mozart Sonata in C major K330 Flashcards
What is the structure of Sonata in C major K.330 and when was it first published?
It was first published in 1784 and has three movements:
1) Allegro moderato, C major, sonata form.
2) Andante cantabile, F major, minuet and trio form.
3) Allegretto, C major, sonata form.
what is a sonata?
A sonata is a composition for one or more instruments in several contrasting movements. The name comes from the Italian word suonare, which means “to play” or “to sound”.
Who was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart?
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791) was an Austrian pianist and composer from the Classical period. Together with Haydn and Beethoven, he represented the culmination of the Classical era. He died at 35 years old
What was the “Grand Tour” and when did it occur?
The Grand Tour was a series of extensive concert tours from 1763 to 1766, organized by Leopold Mozart, to showcase Wolfgang’s talents across Europe. This tour exposed Mozart to a wide range of musical styles and musicians.
What are some of the key genres of music in which Mozart excelled?
Mozart excelled in operas, symphonies, concertos, quartets, and sonatas.
Who were some of Mozart’s contemporaries?
Mozart’s contemporaries included Joseph Haydn, Johann Christian Bach, Christoph Willibald Gluck, and Ludwig van Beethoven.
How many piano sonatas did Mozart compose?
Mozart composed 18 piano sonatas.
lists all of mozarts compositions for piano
Mozart’s compositions for piano include
27 concertos
18 sonatas
16 sets de variations, including Ah vous diral-je, maman.
Three fantasies
Four rondos
How many operas did Mozart write?
16 operas (e.g The marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni and The Magic flute).
How many symphonies did Mozart write?
41 symphonies (e.g “Patus:, “Linz” and “Jupiter”).
Describe Mozart’s compositional style
Mozart was one of the leading representatives of the Classical style (c. 1750-c.1810), which is usually light and elegant
What is mozart’s compositional style usually characterized by
Short, balanced phrases (antecedent and consequent, or question and answer).
Homophony (one melodic line, with simple chordal or broken chord accompaniments).
Steady (though not rigid) pulse.
Clearly articulated sound, with many detached notes and short slurs.
Ornamentation, particularly at cadence points.
Describe Mozart’s childhood
Mozart was born in 1756 in Salzburg, where his father, Leopold was a composer and deputy Kapellmeister (director of music) to the Prince-Archbishop. As a young boy, Mozart showed prodigious talent on the piano and violin. He began to compose at the age of 5, and the following year he was taken by his father on the first of several extensive and very successful concert tours
What is an appoggiatura?
An appoggiatura is played on the beat, reducing the length of the next note, as if “leaning” on it. The note value used for the appoggiatura gives an approximate indication of its length. In some cases, particularly when the note it precedes is very short, it may be interpreted as an acciaccatura (crushed note)
Tell me about Mozart’s later life
Mozart entered the service of the Archbishop in 1769, but was treated poorly, and disagreements arose. He continued to travel, including several visits to Italy, and an extended trip to Mannheim, Paris, and Munich in 1777-1778. He finally left the Archbishop in 1781, settling in Vienna, where he hoped to find a new post.
Vienna was one of the main musical centres of Europe, and Mozart met many prominent composers there, including Haydn, Clementi, and Salieri. He married Constanze Weber in 1782, and they had six children, but only two survived infancy. Mozart earned a modest income from teaching and performing, although he received no official patronage for several years, which was unusual for an 18th-century musician. In 1787, he was appointed to the minor post of Kammermusicus (chamber musician) by Emperor Joseph II. Despite this patronage and the success of his operas, neither his health nor his financial situation was secure, and he died in Vienna in 1791, at the age of 35.
Mozart’s compositions demonstrate a synthesis of the various European musical styles that he encountered during his extensive travels. Among these, the most important include Italian opera (e.g., Piccinni, Galuppi) and the works of Haydn and J.C. Bach.
