Mozart and Musical
Change:
The Classical Period
1750-1827
Mozart and Musical
Change:
The Classical Period
1750-1827
It’s lucky for us
died in 1750 because
that neatly divides the
18
th
century in half.
Bach’s death in 1750
ends the
period and begins a
new musical period
called the
period.
As with
many great
composers,
first teacher
was his
father,
Leopold
Mozart.
Leopold Mozart,
1765.
write music
before he could
write words!
When he was
five he wrote a
minuet for
keyboard.
A minuet is a slow dance for
couples and groups of
people. It was popular
during his day.
Listen to
Mozart’s
Minuet
talented as a
child that he
played for kings
and queens. This
portrait of him
was painted in
1762, when he
was just six years
old.
Children during Mozart’s time
dressed just like adults. He just
finished playing for Empress
Maria Theresa of Austria.
By the time
he was already
starting to write
harder and
harder music.
Listen to an early
piano solo he wrote.
Does it sound
different than the
minuet you just
heard?
As
grew older, his
reputation
spread. Not
only was he a
gifted
musician, but
he could also
compose his
own music.
Mozart at 14, 1770.
He’s playing the
harpsichord.
Mozart 2 years
before his death in
1777.
Unlike
,
whose music
was very
complicated
and serious,
Mozart’s
music was
meant to be
fun and
entertaining.
Listen to
Mozart’s Rondo
alla Turka
This is a portrait of Mozart’s family. The
portrait on the wall is of his dead mother,
Anna Maria. His father is to the right. The
girl with the big hair is his older sister,
Nannerl. Mozart is in the red jacket. Can you
identify the instrument?
This portrait, painted after
Mozart’s death, is said to
look the most like him. It
was painted in 1819.
Mozart was
only 36
years old
when he
died in
1791. In
his short
life he
wrote over
600
compositio
ns!
Mozart died
penniless despite
his enormous
talent. The
greatest
composer the
world has ever
known is buried
in an unmarked
grave. Some
believe Mozart
may have been
murdered by a
jealous rival.
What do you
think?
Listen to Variations on
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little
Star by Mozart
1
.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Online Bibliography
•
Alexandre H. Hohmann's Mozart
Pictures Frame,
http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Str
asse/9570/mozart/pictures.html
, available July 22, 2001.
•
Mozart's Magical Musical Life,
http://www.stringsinthemountains.
org/m2m/1once.htm
, available July 22, 2001.
