My brother told me the other day there was no sex in Tristan. You don't have to be a close member of the family, or even very familiar with the opera, to know that he was not talking about whether or not Tristan and Isolde manage to achieve physical union before Melot and the King and the rest of the court interrupt them; I have always regarded that moment as the biggest coitus interruptus in music. Granted that they are `inter-assured of the mind', as Donne puts it, the question is academic. My brother decided somewhere around 1954 that there was no one to touch Mozart in opera and the view has sustained him into late middle age. His visit to Tristan had confirmed him in his view: I told him once that Tristan was the opera in which Wagner explores the idea that indulgence of sensual feeling is the source of human redemption, whereas Parsifal presents the opposite view, that abstention from sex, if we can manage it, is what ultimately saves us. What my brother was saying was that if that was the best Wagner could do, it was fine in its way but it wasn't a patch on Mozart.
He was really interested only in the da Ponte operas and often talked about Figaro, where the domesticity of the situation clearly appealed to him, but rarely about Don Giovanni, and hardly ever about Così. I suspect that at sixteen he found the idea of the Count having his way with the delicious Susanna overwhelmingly exciting and, of course, he felt the opera to be about `real people' despite all that distasteful business of the droit de seigneur - simply invented by Beaumarchais for his own dramatic purposes; I don't think there was historically such a feudal due in any European country. Don Giovanni's mythic element and supernatural end...
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... sweet love) two years later in the Ave Verum Corpus to accompany the words in mortis examine. In the quintet Alfonso laughs behind his hand but he plays a similar part in the deceit in the next number, the hardly less heavenly trio, Soave sia il vento. `Non son cattivo comico' (I'm not a bad actor) Alfonso says immediately, almost in case you have been carried away by the music into thinking he meant what he has just been singing.
'Ow we know? We know because Mozart tells us. Even if we had forgotten the trick in Figaro he warns us unequivocally at the start of Così, and we must be prepared for anything after that. The whole performance is so stylish and exquisite and evocative of Dresden china and Sachertorte that it's easy to forget, of course; Mozart is like a skilful conjuror who can surprise you with a trick even though he reminds you to expect it.
Tobias, T. (2008, July 7). Mark Morris Rethinks Prokofiev's `Romeo' as Lusty, Gender Bending, Not Tragic. Retrieved February 27, 2010, from Seeing Things: Tobi Tobias on Dance et al.: http://www.artsjournal.com/tobias/2008/07/mark_morris_rethinks_prokofiev.html
"Mozart for Four." The Concert: A Classical Music Podcast . Web. 14 Feb 2010. .
On Sunday, December 07, 2003, I attended the Mozart and The Height of Classicism concert that was held in the Lincoln Theater of the New World Symphony orchestral academy. Conducted by Nicholas McGegan featuring pianist Robert Levin. There were two pieces of music during this concert, one of the movements was performed by the pianist alone as a solo, Mr. Robert Levin. The program’s title was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Chaconne from Idomeneo. The first piece was Concerto No. 24 in C minor for Piano and Orchestra, K. 491, Allegro, Larghetto, and Allegretto. The second piece was Symphony No. 36 in C major, K.425, “Linz”, Adagio-Allegro spiritoso, Andante, Menuetto-Trio, and Presto. This concert was unique in that the focus seemed to be as much on the instruments as in the music itself. As the pianist and conductor expressed the form of improvisation as Mozart did, which I will explain further on my critique.
Throughout history, child prodigies have been celebrated as objects of envy and adulation. Rarely, however, have they been understood. Often taunted by peers, hounded by the press, prodded by demanding parents and haunted by outsize expectations of greatness, they are treated as wondrous curiosities. But their stories are often a sad and captivating one, marked by early achievement and the promise of something greater. The letters exchanged between Mozart and his family reflect a wider story of how complications arise during a prodigy's transition into adulthood with evidence of immense pressure from his father, immaturity, and the eventual need to lead a normal life.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s composed the opera Cosi fan Tutte in which is a musical classical masterpiece depicting the, story, strength, struggle and tests on love amongst individuals. A beautiful depiction of this opera took place at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City on May 3, 2014. The concept of Cosi fan Tutte has been that a man Don Alfonso is trying to persuade and prove to two young officers Ferrando and Guglielmo that their women are unfaithful. Don Alfonso claims that “a woman’s constancy is like the phoenix in which everyone talks about it but no one has actually seen it” (“Synopsis”). Throughout the progression of the opera sisters Fiordiligi and Dorabella are blindsided and fooled by Alfonso, Ferrando, Guglielmo, and their maid Despina regarding in their attempt to get the young women to fall for other men (which are actually Ferrando and Guglielmo disguised) to prove that they are indeed unfaithful. The performing media included an orchestra that was conducted by conductor James Levine. The librettist who had written the libretto or text of this opera was Lorenzo Da Ponte. This classical orchestra contained instruments from the woodwinds, brass, percussion, and strings. The instrumentation consisted of 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets, 2 Bassoons, 2 Horns, 2 Trumpets, Timpani, and Strings including first violins, second violins, violas, violoncellos, and double basses. Preceding Act 1 of the opera, Levine conducted an overture that helped to transition into the beginning of the first act. Don Alfonso, Ferrando, and Guglielmo opened up the act otherwise known as trio. In both acts of the production, performers spoke in recitative, or speaking to music, to get their emotion and view across to the other performe...
For the musical composer essay, I have chosen to write about a man who I felt made the greatest impact on Romantic opera in the 19th century this master of a man was given the name Giuseppe Fortunio Francesco Verdi but was commonly known as Giuseppe Verdi by all who knew and loved him. This great man was born on either October 9, or 10 in the year 1813 in the community of Le Roncole, near a small town called Busseto in the province of Parma, Italy his astrological sign is that of a Libra. His mother and father were both of Italian descent and their names were Carlo and Luigia Verdi respectively. Now this is where it gets complicated Verdi told every person that talked to him about his background that his parents were illiterate peasants. Despite this lie that Verdi told them they later discovered that his parents were not illiterate peasants as he had claimed but were very smart individuals tha...
Opera is a unique genre of spoken word and song accompanied by music. The music takes one through ascending and descending ranges of emotions. Mozart's Don Giovanni is a perfect example of how this genre emits a wide variety of feelings and attitudes. This "dark comedy seems to convey Mozart's feeling that events have both comical and serious dimensions…" (Kerman, 205). The opera, as a whole, is neither exclusively comedic nor entirely tragic.
From that point on, he successfully founded modern French opera. “His involvement was not limited to musical composition. He collaborated with his poets in the production of libretti, and even took an interest in the acting and declamation of the performers. His insistence on discipline and high artistic standards in the opera orchestra was legendary” (Straughan (a))
At the age of the Enlightenment, Antonio Salieri becomes the most triumphant musician in the city of Vienna, however, without any warning his harmonious universe comes to an utter halt. Salieri’s absolute faith in the world, in himself, and in God is all at once diminished by this spontaneous child composer. When the two opposite ends meet, there emerges a fury, a rage, and a passion in Salieri to sabotage the boy that has secured Salieri’s deserved God given talent; to destroy the one pubescent child that has made him so mute and naked now in a world of discordance. Salieri’s entire reputation and boyhood prayer to attain fame thus rests on his ability to annihilate that child prodigy, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.In analyzing the two composers, Salieri and Mozart, there is a distinct line that clearly divides them. Salieri’s operas receive astounding receptions, making them the “talk of the city,'; shaking the roofs, buzzing the cafes, and even the name Salieri “sounds throughout all of Europe'; (2,3). The reason for Salieri’s success, as well as many musicians of the eighteenth century, is because they have become enslaved by the well-to-do and hence are “no better than servants'; (1,3). This applies especially to the king. For example, in Amadeus, His Majesty forbid any ballet in his operas. Imperial commands such as this are not to be interpreted in any way, in other words, they are to be merely obeyed without any dispute. Since operas tend to the needs of the high society in order to obtain recognition, the operas must communicate through the language of the nobility, that is, Italian. In addition, since the majority of the audience is made up of the upper class, the subject matter of the operas must consist of elevated themes. Such as, mythological heroes, kings, and queens, and so forth. According to the eighteenth century view, operas are supposed to be a sublime and an aggrandizing art. The elevated subject matter is then chosen in order to venerate and honor the nobility. It’s purpose is to “celebrate the eternal in man'; says Van Swieten (2,4). Meaning that there is an element in a noble person that lasts without any end, like God who is immortal. God represents the everlasting and the eternality of existence, thus God gives inspiration to operas that...
Countless dozens of Ph.D theses must be written about Mozart's The Magic Flute and yet it is so lively with elements of fantasy and free-flying imagination that it is often the first opera to which children are taken. It has a plot of such complexity that it takes several viewings for all but the most studious opera buffs to sort out the characters and follow the ins and outs of the multilevel story. At the same time it has so much easily accessible charm and so many glorious Mozart tunes that even the novice will be captivated.
One of the most interesting challenges in operatic composition , is composing for all the specific characters. A composer has to distinguish between characters through his music. Jan can’t sound like Fran , and Dan can’t sound like Stan. Each character must have his or her own traits. Mozart’s opera , Don Giovanni , provides us with many different characters to compare and contrast. One scene in particular lends itself to the comparison of Don Giovanni , Leporello , and The Commendator. Scene fifteen of Act two, places all three characters in close interaction with each other , making it easy to compare and find out how Mozart and his Librettist Lorenzo da Ponte brought them all to life.
He was a great young composer that transformed into a genius that was able to write music in the short periods of time he had during the day and was able to rewrite the musical rules. After being very successful in his early years, Mozart grew little older and started looking at things in a bigger picture. He tried to fit in on many different things including languages of others. The “Magic Flute” that was written at the end of his short life is known as the ultimate expression of Mozart’s ambition to connect with the human life and the human emotion through music as well as theater. At 25 years old, Mozart is no longer a prodigy but has not proved to be an amateur composer. In Provincial Salzburg is where Mozart is still living with his father and sister. Mozart is going to Munich because they have commissioned him to write an Italian opera in a serious style. Mozart’s father said he gave Wolfgang the advice to never neglect the popular style for the unmusical public as the musical ones. Leopold agreed to be Mozart’s middle man between the poets but he didn’t know that this would be his last detailed involvement in one of Mozart’s projects. Mozart’s father said they worked every day on the poems but Mozart was determined about something totally different than his father. He had problems with everything his father done. Whether it was too long or not dramatic enough, it would never suit his needs. His
Conclusively, while being one of his earliest works, Mozart’s Minuet in F Major (K.2) is far from primitive. His use of repetition and subtle melodic and rhythmic variations keep the melody interesting enough to retain the listener’s attention. Not only this, but the harmonic surprises of the modulation and deceptive cadence keep the listener guessing in the best way possible. While at the surface this work may seem like nothing more than an AABA 32-bar dance, there is much more than that hidden throughout the work. If this is what Mozart was capable of at the mere age of six, it is unsurprising that his legacy remains to this day.
Mozart and Salieri are both great composers. Salieri pretended to be Mozart’s friend, he was jealous and people thought he killed Mozart. Salieri felt threaten by Mozart and frequently put obstacles in Mozart way.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is often referred to as the greatest musical genius of all time in Western musical tradition. His creative method was extraordinary: his writings show that he almost always wrote a complete composition mentally before finally writing it on paper. Mozart created 600 works in his short life of 35 years. His works included 16 operas, 41 symphonies, 27 piano concerti, and 5 violin concerti, 25 string quartets, and 19 masses.