Susan Mcclary Critical Analysis

Born Wofgang Amadeus Mozart in 1756, he was considered a genius when he was just a child. He taught himself how to play the violin, clarinet, and trumpet. At age nine, he composed a full symphony, and at fourteen he wrote his first opera. During his life, he accomplished and composed fifty symphonies, twenty-five piano concertos, twelve violin concertos, twenty-seven concertos arias, twenty-six string quartets, one hundred and three minuets, fifteen masses, and twenty-one works of opera. Mozart was so talented that after only hearing a piece of music once, he would be able to play it perfectly even without the music. He was able to write music before words. He was excellent in math and could speak a few languages. It would take you 1500 years to listen to all of his music if you listened to it every day for 8

Despite what many individuals know about Mozart today, he excelled in instruments other than just the piano. Due to his father’s persistent teaching and influence, Mozart was able to grasp the understandings of the viola and the organ ("Wolfgang Mozart."). However, without Mozart’s father’s persistency, Mozart may have not been able to reach his full potential as a child prodigy. From early on in Wolfgang’s life he was able to compose opera’s to be performed for the entertainment of the nobility ("Wolfgang Mozart"). In the towards the end of the 1770’s Mozart started to realize that he had far more potential and

This paper will begin with a brief discussion of sonata form, which will define many of the terms used in the remainder of the paper. Next, a detailed explanation of first-movement concerto form as it was understood in Mozart’s time. Following this, Mozart’s habits of altering tradition will be established, and there will be an analysis of the alterations he makes to first-movement concerto form in his Clarinet Concerto K 622, and how they foster unity.

Sonatas composed from 1773 to 1784 were intended as “public” works from the very beginning, with a clear conception of the taste, preferences, and instruments available to the musical public of Vienna. The Sonata in F Major, Hob. XVI: 23; L38 written in 1773 for solo harpsichord is the best known and most virtuosic of

Mozart was an extremely childish, immature person; yet one of the most talented musicians of all time.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart baptized as Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart lived from January 27, 1756 to December 5, 1791. Mozart was a very influential and prolific composer of more than 600 works, including symphonies, concertante, chamber, piano, opera, and choral music. Regarded as a child prodigy, Mozart composed and performed in the European courts from the age of five, and was engaged at the Salzburg court at 17. Mozart’s musical style can be classified as Classical, although he learned from many of his contemporaries throughout his musical career. In order to better understand Mozart’s genius it is best to begin looking at his earliest contributions to the musical world as a child. From there, an exploration of his

The Mozart Effect Resource Centre website, music educator Don Campbell made the claim that “classical music has a powerful effect on the intellectual and creative development of children from the very youngest of ages.” (Campbell, n.d.). To critically evaluate this claim a number of sources have been analysed. Through this analysis it was found that the claim cannot be supported by reliable empirical research and that classical music only produces short-term cognitive enhancement. This effect can be achieved by listening to any type of music. The first main theme found in the literature was that listening to classical music such as Mozart produced only short term increased cognitive abilities and did not aid the intellectual development of

to one side here in favor of the more rigorous example of Mozart, which is, however,

Mozart was born into a music inspired family. He was taught about music at a young age and had a raw, natural talent for music. Mozart’s father was a violinist, composer, and an assistant concertmaster at the Salzburg court while his mother was born into a middleclass family of community leaders. He and his only sister, Maria, we introduced to music at an early age by their father, Leopold. “Leopold was a devoted and task-oriented teacher to both his children. He made the lessons fun, but also insisted on a strong work ethic and perfection.” (Grimm.) Mozart’s father played a huge role in his early life. He introduced Mozart to many musicians in which Mozart looked up to as a role

In turn, Mozart’s Don Giovanni belonged to the classical era. One important aspect of music style of classical period is that it focused on clarity (Fisher 127). Also, stylistically the music emphasized on precision as well as rigid structural methods. During that period individuals had strong

The 72-year-old man noticed the child’s gift and was perhaps the first to see the comparison with Mozart. To Zelter he said, “Musical prodigies […] are probably no longer so rare; but what this little man can do in extemporizing and playing at sight borders the miraculous. And I could not have believed it possible at so early an age.” “And yet you heard Mozart in his seventh year at Frankfurt?” said Zelter. “Yes,” answered Goethe, “[…] but what your pupil already accomplishes, bears the same relation to the Mozart o that time, that the cultivated talk of a grown-up person bears to the prattle of a child” (Todd R. Larry 2003, 89.)

Nevertheless, Nannerl remained a powerful influence to some of Mozart’s greatest operas. In Così fan tutte and Le Nozze di Figaro, the Countess and Fiordiligi find themselves standing at odds with the social norms when they challenge the dominance of powerful men. Perhaps, the characters are influenced from the relationships Mozart witnesses in his family. Unlike the heroines in his operas, Nannerl chose to remain silent and submissive, never challenging Leopold’s wishes, despite her personal feelings. Despite her weak nature, Nannerl was rational, shrewd, and responsible, which perfectly depicts the Countess and Fiordiligi.

Just because Mozart performed all over Europe it mean he had a lot of money. When he tried to marry the love of his life. Constanze, his father disapproved of the marriage. But Mozart decided to marry Constanze anyway. When Constanze and Mozart decided to have children only two survived infancy out of six children. Sadly in his later years with his mental and physical health deteriorating. He succumbed to death and the end of a great classical era. They say when Mozart died the classical era

Mozart spend much of his time traveling throughout Europe to widen his fame, and career opportunities. During Mozart’ trip, he and his sister performed as child prodigies. During his performances Mozart met many composers including the extremely influential, Johanne Christian Bach. “Bach’s singing-style themes, tasteful use of expressive motives, such as appoggiaturas, suspenseful harmonic ambiguities, and consistent thematic contrasts became permanent features of Mozart’s writing” (Portowitz, pg 606). Mozart performed at the professionally under Archbishop Colloredo’s rule.

Many disagreements arose after attending a concert featuring the complex Concerto. McClary liked the music while her companion found it “romantic” and “self indulgent”. McClary commented back stating “the soloist had been articulating dramatically” . She argued certain unusual composition strategies indicated in Mozart’s text. He then protested that Mozart did not deal with the notions she was mentioning. Mozart was, afterall, known for creating music that was abstract, universal and free from the spark of human interest, so it's easy to see how one might disagree. Is this true? If so, is a composer able to write something unlike his/hers previous works? Of course. With music, anything is possible.