Mozart and His Music

[Music] we're listening to the music of the composer who has been called the greatest musical genius who ever lived his name was vulang Amadeus Mozart and he brought to Perfection the classic music of the 18th century his short life of only 35 years began here in the city of zburg Austria here in the winter of 1756 Mozart was born and here in this famous Center of Music his remarkable career began what can we find in zburg today to help us understand Mozart and his music the house where he was born is a famous landmark in the history of music when we go inside we step back in a way to the 18th century here the boy Mozart spent many happy years with his young younger sister and his parents on the piano young vgang practiced lessons taught by his father a musician he was probably the favorite of the family a brilliant gifted boy he learned to play the piano at 3 and by 5 he was composing at 6 he wrote this minuette in F [Music] word of his amazing skill soon spread through salsburg his father decided to take the boy on a concert tour [Music] they left zburg to visit other cities of [Music] Europe we can imagine The Wonder of the wide-eyed boy as he saw the great palaces and other attractions in the cities of 18th century Europe [Music] the trip included Vienna one of the important centers of music education in the Royal Palace of the Hops borgs young bugong met Queen Maria Teresa she kissed him after his concert because she was so impressed with his performance everywhere he went he was acclaimed as the boy genius so successful was this tour that in 1768 when Mozart was 13 he and his father set off again this time to Italy the Italian tour which began at Verona was an important part of Mozart's musical education cities such as Bonia were centers of 18th century Italian music Papa mozar described it as the dwelling place of many artists and learned men at The Franciscan Church the boy met Padre Martini the chapel master who was the leading Authority on church music the Italian Journey included a visit to [Music] Rome at St Peter's the boy saw some of the wonders of this religious [Music] Center we can imagine the boy Mozart watching The Splendid ceremonies during Easter week in Rome perhaps these Impressions were responsible for the depth of feeling which Mozart later expressed in his final Masterpiece the rayum mass [Music] while he was in Rome Mozart visited the [Music] Vatican inside the great palace of the popes the boy attended ceremonies in the famous cinee [Music] Chapel but this was only one of his great musical experiences in Italy there was another kind of music that Mozart became acquainted with as he continued his travels in Italy here under blue skies and a warm Italian Sun mozard heard the captivating Melodies of Italian [Music] opera in Milan in the famed lascala Opera House Mozart's own operas were later introduced to Italian audiences it may have been on this Italian tour that Mozart caught the flavor of Italian music for he was the first as it was said to make the instrument sing to give his music a graceful lyrical quality in Naples Young Mozart discovered the world of opera music in the city was the famous s Carlo home of Italian opera Mozart later wrote operas which brought this form of music to high Perfection Donovan is such a classic let's listen to an Arya from Don joavan in this scene with Serina and [Music] mazetto fore [Music] from the musical world of Italy Mozart and his father returned to zburg here Mozart began the final stage of his development into one of the greatest of [Music] composers here his Patron was the Archbishop of zburg [Music] for 6 years Mozart was Court composer to the Archbishop but after a violent quarrel with his Patron he left zburg once more the young composer traveled Munich Paris Manheim finally he settled in Vienna there to spend the rest of his life in this church in Vienna he was married in Vienna too he enjoyed the Friendship of heyen another Master composer and here in Vienna he composed the bulk of his Works how shall we describe his music it is music that reflects the 18th century aristocracy in [Music] Europe it is music that expresses a way of life that was elegant formal and [Music] Charming it is music that recreates for us an untroubled world a world that resisted change and in this world move the kind of people for whom Mozart wrote his music the beautifully costumed men and women of the 18th century that century was an age of princes and kings their Splendid Gardens and palaces were designed in the classic tradition of ancient Greece and Rome it was an age of classic art and mozarts music like classic architecture stressed form and balanced design much of this music too was chamber music let's step inside an 18th century drawing room the music we hear is one of Mozart's most familiar piano [Music] sonatas and so Mozart's music depicts the traditions of the 18th century and yet although he was acclaimed a great composer there was no market for his [Music] compositions however his personal disappointments and tragedies never affected the spirit of his music while he lived in Vienna he was constantly in [Music] Deb he moved from from house to house often unable to pay his bills but wherever he lived he poured out his music the music of his mature [Music] years from Mozart's brilliant mind and prolific pen there continued to come a torrent of masterpieces among them one of the greatest of his symphonies it is the symphony number 40 in G minor one of the more than 600 compositions which he wrote In His short life time he was truly a master composer his music is the Flawless music of the elegant 18th [Music] century it is music in the classic tradition music of classic form and balance few composers have equaled the Perfection of Mozart's music he has been called the greatest musical genius who ever lived [Music]