Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfganus Theopilus Mozart, or Wofgang Amadeus Mozart to you and me, is by far the most famous musician of all time. Although this may be seen by some as a rather sweeping statement to make, I stand by it. Ask anyone, anywhere, to name a classical composer and Mozart will be top of the list, whether you're standing in the National Concert Hall in Dublin or the backyard of an Australian bushman. Looking at his ouvre, it's easy to forget that he died at the relatively tender age of 35, perhaps without ever even reaching his prime.
Mozart was performing publicly at the age of three; he was composing his own music just two years later. By the time he was twelve he was performing at the premier of his first opera, Apollo et Hyacinthus. From the age of six, Mozart was touring internationally, along with his almost-as-gifted sister Maria-Anna. His father, Leopold, was the court composer at Salzburg. He recognised his son's genius at an early age – and decided to profit from it. Mozart was giving solo recitals for Kings and Queens at an age when most children are still mastering the art of walking without falling over.
In the course of his life, this man excelled at every form of musical endeavour known to him. His grasp of musical symmetry was absolute; his mastery of form and melody unparalleled. However, people have sometimes been uncomplimentary about his music – he has even been described as having "all the depth of a lily pond". The Emperor of Austria, Franz Josef, once told him his music had "too many notes". I reckon they were just jealous. I have never heard anything from Mozart that failed to impress. With the possible exception of Beethoven, there has never been anyone to match him.
To gain a proper taste of his music, you'll need to spend an evening at home, alone, with a bottle of red wine, some candles, and a stack of his recordings ranging from Operas to Symphonies, Piano Sonatas, Horn Concertos, Piano Concertos, the Clarinet Concerto, Violin Concertos, Masses and devotional music, those gorgeous string quartets and quintets, and even pieces for a musical clock. Yes, it's going to be a long evening. If you don't have quite as much time to spare, listen to Don Giovanni and Die Zauberflöte, Symphonies 38, 40 and 41, any of the later piano sonatas, Piano Concertos numbers 21, 25, and 26, at least two out of the five violin concerti, horn concerto number 4, string quartet numbers 21-23, and the Coronation Mass. Then, when you do get the house all to yourself, The Marriage of Figaro, the Clarinet Concerto, and the astonishing C Minor Mass followed by the heartbreaking requiem, completed by Sussmayer. Although completed after Mozart's death, nearly all of the music is Mozart’s, and it aches with pathos and, at times, genuine fear in the face of the unknown.
Recommended Recording: There's too many to count! Good recordings of him are everywhere.
Lorcan MacMuiris
