Mozart: Lafayette College

Principal Subject: Often a bold declamatory statement. [Home Key]
(Bridge / Transitional Passage): function is to lead to a new key
Second Subject: Usually more lyrical [New Key]
Closing Section (third theme): either based on previous material or totally new.. conclusive

NOTE: There is usually a repeat of the Exposition at this point. This basically means that the
             entire Exposition is repeated. Composers in the Classical and Early Romantic
             periods often put in these Exposition Repeats to help the audience familiarise itself
             with the music. Nowadays, they are treated as optional - some conductors take the
             repeats, some don't.

The Development (Previous subjects and themes elaborated, modulated, transformed)

This is where the primary drama and conflict occurs. Either or both themes may be developed, and
there are usually rapid key changes.

Principal Subject returns (sometimes modified)
Bridge Passage returns (sometimes modified)
Second Subject returns in home key, or another related key (sometimes modified)
Closing Section returns in home key (sometimes modified)
Coda

* [indicates timing on repeated section]
EXPOSITION
0:00 [1:53] Urgent, insistent first theme based on short motive
0:21 [2:15] First theme begins repeat but is cut short
0:30 [2:23] Transition
0:36 [2:28] Rapid, ascending scales
0:44 [2:38] Strong cadence to end transition
0:47 [2:41] Second Theme—lyrical, major key (brighter)
0:56 [2:50] second theme repeated with new orchestration
1:09 [3:02] crescendo leads to closing material (taken from theme 1)

DEVELOPMENT
3:49 three-note motive taken through several keys
4:01 First theme in fugal setting in low strings
4:23 First theme reduced to three-note motive
4:43 loud attacks give way to re-transition
4:52 ending development section—cascading flutes and clarinets

RECAPITULATION
4:59 First theme returns
5:19 First theme starts repeat but cut off
5:27 Transition, but greatly extended
5:55 Rapid, ascending scales
6:04 Cadence and pause
6:07 Second Theme (now in home key: g-minor)
6:17 Second Theme repeated with new orchestration
6:30 return of crescendo leading to closing material

CODA
7:11 begins with rising chromatic scale
7:18 opening motive returns, then three final chords

This form is typically employed as the third movement of classical symphonies, string quartets, and other works. It originated as a stately, dignified dance in which the dancing couple exchanged curtsies and bows. But the minuet movement of a symphony or string quartet is written for listening, not dancing. It is in triple meter and usually in a moderate tempo. The Minuet is in A B A form: minuet(A), trio(B), minuet(A). The trio(B) is usually quieter than the minuet(A) section and requires fewer instruments, often containing woodwind solos. The trio section got its name during the baroque period, when a set of two dances would be followed by a repetition of the first dance. The second dance was known as a "trio" because it was usually played by three instruments. The whole movement can be outlined as follows:

A Brief History of Vienna

The Danube Valley has been inhabited for thousands of years, evidenced in the 1906 discovery of the 25,000-year-old fertility statuette known as the Venus of Willendorf. Celtic settlements had been established in the vicinity some 500 years before the Romans turned up in around AD 9 to construct a military camp called Vindobona. The fort was built smack bang in the middle of today's Innere Stadt, within a square bordered by Graben, Tiefer Graben, Ruprechtskirche and Rotenturmstrasse. Roman origins don't get much clearer than this. The Romans withdrew in the early 5th century, leaving the strategic east-west crossroads to be fought over by successive waves of migrating tribes and armies.

The Frankish king Charlemagne entered the picture in 803, establishing an eastern outpost in the Danube Valley west of Vienna known as the Ostmark. Vienna was first documented as a city in 1137, when it was ruled by the Bavarian Babenberg dukes. The death of the last Babenberg ruler at the hands of invading Hungarian forces ushered in a turbulent Interregnum of almost 40 years before matters were settled by the new Holy Roman Emperor, Rudolf of Habsburg. Rudolf granted his two sons the fiefdoms of Austria and Styria in 1282, and one of the most powerful dynasties in history was born.

A succession of energetic, empire-building Habsburgs saw the dynasty extend its dominion over Carinthia, Carniola and Tirol. Vienna became a bishopric, the Habsburgs became archdukes and a succession of politically motivated marriages turned the dynasty into an empire, adding territories like Burgundy, the Netherlands and Spain. A less attractive side effect of these family goings-on was the emergence of the Habsburg nose, thick lips and distended lower jaw, discreetly played down but still evident in the family's official portraiture. The empire was soon too vast to be ruled by one person, and in 1521 it was split between the two princely brothers Ferdinand (who was given Austria) and Charles (who grabbed everything else).

In the 16th and 17th centuries Vienna faced several external threats to its security. The biggest danger was posed by Suleiman the Magnificent and his marauding Turks, who famously besieged the city for 18 days in 1528, destroying the outer districts. All was not lost, however, as Ferdinand I sent Vienna's prestige soaring through the roof by moving his court to the city in 1533 as a protective measure. Plague killed an estimated 80,000 Viennese in 1679, and in 1683 the Turks returned to besiege the city once again - reputedly bringing a strange brew called coffee with them. The removal of the Turks by a combined force of German and Polish soldiers resulted in a triumphant frenzy of building in Vienna, and the city's famous baroque face was in place.

A string of profligate rulers culminated in the golden era of Maria Theresa and her son Joseph II, a period which saw the erection of palaces such as Schönbrunn and the Belvedere. Vienna's reputation as a centre for music was established during this time, with Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven and Schubert calling the city home. The Imperial nose was severely put out of joint by the Napoleonic occupations of 1805 and 1809: the Habsburg emperor was forced to give up the German crown and title of Holy Roman Emperor, and the battle with Napoleon left Vienna precariously poised on the brink of bankruptcy. The capital regained some of its pride with the Congress of Vienna in 1814-15. The arts flourished during the so-called Biedermeier period, sponsored by the affluent but conservative middle classes to a Strauss family soundtrack. The disenfranchised general populace joined in the revolutions of 1848, and when order was restored the city had a new, 18-year-old emperor, Franz Josef I.

Under Franz Josef's lengthy rule, the Ringstrasse developments went up around the Innere Stadt. The city benefited from being at the helm of the new dual Austro-Hungarian monarchy, attracting a hugely varied émigré populace. Vienna's famed coffee houses became a hotbed of wildly opposing political and creative ideas. The city was graced by the artworks of the Viennese Secession, Jugendstil and Expressionist movements, adding names like Klimt, Schiele, Kokoschka, Moser, Mahler and the Wiener Werkstätte to the city's pantheon of big achievers, and architectural beauties like Otto Wagner's Post Office building, the Wagner Apartments and Kirche am Steinhof; Adolf Loos' House; and the Secession Building.

Vienna suffered economically from the loss of empire that resulted from WWI, and entered a new era with the postwar election of the Social Democrats, whose impressive social policies were epitomised by public housing schemes like the Karl-Marx-Hof complex of 1325 apartments. Growing political tensions between the city's socialist climate and the increasingly conservative federal government culminated in the establishment of an authoritarian regime in 1933.

Allied bombing was particularly heavy in Vienna in the last two years of WWII and most major public buildings were damaged or destroyed, along with some 86,000 homes. At war's end Vienna was divided into four zones, control alternating between the USA, the Soviet Union, Britain and France on a monthly basis. The Allied forces finally withdrew in 1955 and Austria joined the United Nations. Since the walls came tumbling down in 1989, Vienna has found itself with a new sense of purpose as a gateway city to Central and Eastern Europe. Its Habsburg facade is rigorously maintained - although the last ruling Habsburg passed away in 1989 - but Vienna is increasingly forward-looking, culturally committed and with new-found zest and flair. The federal government's move to the right has been the subject of concern for many Austrians as well as the European Union since 2000. The government remains the subject of close international monitoring.

ØOnly 2 of 7 children survived: Nannerl & Wolfgang
    Maria Anna Walburga Ignatia (Nannerl): 7/30/1751
    Joannes Chrisostomoa Wolfgang Gotlieb: 1/27/1756
       (Amadeus is Gotlieb (“beloved of God”) in Latin)

Ø1764: tour continues to London, where he meets J.C. Bach
and plays for King George III

Ø1771: returns to Salzburg for 3-months, leaves again
to Italy for 6-month stay

Ø1772: back in Salzburg, future foe Colloredo
becomes Archbishop. Third trip to Italy in fall

Ø1777: Leaves for Paris with mother, falls in love with
16-year old Aloysia Weber on stop in Mannheim

Ø1778: Heads for Paris, mother dies. Visits Aloysia
on way home… she rejects him

Ø1781: Resigns for Archbishop’s service and heads to
Vienna. Gets engaged to Constanze Weber. Meets Haydn

Ø1782: first big Vienna concert. Marries Constanze.
Abduction huge success in and out of Vienna

Ø1783: first son born and dies. Brings Constanze to Salzburg
to meet father & sister.. No rapport established.

Ø1787: Goes to Prague for Don Giovanni. Meets Beethoven
Leopold dies on May 28. Wolfgang appointed to minor post
court chamber composer. Daughter born, dies in 6 months

Ø1788: Don Giovanni a flop in Vienna. Writes his 3
greatest symphonies (39, 40, 41)

Ø1789: Travels to Berlin. Falls heavily in debt and begins
borrowing. Another daughter is born and dies

Ø1790: Debts continue to pile up. Musical failures. Suffers
increasing bouts of poor health

Ø1791: Requiem commissioned by stranger.. Also Magic Flute
Franz Xaver born. Mozart dies on December 5

* A near obsession with structural clarity. A clearly articulated structure exists in classical music

* Themes are made of very short fragments (instead of long unbroken melodies of Baroque music) in the form of antecedent-consequent. Four-bar phrases became a norm

* As opposed to constant moods of Baroque pieces, different moods in close succession existed in Classical pieces (duality in affekt). With the contrasting themes of the sonata form, thematic dualism became an essential structuralelement in Classical music as opposed to the principle of the basic affection of Baroque music

* Tonic-dominant harmony, IV-V-I harmonic progression, and classical cadential progression IIb-V-I were used frequently. The use of strong cadential progression frequently compensated for the use of chromaticism in terms of tonality

* Use of chromaticism for expressive effect was common. This was usually melodic chromaticism without affecting the underlying plain harmony. In its simplest form, it occurs in unaccented passing or auxiliary notes. Melodic chromaticism was used to compensate for the underlying harmonic plainness (especially by Mozart)

* Slow harmonic progression (among the most striking features that distinguish harmony after about 1730 from that of the Baroque era)

* Extensive modulations (equivalent to use of dissonance by Baroque composers) to build longer arches of tension and release

* Tonality plays a role in articulation of the musical structure. Change of tonality points to a structural landmark

* Predominant use of the sonata principle which provided musical drama
(contrast-elaboration-reconciliation)

* Evolution of the trio sonata into the string quartet; concerto grosso into symphony concertante; and emergence of symphony and modern solo concerto.

A. Childhood and Early Youth
         1. Born in Salzburg, then situated within the territory of Bavaria
                 a. City was a provincial center for the arts
         2. Leopold Mozart
                 a. Member of archbishop's chapel
                 b. wrote a treatise on violin playing
                 c. Composer of some ability
         3. Early years spent touring Europe
                 a. virtuouso on the violin, piano and organ
                 b. Expert at sight-reading and improvisation
         4. Earliest compositions
                 a. Minuets at age 6
                 b. First symphony at age 9
                 c. First oratorio at age 11
                 d. First opera at age 12
         5. Wrote more than 600 compositions
                 a. Thematic catalogue compiled by Koechel in 1862
         6. Extensive travel exposed Mozart to many musical styles
                 a. Visited France, England, Holland, Italy, Austria and Germany
                 b. Imitated and improvised using new models and techniques
B. The Early Works
         1. Mozart's 'apprentice' or 'journeyman' years, completely under the
             tutelage of his father
         2. 1763-66: lengthy trips to Paris and London
         3. Influences
                 a. Johann Schobert
                         1. wrote harpsichord music
                         2. Used fast, fiery arpeggiated figurations contrasted with quiet
                             passages of thinner textures
                 b. J.C. Bach
                         1. Mozart meets him in London
                         2. wrote keyboard, symphonic and operatic music
         4. La finta semplice (1768)
                 a. Italian opera buffa composed in Vienna
         5. Bastien und Bastienne
                 a. Comp. 1769
                 b. Singspiel
         6. 1770-1773: Italian journeys
                 a. 2 opera serie
                         1. Mitridate (1770)
                         2. Ascanio in Alba
                 b. Mozart studies counterpoint with Padre Martini in Bologna
                 c. Influenced by Italian Symphony: Sammartini
                 d. Also influenced by Haydn
V. Mozart's First Masterworks
A. Mozart and Haydn
         1. 1773: trip to Vienna brough Mozart into contact with Haydn's music
         2. Early Symphonies
                 a. Symphony in G minor (K.183)
                         1. product of the Sturm und Drang movement
                         2. Mozart is less adventurous than Haydn in formal designs
                         3. Mozart almost always uses contrasting lyrical second theme in
                             sonata-allegro movements
B. Piano and Violin Sonatas
         1. 1774-1781: Mozart chiefly resides in Salzburg
         2. 1777-79: travels to Munich, Augsburg, Mannheim and Paris
                 a. Hopes to acquire a better position in Germany
                 b. Mother dies in Paris in 1778
                 c. works from this period
                         1. Piano Sonatas, K.279-284, K.309-311, K.330-333
C. Serenades
         1. Serenades and divertimentos
                 a. written during the 1770s and 80s
                 b. Composed for garden parties, serenades, weddings, home-concerts
                 c. Musical style
                         1. Chamber music for strings w/2 or more wind inst.
                         2. 6-8 wind inst. in pairs (for outdoors)
                         3. Symphonic or concerto-like scoring
         2. Eine kleine Nacthmusik (K.525)
                 a. 5-movements
                 b. Composed in 1787
         3. Salzburg Serenades (K.203, 204, 320)
                 a. Concerto-like
                 b. 2 or 3 mov't featuring a solo violin
D. Violin Concertos
E. Church Music
         1. Sacred music in the symphonic-operatic idiom, intermingled with fugues
         2. Coronation Mass (K.317)
         3. C minor Mass (K.427)
                 a. Credo and Agnus Dei never completed
                 b. wrote it as fulfillment of a vow at the time of his marriage in 1782
         4. Motet: Ave verum (K.618, 1791)
F. Idomeneo
         1. Mozart's last important Salzburg work before he moved to Vienna
         2. First perf. in Munich, January 1781
         3. Opera seria
         4. Shows the influence of Gluck and the tragedie lyrique

III. The Vienna Period
A.Historical Background
         1. Mozart decides, against the advice of Leopold, to quit the service of
             the Archbishop and move to Vienna
         2. Early years in Vienna were prosperous
                 a. Die Entfuehrung aus dem Serail (1782) was successful
                 b. Many students, commissions and concerts
         3. Viennese taste changed by the late 1780s and the public abandons Mozart
         4. Exposure to J.S. Bach
                 a. Baron van Swieten
                         1. Music enthusiast
                         2. wrote the librettos of Haydn's last two oratorios
                         3. Introduced Mozart to Bach
B. The Haydn Quartets
         1. 6 quartets written in 1785 dedicated to Joseph Haydn
         2. String quartet overview
                 a. Mozart's earlier quartets: K.168-173 (set of 6)
                         1. Composed Vienna, 1773
                         2. Influence by Haydn's Op.17 and Op.20
                 b. Haydn's Op.33 (1781)
                         1. Fully established technique of pervasive thematic dev.
                         2. Complete equality of the four instruments
C. Concertos for Piano and Orchestra
         1. Mozart writes 17 Piano Concertos
         2. All were written in order to provide brand-new works for concerts
         3. Popularity in Vienna can be gauged by the number of new concertos
                 a. 1782-1783: 3
                 b. 1783-1784: 4
                 c. 1784-1785: 4
                 d. 1785-1786: 3
                 e. 1786-87 & 1787-88: 1 each
                 f. 1791: last concerto (K.595)
D. Operas
         1. After Idomeneo, Mozart wrote no other opera serie other than La clemenza
             di Tito (summer 1791)
         2. Singspiels
                 a. Die Entfuehrung aus dem Serail (1782)
                 b. Die Zauberflöte (1791)
         3. Italian operas
                 a. Le nozze di Figaro (1786)
                 b. Don Giovanni (1787)
                         1. Drama giacosa
                         2. Uses trombones
                 c. Cosi fan tutte (1790)
                 d. All 3 librettos were by Lorenzo da Ponte (1749-1838)

In the Classical period the four movments became standard fare for the symphony.

    First Movement
             Usually, the first movement of a symphony is a
             fairly fast movement, weighty in content and
             feeling. The vast majority of first movements are
             in Sonata Form.

    Second Movement
            In most symphonies, the second movement will be slow
            and solemn in character. Composers have used many different
            forms for slow movements - Sonata Form; Ternary
            form; Variations form; Rondo form; and combinations
            and modifications of these forms. Mozart was less
            adventuresome in this respect, often preferring Sonata
            form here as well. This is often where Mozart presents
            his most lyrical and beautiful melodies.

Third Movement
For Haydn and Mozart, Mineut and Trio form was the standard here.

    Fourth Movement
            A "rousing" closer was typical for Mozart. He preferred sonata
             form or a variation called sonata-rondo form.