The life and musical world of Mozart. Biography of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
In this article we will tell you some interesting facts from the life of Mozart. This composer has become a real legend. He was born in 1756, January 27, in the city of Salzburg. During his short life, this composer managed to write many concerts, operas, symphonies, and sonatas (more than 600 different works in total). Mozart's work is truly multifaceted and voluminous. In each of which he worked, he managed to achieve unprecedented success. The composer's contemporaries said that he was a master of several instruments, and also had an incredible memory and perfect pitch. However, this is far from the end of the interesting facts from the life of Mozart. We have selected, in our opinion, the most interesting of them, and we invite you to get acquainted with some details of the biography of this genius.
Musical talent of the Mozart family
The whole family was musically gifted. For example, his father, Leopold, played the organ and violin, and also served as a composer at the court of the Archbishop of Salzburg and led the church choir. He also wrote a book on violin playing, which was considered at that time one of the best teaching aids on this instrument.
This man instilled a love of music in his children: his son, who began playing the harpsichord at the age of three, and later mastered the organ and violin, and his daughter, who also played the harpsichord and piano excellently.
Of the seven children, only two survived in the Mozart family: Wolfgang and his older sister.
Young genius
A family friend, Schachtner Johann Andreas, a Salzburg court trumpeter, told the following story, which should certainly be included in our story on the topic “Interesting facts from the life of Mozart.” One day, Leopold Mozart came to his home with Schachtner and saw young Wolfgang (who was only 4 years old) writing something on music paper. The son dipped not only his pen in ink, but also his fingers. Mozart Jr. told the adults that he was writing a concerto. The father took the paper, stained with blots, and cried - everything was so harmonious in the essay.
Mozart and Bach
When the boy was about 8 years old, his talent was highly appreciated by Johann Christian Bach, who was the son famous Johann Sebastian Bach. They played together in public several times: Bach planted little genius on his knees and performed sonatas on the harpsichord with him. Bach played a few bars, Mozart played a few. It seemed that there was only one musician behind the instrument - this duet sounded so harmonious. The artists also played four hands and talked a lot about music.
Speech during Lent
Wolfgang often traveled to other countries as a child. These trips were organized by the boy's father so that his son would give concerts to the public, listen to famous musicians and learn something new. In Holland, one of the countries they visited, music was strictly prohibited during fasting. However, an exception was made for Mozart. The clergy saw God's gift in his talent.
Opera for the Emperor
Joseph II commissioned an opera from Mozart when the boy was only 12 years old. It was called "The Imaginary Simpleton" and was intended for an Italian troupe. The young composer composed the work in just a few weeks. The singers, however, did not like it, so the premiere of the opera never took place.
Composer and Freemasons
Interesting facts from the life of Mozart are connected not only with his musical career. This man, for example, became a Freemason and even brought his father into the lodge. The composer composed music for a number of Masonic rituals, even in the famous opera called “The Magic Flute” the theme of this movement is heard.
Mozart and Salieri
One day the hero of our story decided to play a joke on Salieri. He told his friend that he had created a piece for the clavier that no one in the world except Mozart himself could perform. Salieri, looking at the notes, exclaimed that young musician will also not be able to do this, since both hands will need to perform the most difficult passages, and moreover, at opposite ends of the keyboard. At the same time, you need to take a few more notes in the middle. Even if you play with your foot, you still won’t be able to execute what you wrote, since the tempo of the piece is too fast. Very pleased, Mozart laughed. He sat down at the clavier and performed this piece exactly as indicated in the notes. And complex notes were played with the nose!
Constance, Mozart's wife
Earning decent fees with his work, nevertheless, Mozart, whose biography is sometimes contradictory, was often forced to borrow money from his friends. So, for example, having received a thousand guilders (a fabulous sum at that time) for performing at one of the concerts, he found himself without money within two weeks. Mozart's friend, from whom the composer tried to borrow, noticed with surprise that the musical genius had neither a stable, nor a castle, nor a bunch of children, nor an expensive mistress. "Why do you need money?" - he asked. Mozart replied that he had Constance, his wife. “She is my herd of thoroughbred horses, my castle, my bunch of children, my mistress,” the composer said.
Difficult concert
Mozart, whose biography, like all child prodigies, was marked from childhood with facts testifying to his unique talent, wrote his first concerto at the age of four. This was a piece for the clavier. It was so complex that hardly any of the European virtuosos could ever perform it. When the father took the unfinished recording from the boy, explaining that he was, in his opinion, difficult concert cannot be played, Mozart replied that all this was nonsense. After all, even a child can do this. He, for example.
Mozart plays with a cat
Everything for the young genius was a series of musical studies and performances. In various parts of Europe, at numerous concerts, the child prodigy entertained audiences from high society: he played the clavier with his eyes closed. The father covered the child's face with a handkerchief. They also covered the keyboard, but the young genius still managed to play the game. Mozart's work was admired by everyone. A cat came onto the stage at one of this composer’s concerts. Then Mozart stopped playing and rushed towards her as fast as he could. Forgetting about the listeners, he began to play with this animal. To his father’s shout, the young genius replied that the harpsichord was not going anywhere anyway, but the cat was about to leave.
The story of Marie Antoinette
After little Mozart (the composer we are talking about) performed in the imperial palace, Marie Antoinette, the young duchess, decided to show him her luxurious home. A boy in one of the halls fell, slipping on the parquet floor. Then the Duchess helped Mozart get up. He noticed that the Duchess was kind to him. “I guess I’ll marry you,” said the musician. The girl told her mother about this. The Empress with a smile asked the little “groom” why he said that. Mozart replied: "Out of gratitude."
Meeting Mozart with Goethe
Once, seven-year-old Mozart gave concerts in Frankfurt am Main. A 14-year-old boy approached him after the performance. He praised his performance, saying that he would never learn such a skill, since it was very difficult. Young Wolfgang was surprised and asked him if he had tried to write notes. The interlocutor replied that no, because only poetry comes to mind. Then Mozart retorted: “It must be very difficult to write poetry?” The boy replied that, on the contrary, it was very easy. Mozart's interlocutor turned out to be Goethe.
Cause of death of the composer
The cause of death of this greatest composer still raises controversy and questions. The medical report stated that Wolfgang died of rheumatic fever, which may have been complicated by acute renal or However, some art historians believe that he was poisoned by his rival. But there really isn’t much reason to believe that there was enmity between these two people. In 1997, despite this, 200 years after Wolfgang's death, Salieri's trial was held in Milan. Researchers of the work of these two musicians, as well as doctors, were heard by the judge, who subsequently ruled that Salieri was not guilty of the death of the famous composer.
How was Mozart buried?
The composer, despite all his merits and greatest talent, was buried as a pauper. Mozart's remains were placed in a mass grave along with several other coffins. The exact location of the burial is still unknown. At that time, tombstones and slabs were placed near cemetery walls, and not on the grave. On the day of the funeral, no one from his relatives reached the composer’s cemetery. Mozart’s sick widow was unable to say goodbye to her husband. Only as far as the city gates did the guests accompany such a great composer as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Interesting facts from the life of this man do not end there. There are quite a lot of them. Some of them actually took place, while others are semi-legendary. Interesting things about Mozart are interesting not only professional musicians and fans of his work. Geniuses always attract increased interest. Mozart's life was short. He was born in 1756 and died in 1791, that is, at the age of 35. But during this time the genius managed to create many immortal works, far outlived their author, who is Mozart. Piano, violin, clarinet, flute - for all these instruments the composer created many works that are performed and enthusiastically received by the public to this day.
“What depth! What courage and what harmony!”(A.S. Pushkin “Mozart and Salieri”)
“In Mozart, difficulties await the performers at every step, and happiness if they somehow avoid them. It’s not even clear what these difficulties are.”
(Diaries of Svyatoslav Richter)
Life and creative path
It is difficult to name another artist whose personality and work gave rise to so many contradictory ideas as Mozart. Each era, each generation discovers new facets in his music and perceives it in its own way. “Careless genius,” eternally young, clear, harmonious, amorous. Many believed that tragic life the composer remained outside of him creative world. The Romantics created another legend about Mozart. The "romanticized" Mozart is a composer who "touches the superhuman" (Hoffmann), whose music world incomprehensibly mysterious.
For many Russian composers, Mozart's music became " highest point beauty" (S. Taneev). " sunlight in music" (A.G. Rubinstein). By the way, the first major monograph about Mozart by A. Ulybyshev was published in Russia.
As a person and an artist, Mozart is far from a harmonious person. His letters and statements clearly demonstrate the duality of his worldview. At the Viennese court, he developed a reputation as a quarrelsome person: he was not distinguished by social courtesy, did not know how to get along with the emperor, to flatter and please the tastes of the secular public. His brief conversation with Emperor Joseph II regarding the “Abduction from the Seraglio” is known: Too good for our ears and incredibly many notes - declared the emperor. - Exactly as much as needed- answered the composer.
Mozart was the first of the great musicians to break with semi-serf dependence on a noble nobleman, preferring to it the insecure life of a free artist, thereby paving the way for Beethoven. At that time, this was an incredibly bold step. The words of Mozart, spoken during the break with the Salzburg archbishop, are well known: “ The heart ennobles a person. And even though I’m not a count, I probably have more honor than another count.”.
The duality of Mozart's worldview is clearly felt in his best works. The composer is equally typical both in “The Marriage of Figaro” and the “Jupiter” symphony, and in the polar opposites “Don Giovanni” and the g-minor symphony. These works, created almost at the same time, show Mozart from completely different sides: both as one of the representatives of classicism, and as a direct predecessor of early romanticism (especially in the 40th symphony).
Mozart's early years coincided with the progressive anti-feudal movement SturmundDrang("Sturm und Drang"). Having emerged in German poetry in the 70s and 80s, it went far beyond its borders. The “Sturmers” protested against the backward order of contemporary Germany, sympathized with the French revolutionaries, and glorified strong personality fighting for freedom.
Mozart is connected by thousands of threads with the heated atmosphere of Sturm und Drang, with the alarming era of “ferment of minds” preceding the Great french revolution 1789. His music is permeated with the rebellious and sensitive spirit of German Sturmerism. Like Goethe in Werther, he was able to convey the moods and forebodings of his time.
Compared to Haydn's work, his music is more subjective, individual and romantic. It combines the noble simplicity and calm grandeur of classicism and the “Wertherian” mood of the era of “Storm and Drang”.
Mozart lived very short life- only 35 years old. But how much he gave to the world for centuries!
I period - “years of wanderings” - 1762-1773
Numerous biographers talk about the phenomenal talent of the miracle child, about his unique hearing and extraordinary memory. Ingenious talent allowed Mozart to compose music from the age of four and very quickly master the art of playing the clavier, violin, and organ. His son’s classes were supervised by Leopold Mozart, his adored father (“He immediately follows God Papa"). Versatile educated person, a talented composer, an excellent teacher, a violinist (author of the famous “Violin School”), he served all his life in the chapel at the court of the Salzburg archbishop.
For creative growth V.A. Mozart is very important had early acquaintance with the musical life of the largest cities Western Europe. Dreaming of a worthy future for his brilliant son, Leopold Mozart toured with his children for a long time. The “conquest of Europe” took place first within the borders of their native Austria and Germany; then followed Paris, London, cities of Italy and other European centers. Artistic trips brought young Mozart countless impressions. He was introduced to music different countries, mastering the genres characteristic of the era. For example, in Vienna, where the “family trio” visited three times (1762, 1767, 1773), he had the opportunity to witness Gluck’s reform productions. In London, he heard Handel's monumental oratorios and met the wonderful master of opera seria, Johann Christian Bach (the youngest son of J. S. Bach). In Italy, in Bologna, 14-year-old Mozart received several consultations from the greatest expert in polyphony, Padre Martini, which helped him brilliantly pass special tests at the Bologna Academy.
Sensitively perceiving all impulses, the young composer in his own way embodied in music what he heard around him. Inspired by the music he heard in Paris, he wrote his first chamber ensembles. Acquaintance with J. C. Bach brought to life the first symphonies (1764). In Salzburg, at the age of 10, Mozart wrote his first opera, Apollo and Hyacinth, and a little later, in Vienna, the buffa opera The Imaginary Simpleton and the German singspiel Bastien and Bastienne. In Milan he performed in the genre series, creating the operas “Mithridates, King of Pontus” (1770) and “Lucius Sulla” (1771). Thus, Mozart’s universalism was gradually born - the most important quality of his creative individuality.
II period - youth (Salzburg) - 1773-1781
V.A., who gained European fame. Mozart, however, failed to obtain permanent place services at any capital European court. Children's sensational triumphs are left behind. The young musician, already past the age of a child prodigy, had to return to Salzburg and be content with the duties of court accompanist. His creative aspirations are now limited to commissions for composing sacred music, as well as entertaining plays - divertissements, cassations, serenades (among them the wonderful “Haffner Serenade”). The provincial atmosphere of the spiritual life of Salzburg increasingly weighed on Mozart. The absence of an opera house was especially depressing. Over time, his hometown, where he was held by the despotic claims of the archbishop (Count of Coloredo), becomes a prison for the brilliant musician, from which he strives to escape.
He makes attempts to settle in Munich, Mannheim, Paris (1777-79). Trips to these cities with his mother (the archbishop did not let his father go) brought many artistic and emotional impressions (his first love was for the young singer Aloysia Weber). However, this trip did not give the desired result: a struggle between “Gluckists and Piccinists” unfolded in Paris, and no one paid attention to the young foreign composer.
The works created by Mozart during the Salzburg period varied in genre. Along with spiritual and entertaining music This:
- symphonies, among which are real masterpieces - No. 25, g-moll);
- instrumental concerts - 5 violin and 4 keyboard;
- violin and keyboard sonatas (including A minor, A major with variations and Rondo alla turca), string quartets;
- several operas - “The Dream of Scipio”, “The Shepherd King” (Salzburg), “The Imaginary Gardener” and “Idomeneo, King of Crete” (Munich).
“Idomeneo” (1781) revealed the full maturity of Mozart as an artist and a person, his courage and independence in matters of life and creativity. Arriving from Munich in Vienna, where the archbishop went to the coronation celebrations, Mozart broke up with him, refusing to return to Salzburg.
III period - Viennese decade (1781-1791)
In 1781 begins new stage in the life and work of Mozart, associated with Vienna. Behind him was a stormy quarrel with the archbishop, which he could not remember for a long time without shuddering; alienation from his father, who did not want to understand him desperate step. The feeling of freedom that arose after Salzburg inspired the genius of Mozart: he is no longer a subject of the archbishop, he can write what he wants, and in his head he has many creative plans. The vibrant life of the Austrian capital suited his creative temperament perfectly. Mozart performed a lot at court, he had patrons and patrons who appreciated his talent (for example, the Russian ambassador, Prince A.K. Razumovsky). In Vienna, Mozart met and became friends with Haydn, whom he called “my father, mentor and friend.” Finally, he is happily married, having married Aloysia Weber's younger sister, Constance.
The Viennese years became the best, peak period of Mozart's creativity. During this 10-year anniversary he wrote almost as much as in his entire previous life, and these are his most significant works: 6 symphonies (including the Prague symphony and the last 3 famous ones - Es, g, C), 14 keyboard concerts, many chamber works (including 6 string quartets dedicated to Haydn). But Mozart's main attention during these years was directed to opera.
An excellent Viennese debut was the Singspiel “The Abduction from the Seraglio” (1782). It was followed by “The Marriage of Figaro”, “Don Giovanni”, “That’s what everyone does” (“They are all like this”), “The Clemency of Titus”, a one-act comedy with music “The Theater Director”.
Yet the euphoria of the first Viennese years soon gave way to a more sober view of his situation. The much-desired freedom turned out to be fraught with material instability and uncertainty in tomorrow. The Emperor was in no hurry to accept the composer public service(the position of court chamber musician received in 1787 obliged him only to create dances for masquerades). Material well-being depended on orders, and they did not come so often. The deeper Mozart's music penetrated into the mysteries human existence The more individual the appearance of his works became, the less success they enjoyed in Vienna.
The last immortal creations of Mozart’s genius were the opera “The Magic Flute” and the mournful, majestic Requiem, which remained unfinished.
Mozart died on the night of December 5, 1791. Many legends have been created around his illness, death, and funeral, passing from one biography to another.
He inherited his enthusiastic love for Mozart from his teacher, P.I. Tchaikovsky.
In line with this trend, “Egmont” and “The Sorrows of Young Werther”, “The Robbers” by Schiller were created.
It is interesting that during the same period there were Russian composers and in Italy, but their paths did not cross.
Mozart subsequently continued his work in this area in Vienna, where his most famous work of a similar kind is “Little Night Serenade” (1787), a kind of miniature symphony.
In this regard, Antonio Salieri was very unlucky, for whom, with “ light hand» A.S. Pushkin was left with an indelible stain. Meanwhile, the legend of Salieri the poisoner has not received any confirmation. The real Salieri was a decent and good-natured man. He taught composition to many of his students for free (among them was Mozart’s son, Beethoven, and Schubert).
Niccolò Piccinni (1728-1800) - Italian composer, author of more than 100 operas in different genres(especially a lot of buffa operas). Having moved to the capital of France (1776), Piccini was drawn into the musical and social struggle: opponents opera reform K.V. Gluck sought to contrast his harsh and strong art with the softer and lyrically plastic opera music of Piccinni. The rivalry between the two composers in their work on “Iphigenia in Tauris” was especially clear: Gluck and Piccinni wrote their operas on this plot almost simultaneously. Gluck won.
Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus (1756-1791), Austrian composer.
Born on January 27, 1756 in Salzburg. The boy's first music teacher was his father, Leopold Mozart. From the early childhood Wolfgang Amadeus was a “miracle child”: already at the age of four he tried to write a harpsichord concerto, and from the age of six he brilliantly performed in concerts throughout Europe. Mozart had an extraordinary musical memory: it was enough for him to hear any piece of music only once in order to write it down absolutely accurately.
Fame came to Mozart very early. In 1765, his first symphonies were published and performed in concerts. In total, the composer wrote 49 symphonies. In 1769 he received a position as accompanist at the court of the archbishop in Salzburg. Already in 1770, Mozart became a member of the Philharmonic Academy in Bologna (Italy), and Pope Clement XIV elevated him to the Knights of the Golden Spur. That same year, Mozart's first opera, Mithridates, Rex Pontus, was staged in Milan. In 1772, the second opera, “Lucius Sulla,” was staged there, and in 1775, the opera “The Imaginary Gardener” was staged in Munich. In 1777, the archbishop allowed the composer to go to big Adventure in France and Germany, where Mozart gave concerts with constant success.
In 1779 he received the position of organist under the Archbishop of Salzburg, but in 1781 he refused it and moved to Vienna. Here Mozart completed the operas Idomeneo (1781) and The Abduction from the Seraglio (1782). In 1786-1787 two are written, perhaps the most famous operas composer - “The Marriage of Figaro”, staged in Vienna, and “Don Giovanni”, which was first staged in Prague.
In 1790, the opera “This is what everyone does” was staged again in Vienna. And in 1791, two operas were written at once - “The Mercy of Titus” and “The Magic Flute”. The last work Mozart's famous "Requiem", which the composer did not have time to complete.
The work was completed by F. K. Süssmayer, a student of Mozart and A. Salieri. Creative heritage Mozart, despite his short life, is enormous: according to the thematic catalog of L. von Köchel (an admirer of Mozart’s work and the compiler of the most complete and generally accepted index of his works), the composer created 626 works, including 55 concertos, 22 keyboard sonatas, 32 string quartets.
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART
1756-1791
The art of Mozart is one of the highest peaks of the world musical culture. The work of the great Austrian composer reflected the progressive ideas of his era, the inexhaustible faith in the triumph of light and justice. Mozart's music is dominated by cheerful tones and clear, unclouded lyrics; at the same time, it contains many pages saturated with passion, mental turmoil, and drama.
The legacy left by the composer is striking in its versatility and richness. The range of themes and images he touches on is truly inexhaustible; Mozart owns 23 works for musical theater, 49 symphonies, more than 40 instrumental solo concerts with orchestra, sonatas for piano, violin, a large number of various ensembles. In all these various genres, Mozart showed himself to be a bold reformer, enriching their content and updating the expressive means of art. Classic harmony, clarity of expression, noble beauty, combined with the depth of content, determine the enduring ideological and artistic value of his music.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on January 27, 1756 in the Austrian city of Salzburg. He received his musical education under the guidance of his father, a violinist and conductor, an intelligent, educated man. Mozart's creative growth was characterized by extraordinary intensity. At the age of six or seven he became European famous virtuoso, and a few more years later he emerged as a composer with confident mastery of his craft. The brilliant young man’s repeated trips to European countries contributed to his close acquaintance with modern artistic culture.
Working in various fields musical art, Mozart paid special attention to opera. He began his career as an opera composer when he was twelve years old: in 1768, The Imaginary Simpleton and Bastien and Bastienne appeared. During the years he spent in Italy (1769-1771, 1771-1772), his operas “Mithridates, King of Pontus” (1770) and “Lucio Silla” (1772) were performed on the stages of Italian theaters. In 1775, The Imaginary Gardener was staged in Munich, and Idomeneo (1781) premiered there. These operas brought great success to the young composer. Life was even more difficult in hometown: Mozart entered the service of the archbishop, who in every possible way constrained his creative freedom and humiliated human dignity.
The last decade of his life is the time of the highest creative flourishing and at the same time years of severe material need, which ultimately broke the composer’s strength. Having broken with the archbishop, Mozart moved to Vienna, where he staged the oder “The Abduction from the Seraglio” (1782), written in the Singspiel tradition. In this and especially in the subsequent famous works - “The Marriage of Figaro” (1786) and “Don Giovanni” (1787) - Mozart’s realism of characters and feelings was fully revealed. During the years of his stay in Vienna, the operas “The Theater Director” (1786), “This is what everyone does” (1790), “The Mercy of Titus” (1791) and “The Magic Flute” (1791) were also created - a philosophical fairy tale affirming the victory of reason and light over prejudice and evil.
Mozart's last work - the brilliant "Requiem" - remained unfinished. Work on it was interrupted by death on December 5, 1791 in Vienna.
Lev Gunin
THE LIFE OF MOZART AND ITS SECRETS
PART ONE
(CONTINUATION)
BIOGRAPHY
Birth: January 27, 1756. Place of birth: Salzburg (Austria). At baptism he received the names Johann Chrysostomos Wolfgang Theophilus (Gottlieb) Mozart ( Joannes Chrisostomus Wolfgang Gottlieb Mozart). Mother - Maria Anna Pertl. Father - Leopold Mozart (1719-1787), an outstanding composer, teacher and theorist. Even before Wolfgang's birth, in 1743, Leopold received a position as a violinist in the court orchestra of the Archbishop of Salzburg. Maria Anna and Leopold had seven children. Perhaps they all differed in pronounced musical abilities. The monstrous infant mortality rate of that time claimed five. Only two survived: Maria Anna (Nannerl) and her younger brother Wolfgang. Both are endowed with extraordinary musical talent. Like Johann Sebastian Bach with his distinguished sons, Leopold Mozart began teaching music to his son and daughter from a very early age. Like Bach, in 1759 he himself composed a notebook of harpsichord pieces with children's repertoire. Leopold's teaching talent and the brilliant abilities of his children worked wonders. Five-year-old Wolfgang is already composing simple minuets.
Leopold Mozart, Wolfgang's father, mother,
and the Mozart family (right)
However, Mozart the father was not only a strong teacher, but also an enterprising man. His son and daughter became his tools of the trade. The father decided to make a fortune from them. January, 1762. The first “run-in” of two child prodigies (miracle children): a trip to Munich, a large, brilliant cultural center, where the three of them played in the presence of the Bavarian Elector. At that time, Germany was fragmented into many small states - kingdoms or principalities - each ruled by a separate monarch. The decision to start the first foreign tour with her reflects the entrepreneurial flair of Leopold Mozart. The German public was not as spoiled and capricious as the Austrian one, and did not turn away from its own German performers. In Austria, it should be noted, the Italian school dominated. Italy was for centuries part of the Austrian (Holy Roman) Empire, as were Hungary, Bohemia (Czech Republic), Slovakia, and other countries. Therefore, the passion for Italian music in no way ran counter to Austrian patriotism. Moreover, the preference for Italian masters over German ones did not reflect the suppression of German national musical art, but the desire of the nobility to distance themselves from the people, to put an impenetrable partition between themselves and the rabble playing music on the streets of Vienna. Only after Germany, having collected reviews and recommendations, Leopold Mozart and his children made a tour of his native Austria: in September 1762 he visited Linz and Passau, from where he arrived in Vienna along the Danube.
Salzburg Palace
Salzburg Church
Mozart's sister, Nannerl
The favorable reception in Germany and recommendations did their job: the Mozarts were treated kindly at court, they were admitted to the Schönbrunn Palace, and twice they were received by Empress Maria Theresa herself. They get to Pressburg (as the Austrian conquerors renamed Slovak Bratislava) again along the Danube, where they stay until Christmas, and by Christmas Eve they are back in Vienna.
In a palace
From June 1763 to November 1766, the Mozarts toured for three for long years, having traveled almost all of Europe: Munich, Schwetzingen (summer residence of the Palatinate Elector), Ludwigsburg, Augsburg, Frankfurt, Brussels, Bern, Zurich, Geneva, Lyon, Paris, London. This is not the complete itinerary of their travels. In Frankfurt, Wolfgang performed his own violin concerto, and among the audience was 14-year-old Goethe. Reception at the court of Louis XV. Performances in the luxurious Versailles during the Christmas holidays, and - after them - the tenderness and enthusiastic squeal of the French aristocracy. The works of seven-year-old Mozart (four violin sonatas) were published for the first time in Paris. Then London (April 1764): for more than a year. Just a few days since we arrived, and have already been received by King George III.
Concert
Only princes of royal blood were awarded the honor of communicating with the monarchs of the leading countries of Europe, and even then not just any princes, but those belonging (like almost all European autocrats, including Russian ones) to the Habsburg family (another element of the world order established by the Austrian imperial house). At large cluster The children demonstrated their phenomenal musical abilities to the public, in much the same way as circus children walking on a tightrope. Johann Christian Bach, one of the sons of the great J. S. Bach, who lived in London, saw in Wolfgang a great genius, and not a living toy. Valued by London society no less than Handel, Johann Christian was a truly outstanding composer.
Mozart in London (he is 11 years old), portrait made by
J Vander Smissen
In his well-known work, the Soviet musicologist B. Levik describes how, having sat Wolfgang on his knees, the famous composer played with him four hands, or in turn, performing harpsichord sonatas. The child and the experienced husband grasped each other’s style so subtly that even when they played, each in turn, for 4-8 bars, it seemed that it was the same musician playing. It is no coincidence that it was in London that the young composer wrote his first symphonies. They appeared under the influence of the personality and music, and also the lessons of Johann Christian Bach.
After London, in The Hague (September 1765), Wolfgang and Nannerl barely survived, suffering from severe pneumonia. The boy began to recover only in February 1766. Despite this, the tour continues. The names of cities flashed like roadside posts. And, as if specifically according to the laws of classical drama, Munich again puts an end to it, where the Bavarian Elector again listens to the child prodigy, amazed at the successes he has made in such a short time. We didn’t stay too long in Salzburg. In September 1767, the whole family had already arrived in Vienna. The terrible smallpox epidemic that raged there managed to touch children in the Czech Republic with its bony hand, where it released them only by December. And, already in January 1768, without wasting any time, they again appeared in Vienna, receiving a reception at court. It was then that the fateful intrigues of the Viennese musicians sounded like Beethoven’s leitmotif of fate, because of which the production of the first opera written by the child prodigy, " La finta semplice"("The Imaginary Simpleton"), was torn down.
Mozart in 1789. Drawing by Doris Stock
It is significant that it was during that period, at the end of the 1760s, that young Mozart outlined the main directions of his composing interests: he tried himself in the genres of opera, mass (his large mass for choir and orchestra was performed at the opening of a church), concerto (for trumpet) , symphony (K. 45a; performed in Lambach, in the Benedictine monastery), sonata, quartet. This period of Mozart’s work has already been included in the classification of Ludwig von Köchel (the letter K before the serial number of the work), who periodized and divided into opuses the entire work of the great composer; this classification, supplemented and rethought (the largest revision - 1964), has survived to this day.
The musical heart of the Austrian Empire was undoubtedly Italy: where refined taste, school, canons and exactingness surpassed everything that could then be found in Europe. It is no coincidence that Mozart the father left the tour of Italy “for an appetizer”, having previously strengthened his position in other countries. And yet he was not yet sure that he could conquer Italy; Therefore, intensive training and preparation for the trip lasted 11 (!) months (Salzburg). In total, Wolfgang moved with his father through the Alps 3 times, spending a total of more than a year in Italy (1769 - 1771). Despite all the fears and skepticism, the tour of Italy turned out to be a brilliant triumph. It was possible to conquer everyone: the highest elite circles, the supreme authorities, the aristocracy in a general sense, the general public, and even demanding musicians. The Mozarts were accepted and favored by Pope Clement XIV (on July 8, 1770, he awarded Wolfgang the Order of the Golden Spur) and Cardinal, Duke of Milan and Neapolitan Ferdinand IV of Naples, and other rulers. Local musicians gave them an equally warm welcome. In Milan N. Piccini and Giuseppe Sammartini meet with Wolfgang, in Naples the head of the local opera school N. Iomelli, composers Giuseppe Paisiello and Mayo. In Rome, Mozart listened to the famous " Miserere"Allegri, whose notes were forbidden to be copied and taken out under pain of punishment. Wolfgang, leaving the church, wrote down the entire work from memory. No one had such a phenomenal musical ("spatial"!) memory.
House in Salzburg where Mozart was born
The crowning success was orders for essays. In Milan, Mozart the son was commissioned to perform an opera seria for the carnival season. In Bologna, he studied counterpoint under the guidance of the legendary teacher, Padre Martini, and began to fulfill the order: opera "Mitridate, re di Ponto" ("Mithridates, King of Pontus"). Martini insisted that Mozart undergo the test of the famous Bologna Philharmonic Academy. After the exam, the academy accepted him as a member. At Christmas the new opera was a success in Milan. A new order followed - " Ascanio in Alba"In August 1771, father and son appeared in Milan to prepare it. The opera, which premiered on October 17, was a great success.
1770. Mozart in Verona, Italy (Salieri was born near Verona)
A bright future awaited young Mozart in Italy. This country, its mentality, its atmosphere best suited the character of Mozart's genius, his sunny cheerfulness, hedonism, open and friendly character. It comes as no surprise that his father understood this best. Leopold Mozart is trying by all means to obtain a place for his son in Italy, trying to secure him there. Before the upcoming wedding of Archduke Ferdinand - and the festivities on this occasion in Milan - Leopold persistently asks the Archduke to take Wolfgang into his service. According to existing legend, Ferdinand grants this request.
And here something completely fantastic begins; at least - inexplicable.
When it became clear that - after the royal letter - Wolfgang would not get a job, place, or livelihood, father and son reluctantly returned to Salzburg, to their sweet but disgusted cell. Another strange, macabre coincidence immediately followed, “welcoming” them to their hometown with a gloomy cannonade. On December 16, 1771, precisely on the day of their return, their ardent admirer and kind patron, Prince-Archbishop Sigismund, dies. His successor, Count Jerome Colloredo, was hardly the monster portrayed in thousands of biographical sketches. Firstly, Colloredo accepts the young composer into his service, ensuring his existence with an annual salary of 150 guilders, which is quite enough for Salzburg at that time. Secondly, he orders him a "dramatic serenade" Il sogno di Scipione"("The Dream of Scipio"), on the occasion of his inaugural celebrations (April 1772); thirdly, gives permission for Wolfgang to travel to Milan to prepare a new opera" Lucio Silla" (With late autumn 1772 to spring 1773).
The Empress’s destructive letter to his career and the death of Archbishop Sigismund could not but cause mental trauma, and the opera was not as successful as the previous ones, not evoking the usual response from the public; however, even this cannot explain the complete absence of new orders and the strangely hostile attitude. No, this is a clear conspiracy organized against the Mozarts at a very high level. Wolfgang's father probed the situation by appealing for the patronage of the Grand Duke of Florence Leopold, a patron of the arts and guardian of art. The Duke's reaction turned out to be cool, which meant only one thing: someone was interfering with the career of the young genius in Italy. After several more attempts to gain support from higher circles, Leopold was forced to leave this country forever. B. Levik calls Mozart's third stay in Italy the last relatively bright period of his life.
In the capital of the empire, Vienna, everything that happened in Italy was repeated. The silent wariness of those in power and other influential persons, sometimes turning into open hostility, intrigue in musical circles, and harsh pressure. In Salzburg, Mozart finds himself in a situation that can, without much of a stretch, be called house arrest. Deprived of all hope, cut off from a further career, he seeks salvation and consolation in creativity, writing furiously. Quartets, symphonies (K. 183, 200, 201), sacred compositions, divertissements: genre “omnivorousness” is the earliest symptoms of graphomania. As we see, those who persecuted him are to blame for the development of this creative “illness” in Mozart. The relaxation of the Salzburg "house arrest" came in connection with the composition and production of a new Munich opera (for the carnival of 1775), " La finta giardiniera" ("The Imaginary Gardener"), one of the most important milestones in his work.
The provincial life of Salzburg and the intolerability of a dependent position overflowed Mozart's patience. He breaks with the new archbishop (the final break occurred during the Munich production of the opera Idomnea in 1781), becoming the first musician in history to reject a dependent position. He speaks of the archbishop in the harshest terms, calling the latter a scoundrel and other abusive words, which is completely unusual for that time when class barriers and social hierarchy seemed indestructible. It is noteworthy that the break with the archbishop marked the beginning of attempts to “break with Austria” in general, i.e. leave for good. This intention of fleeing abroad, into emigration, was also supported by Leopold. However, the arms of the Austrian monarchy were very long, long enough to prevent Wolfgang from gaining a foothold in any other capital. The degree of determination of the Austrian imperial dynasty to expand its “guardianship” over Mozart to foreign countries was underestimated even by such a very perspicacious and sober person as his father.
In September 1777, Wolfgang went with his mother to Paris, with the firm intention of staying there. The way there lay through the German states, where it turned out that Mozart was in disgrace, almost persona non grata. The Elector of Munich almost pointedly refused him. Along the way, mother and son stopped in Mannheim, an important opera center in Germany. And here, at the court of Karl Theodor, Mozart actually received a demonstrative refusal. Contrary to the attitude of higher circles, local instrumentalists and vocalists greeted Mozart warmly and friendly. But that was not what made him linger. He fell madly in love with the singer Aloysia Weber. Her magnificent voice (gorgeous coloratura soprano) and bright stage appearance played an important role. However, hopes for a big concert tour with her were not destined to come true. At first she sympathizes with Wolfgang, and in January 1778 the two of them go (incognito) to the court of the Princess of Nassau-Weilburg. Obviously, the cheerful nature of the young genius refuses to accept the scenario of conspiracy and accountability (in the “Mozart case”) of all these petty princes, princes and princesses to the Austrian crown. Presumably, the refusal of the Princess of Nassau-Weilburg had a sobering effect on the pragmatic Aloysia, and she lost interest in Mozart. Hoping to revive him, Wolfgang lets his mother go to Salzburg, while he stays behind. However, the father, who learned that his child had not gone to Paris accompanied by Mannheim musicians (as reported), but was wandering aimlessly around Mannheim in paroxysms of unrequited love, with all his paternal authority forced his son to immediately go to Paris with his mother.
In 1778, he was offered the position of court organist at Versailles, under the direct patronage of the sister of the Austrian Emperor Joseph, Marie Antoinette. However, in France, the British King George III, inexplicably, is gaining more and more influence, as is Empress Maria Theresa, Mozart's antagonist. The French court had just officially abandoned its support for the rebellion of the American colonies against the British king.
Mozart, while in France, mainly visits circles that supported the American Revolution. For ten days he collaborated with Johann Christian Bach, who had arrived from London, at the residence of the aristocratic de Noailles family, related to the Marquis de Lafayette, who went to America to fight against British troops. However, all these circumstances in themselves cannot explain the presence of a completely impenetrable wall in the path of professional development of such an outstanding musician as Mozart in a city like Paris.
It is interesting that Mozart has a presentiment of the future Parisian tragedy, as can be seen from his letters. The blank wall with which he was surrounded in Italy and Germany, impenetrable and merciless, was also revealed in Paris. Wherever Mozart went, they were already warned of his appearance and instructed accordingly. Immediately upon arrival, back in March 1778, it became clear that court circles were hostile. Neither the resounding success of Mozart's two new symphonies, nor the arrival of Christian Bach from London, who did everything in his power for Mozart and used all his connections, nor the participation of other famous and influential personalities reversed the enmity. And this only says one thing: the architecture of this insurmountable wall originated on the highest political Olympus. However, the stay in Paris, in addition to the “earthly”, physical persecution, was colored by a certain sinister, satanic orgy of esoteric forces that flocked here to confront the bright genius. A chain of seemingly unrelated gloomy events sets up its dark milestones. On July 3, the composer's mother dies, which coincides with the general apotheosis of the rampant dark forces. Evil, death, mystery, everything unknowable and incomprehensible hypnotize us, and, as if in a trance, Mozart is in no hurry to leave Paris, from where his father’s severe orders tear him out.
Depressed, murdered, Mozart comes to Mannheim, still hoping for the reciprocal love of Aloysia Weber, as the last joy of life. The full realization that she would never become his mistress dealt him the final cruel blow, plunging him into a state of endless depression. His father's terrible pleas, curses and even threats may have saved him from certain death, tearing him out of Mannheim and bringing him home to Salzburg. Such dramatic experiences for another would be enough to mentally de-energize and interrupt musical inspiration. However, for Mozart, creativity becomes one of the last connections with life. His talent deepens so much, developing into an unsurpassed genius, that not a single composer of his era can no longer be compared with him. Any genre touched by Mozart’s magic pen blossoms with all its colors, beginning to live a higher spiritual, esoteric life. Pushkin said wonderfully about him in his little tragedy “Mozart and Salieri”: “What depth! What courage and what harmony!” It is precisely the courage of thought that most distinguishes Mozart's writing. In comparing emotional states, psychologism, philosophy of music, and in vivid figurative means, he surpassed anyone else. Not to mention the fact that he was the greatest melodist. These years bring a number of the most profound church works, such as " Missa solemnis" in C major and "Coronation Mass" (K. 337), operas (" Idomeneo, re di Creta" ("Idomeneo, King of Crete"), and other works. In April 1781, the conflict between Mozart and Archbishop Colloredo escalated into a scandalous personal squabble, after which a resignation was submitted, and on June 8, Mozart was humiliatingly kicked out the door.
Following these turbulent events, Mozart’s marriage took place, and to none other than his sister Aloysia Weber. He marries her against the will of his father, who in dozens of angry letters begs him to break up with Constance. The wedding ceremony took place on August 4, 1782 in the Vienna Cathedral of St. Stefan. Spouses are equally disgusted with the management of financial affairs, which cannot but affect the tragic ending of life; However, in his personal life, Mozart appears to be happy with Constance, and this stimulates his creativity.
Constanze Weber, Mozart's wife
When Mozart found himself close to his pursuers, in their own home (Vienna), the rules of the game changed. Certain attitudes did not allow them to spoil things in their personal chambers, and until a certain moment, if they did not leave Mozart alone, they outwardly tolerated him, without interfering (for the time being) with his progress professional career. In addition, Maria Theresa was replaced on the throne by her son Joseph II, an extraordinary personality, and Vienna came to life, hoping for a bright future. In July 1782, a new opera on German "Die Entfhrung aus dem Serail" (“The Abduction from the Seraglio”), staged at the Burgtheater, created a sensation. Mozart becomes a people's favorite and idol. His melodies are heard everywhere: in houses, in coffee shops and on the streets. Even court aristocratic circles treat with feigned favor. Performing, teaching and composing music bring good income.
It is interesting to note that tickets for his concerts (called academies), distributed by subscription, were not only completely sold out, but were often supplemented with extra seats. In 1784, Mozart gave 22 concerts in just six months. All this can be considered in the conditions of Vienna, where there was no shortage of performances, premieres, concerts, composers and musicians, a phenomenon of a phenomenal order. The extraordinary success of his instrumental music stimulated the composition of a whole series of piano concertos. Mozart's wife, Constanza, although, apparently, was not such a magnificent singer as Aloysia, nevertheless, she could well perform on the professional stage. For example, in October 1783, she performed one of the solo parts in her husband’s best (perhaps) mass - g minor (K. 427), written on the occasion of his visit (to Salzburg) to Father Leopold and sister Nannerl. On the way to Vienna, the couple stop in Linz, where Mozart writes the brilliant Linz Symphony (K. 425).
Unknown portrait of Mozart found in Russia
Since 1784, a sincere and close friendship began between the two greatest composers of Austria: Mozart and Joseph Haydn. Later, the young Beethoven meets with both. At the presentation of the quartets of the young genius, Haydn addressed Mozart’s father, Leopold, with these words: “Your son is the greatest composer of all whom I know personally or whom I have heard of.” Mozart dedicated a cycle of six quartets, in which the influence of Haydn is felt, to him. However, the influence was not one-sided. We need to talk about mutual influence. Haydn, in his later works, repeated the findings and writing features of his younger contemporary. Just like Christian Bach, Haydn was one of Mozart's guardian angels, a bright and kind patron. However, it was probably he who drew young Wolfgang into Freemasonry, immediately in the year of their rapprochement. Many Viennese celebrities were members of the Freemasons - poets, artists, writers, scientists, public figures, doctors, musicians. Freemasonry paved a wide path for itself in aristocratic court circles. However, for Mozart, joining the Freemasons became another fatalistic, tragic circumstance, perhaps bringing his untimely death closer.
Mozart took Masonic symbols and mottos at face value, not because he was so naive, but because, having an integral personality, wanted accept. (By that time, Freemasonry was actively being crushed by the Illuminati and the forces behind them). In the Masonic environment, they try to stop such well-wishers by any means in order to prevent the separation of the external surrounding form of existence from the secret goals and plans of the leaders. All the more dangerous for the most influential Masonic lodges is the propaganda of these external attributes (“freedom, equality, brotherhood”) through outstanding works art. Ordering a doomed man a requiem for his own death: this is very much in the style of Masonic reprisals.
Whether it’s a coincidence or not, it was after Mozart’s entry into the Freemasons that the previous persecution resumed. His brilliant opera" Le nozze di Figaro"("The Marriage of Figaro") - along with "Don Giovanni" and "The Magic Flute" - the pinnacle of his operatic creativity - despite its obvious success, was withdrawn soon after the premiere (May 1, 1786), replaced in the "Burgtheater" by a new opera by V. Martina y Solera" Una cosa rara"("A Rare Thing"). But in Prague, the success of this opera turned out to be simply stunning, which coincided with the political aspirations and forebodings of Prague residents. Seeking independence from the Austrian Empire, the Czechs felt in Mozart's opera, written on the plot of Beaumarchais's censored comedy, a breath of fresh air. It became almost a national Czech opera. People danced to its melodies in halls and coffee houses, they sounded on the street, in the market - everywhere. The composer himself conducted several performances. In January 1787, he spent more than a month in Prague with Constance, later admitting that, after Italy, it was the most happy time in his life. But one can easily imagine what displeasure the revival of separatist sentiments in the Czech Republic caused at the Austrian court, and what royal anger in connection with this the culprit must have incurred: Mozart’s opera.
It was Bondini, director of the Prague theater troupe, who commissioned a new opera, Don Giovanni. There are suggestions that Mozart himself chose the plot. Under the name " Don Giovanni"she began her triumphal march through opera houses peace (premiere in Prague on October 29, 1787). However, no success in Prague could correct the “Viennese bummer”, the tone of which was set by the filming of “The Marriage of Figaro” and the deliberate (artificial) failure of “Don Giovanni” in the same Vienna (at the reception after the performance, only Haydn stood up in defense of the opera) . One after another, other works of Mozart are blocked or fail, and his most lucrative students move on to other teachers (according to our data - Barbara PLOYER, Josepha AUERNHAMMER, and others). The years 1786 and 1787 became fatal, turning points in the composer’s fate. He is completely crushed and doomed, torn apart by intrigue, persecution and simply gloomy circumstances. As in Paris, not only Mozart’s cruel enemies, insidious and ruthless, gathered to deal with him, but also “otherworldly” dark forces, who flocked to the bloody feast of execution of the bright genius, for the sake of establishing evil and injustice on earth. In May 1787, the composer's father died, after whose death depression and despondency became Mozart's constant companions. Sarcasm, irony and gloomy pessimism are established in his thoughts until the very end of his short life.
Obtaining the position of court composer and bandmaster of Emperor Joseph II no longer solved anything, especially since the size of the salary emphasized the subtle poison of humiliation (only 800 guilders annually). Backed into a corner, Mozart borrows money from Michael Puchberg, a member of the same Masonic lodge, which includes himself. Unable to return a large sum money to Prince Likhnovsky, he faces a lawsuit, which he later loses. A trip to Berlin, in order to improve financial affairs, brought only new debts. Like other reigning persons, the Prussian king Frederick William II did not give Mozart a place at court. Since 1789, the health of Constance, and then Wolfgang himself, had deteriorated; the house and other property were mortgaged, ready to go under the hammer. A year later, after the death of Joseph II, Mozart is not even sure that the position of court composer, with its small but still constant income, will remain with him. He goes to Frankfurt - where the coronation of Emperor Leopold took place - at his own expense, hoping to be visible and not miss the moment. However, the performance of his “Coronation” keyboard concerto (K. 537) did not bring in any money even to cover the expenses of the trip. The new opera did not improve the situation either" Cosi fan tutte"("Everyone does this").
In Vienna, saying goodbye, Mozart told Haydn, who was leaving for London, and his London impresario Zalmon, that they would never see each other again. Seeing both of them off, Mozart cried like a child and kept repeating: “We won’t see each other again, no.” Before his death he had only to write his best works: "Die Zauberflöte"("The Magic Flute"), Requiem, and several symphonic scores.
The opera was commissioned from him for his Frei House Theater by his longtime friend E. Schikaneder, musician, writer, impresario and actor. (At the same time, the Prague Opera commissioned him " La clemenza di Tito" ("The Mercy of Titus"), on the creation and production of which he worked together with his wife Constance and student Franz Xaver Süßmayer; for its preparation, the three of them went to Prague. The premiere of "The Magic Flute" took place in Vienna on September 30, 1791 His last instrumental work was a concerto for clarinet and orchestra in a minor (K. 622).
The countdown of the days of Mozart's life now began with work on the Requiem, which - as it turned out - Mozart actually wrote on his death. An unknown guest, dressed all in gray, came to the sick composer and anonymously ordered the Requiem. This episode had a strong impression on the patient's imagination. Mozart was sure that he was composing the Requiem for himself. He, exhausted, worked on the score, feverishly trying to finish it with his own hands. Constance, who was being treated in Baden, hurriedly returned home as soon as she realized how seriously ill her husband was. From November 20, 1791, Mozart no longer got out of bed and wrote music while lying down. On the night of December 4–5, he became delirious; he imagined that he was playing the timpani in Dies irae his unfinished Requiem. At about five minutes past midnight, he tried to stand up, onomatopoeizing the timpani part with his lips, but fell back, head against the wall, and froze, lifeless.
Mozart was buried like a beggar of the beggars in the chapel of the Cathedral of St. Stefan. On the last journey to the cemetery of St. Mark Mozart's body went alone, and was buried without honors, without witnesses, in common grave for the poor. Later, the very location of this grave was completely forgotten. No cross, no monument, not even a modest tombstone was ever erected. A tombstone, not material, but spiritual, was erected for his great teacher Süssmayr, who completed the Requiem, setting to music and orchestrating those by no means small fragments of the text that Mozart himself missed (some of the arrangements were performed protégé Mozart, Joseph Eybler. In the same way, other composers completed the greatest compositions of Schubert, Mussorgsky, Scriabin, and other geniuses endowed with a similar fate. None of Mozart's brilliant piano concertos, nor any of his mature symphonies, were published during his lifetime.
Monstrous injustice, persecution, intrigue and envy: the lot of the most winged, brightest people on the sinful earth, and in the fate of the great Mozart, as in a mirror, the fate of thousands and millions of other talented and pure creators of the spirit was reflected.
It seems that the legend of Mozart’s poisoning was generated among the Austrian political-aristocratic elite as a desire to divert the blame for the non-recognition and death of the great composer from being in a permanent crisis and falling under the hammer of even more reactionary forces of the political regime, shifting it onto the shoulders of a private individual (Salieri ). And the real motive behind Mozart’s death (political despotism (from ferocious censorship to the imposition of “permitted” aesthetics) is artificially replaced by settling personal scores. Even if Salieri had actually poisoned Mozart, he would have done it on the orders of Emperor Leopold or someone then another. However, without physically killing his rival and friend, Salieri - with his bureaucracy and subtle intrigues - greatly poisoned his life. Salieri was a court toy and a tool of the court against Mozart. We will talk about the degree of his guilt before the world musical genius later.
Autograph "The Marriage of Figaro"
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Lev Gunin
THE LIFE OF MOZART AND ITS SECRETS
PART ONE
(ENDING)
3. INFLUENCES
The music of Leopold Mozart, the father of the great composer, is often heard on the waves of Montreal music radio stations. It is available in libraries and music libraries. To the ear of an inexperienced listener it is not difficult to confuse it with the music of his illustrious son. A professional musician immediately understands that this is not Wolfgang Amadeus, although it is difficult to say right away what is “missing” in the music of Mozart the Father. Probably, bright melody, aspiration, brilliance and courage of thought, equal to “Mozart’s”. The works of Leopold Mozart are “too” academic and “correct,” although they also have a fresh, versatile feeling. The strong influence of Haydn is striking. One thing is clear: the mature Mozart the son is the same Leopold Mozart the father, only deepened, expanded, ennobled and purposeful.
The influence of Petzold and Telemann, Buxtehude, Schütz and Bürgmüller can be traced through strong-willed and life-affirming motives, often following the sounds of the tonic triad. Mozart's favorite variants of cadences are sometimes “supplemented” with typically Telemannian intonations.
The drama of the minor symphonies (for example, two g-minor ones) evokes the peculiarities of the symphonism of J. Vanhal. In Salzburg, Mozart was influenced by Michael Haydn, Joseph's brother, who largely shared the latter's style. However, Mozart never manifests a “usus tyrannus "("shackles of custom"; Serov's expression); he violates any canon if something gets in the way of his self-expression. As the famous Montreal musician Yuli Turovsky likes to say, geniuses do everything "wrong." Note that pomp, triumphal intonations and heaviness not only of Handel, but also of the early representative Vienna School- Gluck - pushes Mozart away. During his stay in Paris, he reports almost nothing about Gluck's operas, although all of Paris and the works of Viennese classic invariably caused a terrible stir. There is no doubt that Mozart was influenced not by the Austrian, but rather by the Italian and German school opera art, and that he knew the masterpieces of Monteverdi, Bellini, Donizetti, Scarlatti, Piccini, etc. However, the main models for study and imitation were the Italian operas of Paisiello (a Neapolitan composer, among others, who met young Wolfgang during his stay in Naples (1770); later - court conductor in St. Petersburg under Catherine the Great: 1776 - 1784 ), Domenico Cimarosa (court composer in St. Petersburg - from 1787 to 1791), and Antonio Salieri (senior friend and rival, consultant and mentor of Mozart). Interestingly, Martin y Soler, a musician of Spanish origin who composed Italian operas, another dangerous rival of Mozart, was also a court composer in St. Petersburg. Giovanni Batista Casti, Salieri's main librettist and a rival of Mozart's main librettist, Da Ponte, also lived and worked for some time in Russia, in St. Petersburg. In Mannheim, Mozart was greatly impressed by J. Goldenbauer's opera "Gunther von Schwarzburg". Gluck's influence still existed, especially the latter's operatic-choral style.
The saturation of Mozart's works with German folklore was due in no small part to Emanuel Schikaneder, whom Wolfgang met in the late 1770s. "Buffoons", traveling troupes folk theaters visited Salzburg, and one of these theaters was led by Schikaneder, an impresario, actor, director, musician, writer and playwright. Schikaneder, with all the strength of his lungs, proclaimed freedom from despotism, nationality, love of national culture, free-thinking and overcoming the shackles of orthodox thinking. It was he who was Mozart's partner in creating the pinnacle of Mozart's operatic creativity: The Magic Flute. Schikaneder not only commissioned this opera, but also created a brilliant libretto, highly valued by Goethe. The aesthetics of Mozart and Schikaneder anticipated Weber and Wagner, and were the most advanced for that time. Schikaneder became another bright guardian angel of Mozart in the host of his “squires”.
The elegant, light style of Christian Bach is cited as one of his strongest influences. His “smart”, intricate music, sincerity and sincerity, Italian clarity and plasticity of not only melodies cantabile, but also harmonies, harmonious beauty and crystal purity of form: all this was continued and developed in Mozart’s compositions. Mozart began to seriously study the work of his father Johann Christian - the great J. S. Bach - relatively late (as well as Handel). The pinnacle of spiritual music by Wolfgang Amadeus, his Requiem, reflects the undoubted influence of J. S. Bach. We must not forget that Mozart had excellent teachers, the best of that era: his own father, Padre Martini, Christian Bach, Joseph Haydn, and others. It was thanks to them that Wolfgang masterfully mastered counterpoint, harmony, arrangement, and other elements of compositional technique. We'll talk about Salieri's influence in the corresponding chapter.
In chamber and symphonic music one can feel the greater influence of older Viennese composers such as Wagenseil and Monn. No less important was the influence of Italian masters - Frescobaldi, Allegri, Albioni, Bellini, A. Corelli, L. Boccherini, A. Vivaldi, G. Batista Vitali, Marcello Benedetto, Domenico and Alesandro Scarlatti, Giovani Agrell, Domenico Zipoli, Attilio Ariosti, Giuseppe Tartini, G. Pergolesi, Dominico Gabrielli, and others. Italian music, this boundless ocean of hundreds (or thousands?) of unique, often very bright talents, had an undoubted influence on Mozart. The closeness to its typical features, Italian predecessors, contemporaries and even followers (a paradox, but it is true) is especially felt in the keyboard music of the genius. Muzio Clementi, Dominico Scarlatti, Cimarosa, and other outstanding keyboard composers had much in common with Mozart's keyboard style. The penetration of Slavic-type intonations into Mozart's intonation sphere is also detected by a sensitive ear.
What Mozart has in common with Italian music is his love of life, spontaneity, sincere warmth, sparkling or very lyrical presentation of the main themes, their brightness, simplicity and vocal melodiousness, and a complex attitude to harmonies. Perhaps Mozart was also influenced by the French harpsichordists: Rameau, Lully and Couperin. The influence of the English composer Purcell is undeniable in some of the interludes. Certain passages in Mozart’s chamber works “remind” Leclerc.
Mozart is a pan-European phenomenon, living, comprehensive, immediate and endless. Therefore, any European culture can consider it its own.
(end of the first part )
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