Often tempting to dismiss as the kitch before Beethoven or the guy who opened the door to the Romantic aesthetic while declining to walk through it, the music of Mozart is both inviting and, distressingly, easily dismissed. Even by those who are quick to recognize his genius. One of the great surprises for me in … Continue reading Rediscovering Mozart
Category: Mozart
Mozart, Innovator of Advanced Harmonics
The sheer impossibility of doing justice to Mozart is beginning to show—so much great music has been ignored here. But as we gather steam on Mozart’s influence on the Romantics, half a century later, let’s take a look at one of his most daring compositions, the Quartet No. 19 in C Major. In or around … Continue reading Mozart, Innovator of Advanced Harmonics
Be for us a foretaste
Mozart’s brief motet, Ave Verum Corpus, was one of the springs that fed the Romantic period. Written in the last year of his life as a gift to a friend to thank him for a kindness, it is hard not to consider the prophetic words of the prayer: “Hail, true body born of the Virgin … Continue reading Be for us a foretaste
Mozart the Virtuoso of the Piano
Mozart's virtuosity was often and best expressed at the insturment he is most closely associated with--the piano. His series of piano concertos, Nos. 20-24, rank among the greatest music ever written. First up is the Andante of the 21st, which is one of Mozart's most famous tunes, popping up in movies with stunning regularity. W.A. … Continue reading Mozart the Virtuoso of the Piano
Mozart the Virtuoso of the Opera House
At the peak of his powers during the 1780s, Mozart's ability to weave a mesmerizing spell of music remains pretty much unrivaled in music history. There are hints of something darker and wilder lurking behind this music, but those doors would remain closed for the time being. Ever the businessman, Mozart was concerned about alienating … Continue reading Mozart the Virtuoso of the Opera House
A Gertus History of Music 