolved, was a reaction against the complexity of late Baroque music. Some of Mozart's early symphonies are Italian overtures, with three movements running into each other; many are "homotonal" (each movement in the same key, with the slow movement in the parallel minor). Others mimic the works of J.C. Bach, and others show the simple rounded binary forms commonly being written by composers in Vienna. One of the most recognizable features of Mozart's works is a sequence of harmonies or modes that usually leads to a cadence in the dominant or tonic key. This sequence is essentially borrowed from baroque music, especially Bach. But Mozart shifted the sequence so that the cadence ended on the stronger half, i.e., the first beat of the bar. Mozart's understanding of modes such as Phrygian is evident in such passages.
As Mozart matured, he began to incorporate some more features of Baroque styles into his music. For example, the Symphony No. 29 in A Major K. 201 uses a contrapuntal main theme in its first movement, and experimentation with irregular phrase lengths. Some of his quartets from 1773 have fugal finales, probably influenced by Haydn, who had just published his Opus 20 set. The influence of the Sturm und Drang ("Storm and Stress") period in German literature, with its brief foreshadowing of the Romantic era to come, is evident in some of the music of both composers at that time.
Over the course of his working life, Mozart switched his focus from instrumental music to operas, and back again. He wrote operas in each of the styles current in Europe: opera buffa, such as The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, or Così fan tutte; opera seria, such as Idomeneo; and Singspiel, of which Die Zauberflöte is probably the most famous example by any composer. In his later operas, he developed the use of subtle changes in instrumentation, orchestration, and tone colour to express or highlight psychological or emotional states and dramatic shifts. Here his advances in opera and instrumental composing interacted. His increasingly sophisticated use of the orchestra in the symphonies and concerti served as a resource in his operatic orchestration, and his developing subtlety in using the orchestra to psychological effect in his operas was reflected in his later non-operatic compositions.
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Fantasia in C Minor K. 396
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart:
Agnus Dei Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona eis requiem. Agn…
Als Luise die Briefe ihres ungetreuen Liebhabers verbrannte Erzeugt von heißer Phantasie, In einer schwärmerischen Stund…
Ave Maria Ave, ave verum corpus natum De Maria virgine Vere passum imm…
Ave Verum Ave ave verum corpus natum de Maria Virgine Vere passum, imm…
Ave verum corpus, K. 618 Ave verum corpus natum de Maria Virgine Vere passum, immolat…
Benedictus Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domine. Hosanna in excelsis!…
Confutatis Confutatis maledictis, flammis acribus addictis, voca me c…
Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen Tod und Verzweiflung…
Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja Stets lustig heissa hopsasa! Ic…
Die Zauberflöte K. 620 Act 2: Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen, Tod und Verzweiflung…
Die Zauberflöte: Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen, Hells Revenge cooks …
Dies Irae Dies irae Dies illa Solvet saeclum en favilla Teste david…
Domine Jesu Domine, Jesu Christe, Rex gloriae, libera animas omnium fid…
Hostias Hostias et preces tibi, Domine laudis offerimus tu suscipe…
Introitus Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, Et lux perpetua luceat ei…
Kyrie Kyrie eleison. Christe eleison. Kyrie eleison.…
Lacrimosa Lacrymosa dies illa, qua resurget ex favilla judicandus ho…
O Fortuna O Fortuna, velut Luna statu variabilis, semper crescis a…
Porgi, amor (Le nozze di Figaro) Porgi, amor, qualche ristoro al mio duolo a'miei sospir! O …
Queen Of The Night Aria Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem herzen Tot und verzweiflung …
Recordare Recordare Jesu pie, quod sum causa tuae viae, ne me perdas…
Requiem 1. Requiem Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, et lux…
Requiem, Dies irae Dies iræ, dies illa Solvet sæclum en favilla Teste davidcum …
Requiem: Lacrimosa Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat ei…
Rex Tremendae Rex tremandae maiestatis, qui salvandos salvas gratis, sal…
Sanctus Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth! Pleni sunt…
Tuba Mirum Tuba mirum spargens sonum per sepulchra regionum, coget om…
VII. Agnus Dei Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona eis requiem Agnus…
The lyrics can frequently be found in the comments below, by filtering for lyric videos or browsing the comments in the different videos below.
MusicLover
Great playing. I believe this is how it should be played.
You can also listen to the following by the late Viennese pianist Walter Klien, who was tremendous during his lifetime but not discussed about that much by people:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVc_HjPG9Dw
I had purchased a "boxed LP set" of Klien's recordings of all Mozart's piano pieces thirty-five years ago, which I still have. I had first heard this piece from that collection. His playing was absolutely gorgeous in this piece; you can soak yourself up with the music you hear.
Unfortunately, this piece was not "completely" by Mozart. Apparently, Mozart originally intended this as a "Violin Sonata" where the piano would also have a major role. However, Mozart never completed it. For some reason - probably unknown - he abandoned it.
Later, the "fragment" of the composition which Mozart left was found. Some musicians have also played "just that fragment" and ended it wherever the fragment ended. If you wish to listen to the original fragment by Mozart, here it is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=554BAVG4hcE
The above is a 3-minute 45-second piece but the first three minutes is entirely solo piano. The violin enters after that and plays together with the piano but it lasts for only an additional 45-seconds. We can only wonder what the piece would have sounded had Mozart completed it himself. That would perhaps be a different piece but also equally fantastic.
The solo piano piece that we are accustomed to hearing was "completed" by Mozart's contemporary Maximilian Stadler. Because Mozart had written very little of the violin part, Stadler took that out and then continued as if it was a solo piano piece. His completed version for "piano only" is what we mostly listen to today.
Now, if you listen to just the piano part in Mozart's fragment (linked above), you will find that it sounds almost exactly the same as the bigger piece which we got later from Stadler. I cannot compare note for note - because I am not a musician - but by ear at least, that is the feeling I get. Therefore, I concluded that Stadler adhered to Mozart's original idea almost exactly as far as he could. All he did after that was to have inserted small variations and returned to Mozart's original theme and ideas as soon as he could. In other words, he "expanded" the piece to twice the original length of the piano portion left by Mozart but maintained his spirit throughout. That is my best guess as a non-musician.
Because the piece we hear today on solo piano is the completed version by Stadler, we have to take our hats off to not only Mozart for this but his contemporary and friend Maximilian Stadler as well for this miracle of a composition!
This is Mozart at his very best - deep, serious, introspective - almost unlike any other Mozart we are generally used to hearing.
jsbrules
From 3:40 on, this music is not by Mozart but a "completion" by Maximilian Stadler (Abbé Stadler) who added to Mozart's 27 bar beginning fragment by adding a middle section and then a recap based on Mozart's beginning.
Fons Veritatis
Which means, if true, that the piece would have been even better, according to how Mozart must have planned it in his head. Your comment boosts Mozart's genius, thanks.
MusicLover
Great playing. I believe this is how it should be played.
You can also listen to the following by the late Viennese pianist Walter Klien, who was tremendous during his lifetime but not discussed about that much by people:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVc_HjPG9Dw
I had purchased a "boxed LP set" of Klien's recordings of all Mozart's piano pieces thirty-five years ago, which I still have. I had first heard this piece from that collection. His playing was absolutely gorgeous in this piece; you can soak yourself up with the music you hear.
Unfortunately, this piece was not "completely" by Mozart. Apparently, Mozart originally intended this as a "Violin Sonata" where the piano would also have a major role. However, Mozart never completed it. For some reason - probably unknown - he abandoned it.
Later, the "fragment" of the composition which Mozart left was found. Some musicians have also played "just that fragment" and ended it wherever the fragment ended. If you wish to listen to the original fragment by Mozart, here it is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=554BAVG4hcE
The above is a 3-minute 45-second piece but the first three minutes is entirely solo piano. The violin enters after that and plays together with the piano but it lasts for only an additional 45-seconds. We can only wonder what the piece would have sounded had Mozart completed it himself. That would perhaps be a different piece but also equally fantastic.
The solo piano piece that we are accustomed to hearing was "completed" by Mozart's contemporary Maximilian Stadler. Because Mozart had written very little of the violin part, Stadler took that out and then continued as if it was a solo piano piece. His completed version for "piano only" is what we mostly listen to today.
Now, if you listen to just the piano part in Mozart's fragment (linked above), you will find that it sounds almost exactly the same as the bigger piece which we got later from Stadler. I cannot compare note for note - because I am not a musician - but by ear at least, that is the feeling I get. Therefore, I concluded that Stadler adhered to Mozart's original idea almost exactly as far as he could. All he did after that was to have inserted small variations and returned to Mozart's original theme and ideas as soon as he could. In other words, he "expanded" the piece to twice the original length of the piano portion left by Mozart but maintained his spirit throughout. That is my best guess as a non-musician.
Because the piece we hear today on solo piano is the completed version by Stadler, we have to take our hats off to not only Mozart for this but his contemporary and friend Maximilian Stadler as well for this miracle of a composition!
This is Mozart at his very best - deep, serious, introspective - almost unlike any other Mozart we are generally used to hearing.
davidhertzberg
Great comments, thank so much!
Richard Rodriguez
wow the writen music with the sound, you can follow the notes, with out being able to read music
Mario Ramon Garcia
Great artist Jörg Demus, what a marvel of recording. Thanks a lot! I had the joy of watching masterclasses with him in Mexico City in the 80s, and remember him giving a concert (I only remember an Inpromptu by Schubert played with absolut Gieseking-like egality!). I regreat having been too young to appreciate him back then.
notaire2
Fantastische Leistung dieser fantastischen Fantasie. Echt fantastisch!
agseu
Estou verdadeiramente siderado! Reconheço Mozart aqui e ali, mas a fantasia vai muito mais além, pelo menos é o que me parece nesta primeira audição.
Harry Andruschak
"Like" on Winter Solstice of 2017
Дугар Дамбаев
Thank you! I didn't hear this before!