Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Essay Example

How Mozart Was Representative of His Era Introduction Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a great classical era composer that set the pace for another era that would follow his passing known as the romantic era. Classical era music adhered to a strict set of rules, yet despite these restrictions, Mozart still managed to inspire and awe audiences. The pieces he composed had both rhythmically complex and long melodies; however, he still stayed within the prevailing genre of the period by having a highly interconnected and coherent sound. Characteristics of the classical era The classical period is technically a period in art and music that existed between 1730 and 1820, and as the name suggests is synonymous with clean and well-ordered or hierarchical work (Schwarm 2). Classicism as a movement spans across literature, the arts and even architecture; it was strongly associated with absolutism and the need for clear divisions of parts. At the time, the buildings and art works were made in bright colours yet they contrasted each other; overall, classical era production was simple and less complex than previous periods. These ideas mostly came from developments in science and philosophy where it was established that things tend to follow certain rules; in accordance with Newtonian physics, the most stable structures were the highly ordered ones. These influences entered the arena of music when audiences and players began adding structure to their pieces; unlike the previous Baroque period that had layered melodies and harmonies, the classical era had homophonic music where the harmony was inferior to the melody (Hoffer 124). Tonal structures were deeply emphasised at the time owing to the emphasis on chords; sometimes this was done at the expense of melodic smoothness. In addition, the classical era music differed from the Baroque style music owing to its emphasis on instrumental groups other than the string instruments. Participants of the classical era simplified the texture of their music in a manner that allowed listeners to be better able to tell the instrumental details apart. Tones needed to be unified through certain rhythms like the minuet or opening fanfares in order to get the attention of its listeners. This era also had concerto and sonata forms at a greater level with special emphasis given to their definition as well as the rules surrounding their use. Furthermore, performers did the symphony and concertos for many were eventually replaced by soloist concertos. It is the latter fact that led to the prominence of solo performances, where an artist could bask in the glory of his talent before audiences. Overall, one may say that the music of the classical era was lighter and less dramatic than that of other times and had a homophonic combination in which the melody got more primacy over the choral part of the piece. This style opposed excessive seriousness and too much reliance on grandeur as was the case in Baroque music. For this reason, composers had to depend on variety or contrast to bring out the best in their work; rhythms, melodies and keys were the instruments used to create those contrasts and so were timbre and mood. Phrases were quite clear-cut in this era and most artists preferred to keep them short while their piano music was quite powerful and audible. Many in the era paid special attention to instrumental music and were highly concerned with the symphony, trio, string quartet, sonata, concerto as well as the serenade (Walton 166). This era rejected Baroque influences owing to its emphasis on dramatic outcomes; this was partly because Baroque era performers used to work for institutions like the church that required the compositions to support actual singing. Instruments like piano were not that important owing to the prominence given to operatic singers, so Baroque artists tended to play more string instruments. Performers in the classical era did not see the need to focus on those performances and this is why the sonata became one of the most prominent features of the work. In essence, music was categorised as classical if it had the cherished qualities of both beauty as well as purity. How Mozart reflected classical era characteristics As stated in the earlier segments of the paper, Baroque artists used to perform for a select audience that often dictated the kind of tunes they could play; however, the classical era that coincided with the enlightenment age was more individualistic in character. Mozart was freer to perform for a wider range of audiences than his counterparts were in the previous era of Baroque, so his musical compositions did not have to be as endearing to the church as his counterparts. One of the things that stand out clearly in Mozart’s work is the manner in which he emphasised the melody of his songs; this was typical of classical musicians. If one listens to the Requiem, one realises that the writer emphasised the importance of melodies; this work was such that the parts relegated for the soloist were interwoven with the chorus and responsible for the emotion in the song. Mozart initially grew up in Salzburg but later moved to Vienna; the move was a conscious decision made in order to allow his music to get more exposure and appreciation from the masses. If he had continued living in Salzburg, he would have been assured of a steady income from the Archbishop of the area as his father used to work for him. However, like the committed artist that he was, Mozart sacrificed financial stability for artistic freedom; he simply did not want to fall prey to the dictates of his employers. Vienna would be the place where he would work independently and thus reach the full heights of his artistic talent. Mozart often criticized the musical scene in Salzburg by saying that there were no professional musicians or theatre where real artists could thrive. He also felt that the orchestra in that location tended to focus on the superfluous and ignored the necessary parts of music; for this reason, one can state with confidence that he was a classical era musician. He wanted to move away from excesses and the superfluous and focus on structure, instrument and other parts of compositions that really mattered. Vienna was the musical capital of the continent, and he felt that if he could move there, there will be more resources and people who could appreciate his work. However, because of the size and high availability of composers in Vienna, Mozart needed to go above and beyond expectations in order to stand out. The high rate of music literacy in his environment forced him to play by the rules of the classical era; however, he still transcended these rules to a small extent in order to demonstrate the genius of his work. In order to understand how Mozart operated within the limits of classical era music, one can study the Piano Concerto No. 23, which he wrote in 1786 (). The piece was part of a collection of 6 concertos that the composer is renowned for, and in Kochel 488, one gets to understand his musical inclinations quite well (Donelan 27). First, it is clear that the piece is both delicate and deep as was expected in classical music; composers had to provide work that was lighter in texture. However, what really stands out about the piece is the beauty in its simplicity; it consists of two regular, parallel melodies. Despite this, one can deduce a melancholic mood from it owing to the irregular nature of the rhythm as well as the phrasing, which is quite variable. As explained in the earlier portion of the essay, most classical music was not complex; it was structured but tended to rely on variations of rhythm. This was clearly what Mozart was going for in the piece and is reflective of strivings among his peers; his ingenuity comes about when he alters the phrasing as well. Since the classical era may be perceived as highly restrictive in structure, it was imperative for composers to think outside the box in order to make their work outstanding. Mozart was one such artist because he worked with a simple theme, yet found a way of introducing surprise and unpredictability within it. It is always tempting for artists to choose the flashy path, but this often compromises their complexity; Mozart’s concertos were reflective of classical preferences because he found a way of fusing both the social and individual elements of his work. In terms of the technical component, the artist was able to make use of the pianoforte, which had not been used in the previous era; therefore, the variations of soft and loud notes has been made possible. As asserted in the description of the classical era; composers tended to place a lot of their effort on tonal structures, and this was typical for Mozart in the piece too. Instrumentalism was also emblematic of the classical era as is the case in this particular concerto; if one carefully listens, one can hear the clarinet within the orchestra. Some historians note that the clarinet was relatively new at the time Mozart composed the piece, but he had already appreciated the potential that was inherent in it. He later began to use it in a number of other pieces; in fact, many assert that the clarinet was one the composer’s best instruments at the time. Furthermore, it was also mentioned in the description section that the sonata was one of the elements that was synonymous with this era; it became like a standard that one could identify classical music with. Sonata forms tend to begin with tonally stable and simple parts then graduate to a tense middle section and then minimise the complexity towards the end. Therefore, the middle is where the climax of a song can be found and all the complicated textures are located in this section. When an artist intends to change their rhythmic patterns dramatically or to use far-ranging keys, as they usually place it in the middle of the song. The way Mozart used the sonata testifies to his classical era roots as they were confined within the rules and expectations of his time. When Mozart got to the middle, he rarely surprised the listeners with odd combinations of keys; if his intention were to change from one key to a remote one, he would prepare the listener by introducing it slowly. This has the effect of making the work seamless as well as deeply united; he simply had an ability to unite different movements together (WSU) The above may be taken a step further when generalising some of Mozart’s pieces; he often depended on a series of themes in his movements. It is possible for an artist to rely on one theme for their movement as the case for Haydn who was a genius in his own right (Rosen 66). Conversely, Mozart combined several themes in a way that was harmonious or had the feeling of unity; lesser composers would sound diffuse if they used several themes. However, Mozart did not belong to the latter category; in his Paris Symphony No. 32, one can hear several themes in the first movement, yet none of them, sound diffuse. Mozart was thus a classical artist because he usually played within the confines of the established rules; he was conservative and rarely surprised audiences with remote keys. Regardless, he was still able to create masterpieces with whatever musical resources were available to him. For instance, if he had a number of themes to play, he often presented them in an ordered pattern and in situations where repetition was necessary, most were done verbatim. However, what made them stand out was the way they contained full lyrical melodies within them; it is for this reason that the concertos written by the artist were so remarkable. Mozart usually relied on common musical material from his era to come up with his own pieces; he often found a way of creating variations through injecting his own life force into it. He was quite good at finding melodies in conventional work; for this reason, the audience had a way of relating to him owing to his adherence to the preset chord order in a popular piece. However, he somehow surprised them by what he could do with those pieces when he performed as they sometimes moved the audiences to tears. Conclusion Many people think of Mozart as a classical artist because of the way he composed his music; it was done in a natural manner and did not appear contrived. Additionally, the melodies were beautiful yet simple in character; hence, this simplicity that made him representative of his era. In addition, he was a kind of composer that paid attention to structure as his themes were often repeated and the arrangements were done in accordance to rules in his environment. Mozart was an elegant performer who exercised a great deal of restraint in his work; he set the pace for instrumentalism and emphasis on the simplicity of music. This composer knew how to the make the most from a tune thus explaining why he was so successful at holding the audience’s attention. Works Cited Schwarm, Betsy.Classical music insights : understanding and enjoying great music. Bloomington, Ind. : Trafford Pub. 2011. Print. Walton, Charles W. Basic forms in music. Alfred Music Publishing. 1974. Print Hoffer, Charles R., Music listening today. Boson, MA : Schirmer/Cengage Learning. 2012.Print. Rosen, Charles. Critical entertainments : music old and new .Cambridge, Mass. : Harvard University Press, 2000. Print. Donelan, James H. Poetry and the romantic musical aesthetic. New York : Cambridge University Press, 2008. Print WSU. Music of the classical period. 2010. Web. 24 Sep. 2014. < http://public.wsu.edu/~brians/hum_303/classical.html > Other Links to other Book sources http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=fuoU7-twCGkC&pg=PA124&dq=classical+homophonic+music&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Xm9WVKXrAreMsQSG44K4Ag&ved=0CBsQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=classical%20homophonic%20music&f=false http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=JB8dRAo2OoMC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Classical+music+insights+:+understanding+and+enjoying+great+music.&hl=en&sa=X&ei=T3FWVMjQErDbsASZyoC4Dw&ved=0CB0Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Classical%20Music&f=false http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=QYttVHpkoFAC&pg=PA166&dq=symphony,+trio,+string+quartet,+sonata,+concerto&hl=en&sa=X&ei=PHJWVPj2FNXZsASr44GQAg&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=symphony%2C%20trio%2C%20string%20quartet%2C%20sonata%2C%20concerto&f=false http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=xoBW8rnewaYC&pg=PA72&dq=Mozart+classical+artist&hl=en&sa=X&ei=_mhWVI3CNa_IsASO8ICYAQ&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Mozart%20classical%20artist&f=false http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=NeK1BuYiFSgC&pg=PA27&dq=Piano+Concerto+No.+23,+which+he+wrote+in+1786&hl=en&sa=X&ei=n4dWVOTeIrWPsQT534KwAg&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Piano%20Concerto%20No.%2023%2C%20which%20he%20wrote%20in%201786&f=false Read More