Mozart - Digging up the Corpus

Mozart is dead. Long may he haunt us!

On Monday 5 December 2017 it will be 225 years since he shuffled off stage. I thought it might be useful to share some of his tunes. Please contribute and enjoy!

 

The Marriage of Figaro - Not just another opera where you can't wait for the fat lady to sing

Here's the basic story. In the opening scene Figaro measures up the size of his wedding bed, which is soon to be put into commission. Figaro's boss, a lecherous aristocrat, is planning to "pop the cherry" of Figaro's fiance, Susanna. An ensemble cast attempt to foil his nefarious plans and hilarity ensues.

It received a mixed response on its first run, but was popular when it reached Prague. Mozart wrote to one of his mates saying, "Here they talk about nothing but 'Figaro'. Nothing is played, sung or whistled but 'Figaro'. No opera is drawing like 'Figaro'. Nothing, nothing but 'Figaro'."

I'm not a fan of opera in general. Excuse my skepticism, but who would bother spending two hours watching middle-aged fatsos prancing around while pretending to be half their age? Who could stay awake long enough? Who, in the name of Salieri's ghost, would go around whistling opera tunes? Let's see what all the fuss was about and why I don't break out in a rash when I listen to the Marriage of Figaro.

 

My dearest Wolfie, sorely missed after 225 years. I absolutely love his operas, Figaro, being my favourite. Besides his great operas, Wolfie wrote 23 original piano concertos from the tender age of 17. The brilliant set of piano concertos by Murray Perahia is highly recommended when first venturing into this wonderful repertoire.

At the tender age of 21 Mozart wrote the sublime Piano Concerto no 9 in E-flat major, better known as "Jeunehomme", K271. Alfred Brendel, a famous pianist, has labelled it as "one of the greatest wonders of the world". The middle slow movement is so tender, so innocent, it melts my heart away...

Piano Concerto no 9 in E-flat major, "Jeunehomme", K271



Moving onto his mature works during his life in Vienna, Mozart wrote some truly amazing concertos, and these include his stupefying Piano Concerto no 20 in D Minor, K466. Beethoven held this concerto is high esteem and wrote a famous cadenza for it, that takes a life of its own at the end of the first movement.

Mozart had a tumultous relationship with his father Leopold and this concerto may have been written with the knowledge that his father will hear it during one of his visits. This may explain the dark restless spirit of the first movement with its blunt and coarse first theme contrasting with the brighter mood of the second theme.

The second movement, named 'Romanze', signifies the first true step into the Romantic era of that age. It is such a peaceful, lyrical and passionate piece, interrupted by a tempest of emotion, agony and ache, only to finish with the heartbreaking initial melody.

The third movement is a jubilant extraordinary piece, finishing this perfect music for all of us to hear.

Piano Concerto no 20 in D Minor, K466.



Piano concerto 21 may be the most famous of Wolfie's piano repertoire, especially with its melodic and marvellous second movement...

Piano Conceto no 21 in C Major, K467.



Finally I can't not mention Piano concerto no 23 in A Major, K488, written around the time of the premier of The Marriage of Figaro opera in 1786. Besides his 20th, this concerto is one of my favourite works by this extraordinary human being.

The first movement is filled with dissonance, unexpected shifts of harmony and chromatism. The second movement is one of the most beautiful pieces of music I heard with a wonderful operatic tone. Please, everyone alive, just listen to this movement before you die! The final movement finishes off with brilliance with sudden changes in tone and harmony. Enjoy....

Piano Concerto no 23 in A Major, K488

 

23d Piano Concerto
Goode, Orpheus



Runner up: Corea, McFerrin

24th Piano Concerto
Haskil, Markevitch



Sonata K. 332
Schnabel, 1946



Runner up: Horowitz, 1947

 

This is but a short excerpt from a previously recorded live webcast. I'm a fan of Ton Koopman's work.

 

Thanks so much for sharing the clips, @MuseWanderer. I had forgotten how much I loved PC#9, wonderfully played here! Though..was one of the piano keys broken?

Anyone familiar with this wonderful Fleisher/Szell recording from 1959? One of my favorite moments is the back and forth between the piano and oboe at 3:20 or so.

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Not bad for a boy of sixteen.

On Monday I listened to a disc of keyboard music Mozart wrote between the ages of six and eight. It was like I was back in second year uni, listening to a procession of student exercises as they practised writing in the Classical style. Hmm, Mozart was six and I was nineteen.

 

Its just a shame mozart didn't write anything really for cello outside of chamber music ><