AMozartADay

Day 16 (July 6th, 2012):

Concert Aria for Soprano and Orchestra, “Conservati Fedele”, K. 23

Mozart composed the aria in October 1765 while staying at The Hague during the family’s British-European tour, when he was nine years old. Both of the Mozart children, Wolfgang and his sister Nannerl, were quite ill at the time. It was slightly revised in January 1766, possibly for a performance for Princess Carolina of Orange-Nassau. In his list of Wolfgang’s works which he started in 1768 in Vienna, his father Leopold entered this piece as no. 2 of 15 Italian Arias, composed in London and The Hague (German: 15 Italiänische Arien theils in London, theils im Haag Componiert).

The Newberry Library (Case MS 6A, 48), Chicago, acquired the manuscript (6 sheets, 11 pages) through a bequest of the opera singer Claire Dux –Mrs Charles H. Swift– (1885–1967 in Chicago). It was previously owned by Raphael Georg Kiesewetter who gave the autograph to Aloys Fuchs as a gift. Both Fuchs and Abbé Maximilian Stadler confirmed its authenticity with their signatures on 7 December 1832. The Neue Mozart-Ausgabe also mentions an autograph (4 sheets, 7 pages) at the Bibliothèque nationale de France in its Malherbe collection.

Translation:

“Stay and remain faithful;

Think how I grieve alone here,

And sometimes at the least

Remember me.

While I by power of love

Talking to my own heart

Converse with thee.”

Day 13:

Symphony No. 5 in B-flat Major, K. 22 (complete recording)

The Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major, K. 22, was composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in The Hague in December, 1765, at the age of nine, while he was on his musical tour of Western Europe. Mozart fell seriously ill during his stay in Hague, and he wrote that composition probably while he was convalescing from his illness. The symphony is scored for two oboes, two horns and strings. The form is that of a three-movement Italian overture:

1. Allegro, 4/4

2. Andante, 2/4

3. Allegro molto, 3/8

All three movements are colored especially prominently by horns. A rousing first movement in the key of B-flat major opens the symphony, followed by a more solemn, mournful movement in the relative key of G minor. A short, boisterous finale closes the work. The opening theme to the finale is borrowed from the finale to keyboard concerto by Johann Christian Bach whom Mozart had met the previous year in London. The same theme would also appear in a much later, more mature work of Mozart’s: the Act 2 Finale of his 1786 opera buffa, Le nozze di Figaro, K. 492.

Day 10:

Symphony No. 4 in D Major, KV. 19

Where did Ks.17 and 18 go, you might ask? Well, as it turns out, Leopold Mozart wrote K. 17 and Wolfgang copied someone else’s symphony into his notebook as a study, but the publishers who found it after his death thought it was his. They were each symphonies, hence the title of KV. 19 (Symphony No. 4). Quite technically it is the second symphony that Mozart wrote.

Also written in 1765, also in London, it comprises of three movements: Allegro, Andante, Presto.

This wonderful recording was produced by Christopher Hogwood and The Academy of Ancient Music. 

Day 8:

Sonata for keyboard and violin in B-flat Major, K. 15

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0BwI4FvT_Q&feature=channel&list=UL

In K. 15 there is a strong influence of English music, especially that of Händel. Of course this is appropriate, as Ks. 10-15 were written in London. While the B-flat sonata does not very much compare in excitement to the one in C Major (K. 14), it is interesting none the less. Mozart continues to develop his voice imitation techniques, as well as the logic of harmony. In m. 19 we see a reasonable tactic- proceeding a note of resolution (‘D’ in this case) with a harmony consisting of a semi-tone above (e-flat) and a semi-tone below (c#). The trouble is….this does not sound very good. It lasts but a quick moment (a 16th note), but when one is playing an alberti F major chord in the bass and writes c# and e-flat in the soprano lines, there is bound to be trouble. The e-flat can be passed of as making the F chord and F7, the dominant in our key of B-flat, but the c# is simply out of place. It resolves, as previously mentioned, to a D (part of the g minor chord of measure 20), but not in any way that is satisfying to the ear.

A delightful aspect of this piece is the inherent drama, and also Mozart’s way of sounding repetitious to common ears, but incredibly fresh to trained ones. These are building blocks on the way from child prodigy to mature genius.

A full score of this piece can be found here.

Day 7:

Sonata for keyboard and violin in C major, K. 14 (complete)

Part of the keyboard/violin sonatas of K.10-15, K.14 displays a certain fleshing out of the appoggiatura (and also the ritardation). Use of arpegiated bass is noted. In the development section, there is a direct modulation from G major (V) to g minor, and from there to f minor, a key very rarely used by Mozart. 

In the second movement (allegro) we see exciting progress in the style of Mozart. Strewn about the keyboard and violin parts are playful grace notes. In fact, they are part of the main themes of the first minuet of movement three, as well. While perhaps used more sparingly in mature Mozart, these grace notes are an important mile-marker on our journey to K. 626.

A complete score to this work can be found here.

Hello and welcome to AMozartADay! You are following a blog dedicated to the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, so if nothing else I know you have good taste. But I think you are all fantastic!

This journey is going to be a long one: there is no denying that. For two years we will work through every phase of Mozart’s life and music, discovering his influences, proclivities, and genius.

As you can see, today is the 6th day of this project. This blog and Mozart himself are still incredibly young at this stage. Grow with us! Come along and listen to things of unparalleled joy, sorrow, wit, and beauty.

Since I can remember, I have had very, very particular expectations for the performers of Mozart. I hope this comes across in the recordings I choose to post on this blog. They will be the best I can find in the depths of the internet, and where they fail I will mention it. As you can see, so far we have only heard harpsichords and fortepianos as far as keyboards go. This will always be the case if 1) a recording with such instruments exists and 2) it gives a worthy interpretation. If ever there is a recording which you do not like, please tell me, and I will work to correct the problem.

You are noble people, all of you. You strive to know what it is to be human. Through the next 626 Köchel numbers, I think we can do it.

Day 6:

Unlucky number 13 today! Mozart’s Sonata for Keyboard and Violin No. 8 in F, K. 13. I think the opening is quite brilliant. You can really see a jump in development from even K 12. The mimicking of the voices shows the beginning of Mozart’s true style forming. He is drawing a lot from J.C. Bach, who was one of his most influential roll models.

This is a complete recording.

Day 5:

Sonata for Keyboard and Violin in A Major, K12 (complete)

Day 4:

Sonata for Keyboard and Violin in G Major, K11 (complete)

This sonata is part of the set of sonatas K.10 - K.15, all of them composed in London and The Hague (Nederlands) during the Mozart’s family Grand Tour of Europe. Published by Leopold as Mozart’s Opus 3. They are all composed for Harpsichord or Pianoforte, Violin or Flute, and optional cello. This last instrument, however, doesn’t have its own melodic line, it just copies the basso continuo line of the Harpsichord left hand. Dedicated to Sophie Charlotte.

K.11 was composed in June 1764, in London.

Abert wrote: “A very different aspect is revealed by the sonatas written in London and The Hague, K10 - 15 and K26 - 31. It is not, however, as though Mozart had broken completely free from his former models. Indeed, Schobert’s spirit continued to leave its mark on his style right up to the end of his life, simply because the two men were kinded spirits. But the older impressions were now joined by new ones whose principal mediator was Johann Cristian Bach. It was not, however, a change that took place overnight: the sonatas K10, K11 and K13 are still in three movements, while K13 and K14 additionally include complete recapirulations as found in works of the earlier period. Parisan taste is discernible in points of detail, too. In other respects, however, we find greater freedom here in terms of both the number and order of the movements […] There is little doubt that Leopold - his weather-eye trained, as always, on the taste of local audiences - had a hand in this development. […] It is clear, moreover, from the opening bars of K15 that Mozart was now writing for Händel’s adopted homeland (England). But the most important aspect of all is the way in which these sonatas reveal Mozart drawing progressively closer in his style of writing to the language of Johann Christian Bach.”

Day 3:

Sonata for Keyboard and Violin in B-flat Major, K. 10

Movement 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIP4JurYaqU&feature=channel&list=UL

Movement 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2DK1oHTlww&feature=channel&list=UL