# 'Doing' Mozart...



## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

I admit it. 
*I only know Mozart piecemeal *- as background music to 'Amadeus', A Little Night-Music, the Divertimento I played in the York Schools Strings Orchestra, other pieces that I've fiddled through before and since, seeing The Magic Flute at Norwich Theatre Royal, harpsichord scraps on YouTube and so on. I rate Mozart highly, and I have *never* disliked what I have heard, but I have no systematic knowledge of him at all. The piano concertos that are praised so highly - they're just K-numbers to me! 

I do so wish that I had a mind-map of Mozart so that, without being familiar with his vast output, I could have an idea of the high points, what to look out for and so on.

I'm wondering, is there any chance of any of you providing a non-sneery guide to, say, ten or twelve pieces that would illustrate 'what to look for in Mozart'? Or maybe give me a bunch of 'musical traits' or 'discussion points' that I should be listening out for?

:tiphat: Trazom, Kieran and other Mozartians - please, this ignoramus *needs* you!

Thanks in advance for any kind & helpful replies. :cheers:


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

As a layman who is a lover of Wolfie's music, I would certainly begin with the piano concertos starting perhaps with nos 23 and then 21


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## bharbeke (Mar 4, 2013)

His Wikipedia entry will of course mention some of the most famous pieces. Going just from memory, I would advise checking out:

1. Piano concertos (all are pretty good to excellent, but the ones from 19-27 get most of the praise)
2. Horn concertos
3. Symphonies (38-41 especially)
4. Clarinet concerto
5. Later operas like The Marriage of Figaro or La Clemenza di Tito
6. ???
7. Profit!

Much of Mozart's music has a "beautiful simplicity" about it. It pleases the ear and seems so natural, yet it took a lot of skill and artistry to make the pieces achieve that feeling.

I would suggest trying the genres you typically enjoy, and the odds are good that Mozart excelled in his entries to those genres. The higher K numbers are generally composed later, so they represent a more refined talent and are more likely to be high quality.

Have fun in your explorations of Mozart's music! There is a lot there to enjoy, and I still have a lot of music of Mozart's that I want to listen to for the first time.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

For a combination of musical beauty and strong emotional investment, Mozart's best sacred choral works are a must. Specifically, I refer to the Requiem and the Mass in C minor.

Concerning Mozart's piano concertos, the masterpieces start with no. 17.


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## Dim7 (Apr 24, 2009)

Clarinet Concerto

Piano Concerto no. 9 'Jeunehomme' (Earlier piano concerto that is more or less equally praised as 18-27, this was the first Mozart piano concerto that I really liked)

Symphonies 40, 41 especially but if you want more symphonies I would also recommend 25 (along with 40 the only minor key symphony by Mozart), 29, 31 'Paris', 36 'Linz', 39.

Violin concertos of Mozart are *not* that praised (considering the composer anyway), but Sinfonia Concertante for Violin and Viola is awesome.

Bassoon Concerto


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## Skilmarilion (Apr 6, 2013)

Perhaps you could try the slow movements alone of the 9th, 18th, 22nd and 23rd piano concertos -- they're special not only because they're the only ones in a minor key, but also because they are *absolutely divine.*


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

It can be difficult to truly acquaint oneself with Mozart's vast oeuvre, especially as he wrote so many wonderful works alongside the juvenilia and trifles.

In addition to the works already listed by others, be sure to listen to his String Quintets, particularly the G minor and the D major, the Piano Quartets, the Clarinet Quintet, and the Gran Partita.


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## Chronochromie (May 17, 2014)

Great Mass in C minor, Violin Sonata K. 379.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

Skilmarilion said:


> Perhaps you could try the slow movements alone of the 9th, 18th, 22nd and 23rd piano concertos -- they're special not only because they're the only ones in a minor key, but also because they are *absolutely divine.*


I can't agree with the above suggestion; taking those movements out of the context of the complete work is not a good idea. Mozart's middle movements are most effective when they offer the contrast between the two outer movements.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

His operas I would like to add to this list. The Magic Flute is a wonderful gateway to part of Mozart's vast output.


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## MoonlightSonata (Mar 29, 2014)

The D Minor Requiem (unfinished), the last three symphonies, the late piano concerti, the horn concerti, clarinet concerto, string quartets, Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, Sinfonia Concertante...
I can't think of any Mozart I _don't_ like.


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

Ingélou said:


> I admit it.
> *I only know Mozart piecemeal *- as background music to 'Amadeus', A Little Night-Music, the Divertimento I played in the York Schools Strings Orchestra, other pieces that I've fiddled through before and since, seeing The Magic Flute at Norwich Theatre Royal, harpsichord scraps on YouTube and so on. I rate Mozart highly, and I have *never* disliked what I have heard, but I have no systematic knowledge of him at all. The piano concertos that are praised so highly - they're just K-numbers to me!
> 
> I do so wish that I had a mind-map of Mozart so that, without being familiar with his vast output, I could have an idea of the high points, what to look out for and so on.
> ...


Piano Concertos 20-27. If you never listen to any other works, the essence of him as a Composer can be found in these 8 pieces.


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## Headphone Hermit (Jan 8, 2014)

There are lots of helpful suggestions for individual pieces listed above

I'd recommend you to consider getting the EMI box set Mozart Collector's Edition - less than £40 for 50 CDs (there's also a larger Brilliant Clasics box for about £70) - its a good introduction to the range and diversity of his music and then you can hunt out preferred performances of specific pieces in smaller lumps


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## Balthazar (Aug 30, 2014)

As a Mozart lover and a pianist, I feel like a traitor to my [fill in the blank], but I am not an advocate of the piano concertos.

My list would be:

Don Giovanni (watch it on DVD/YouTube - the best opera ever)
Requiem 
Symphony No. 40
Piano Sonata No. 14 in C minor
Clarinet Quintet
Piano Sonata No. 11 in A
Symphony No. 25
Piano Sonata No. 8 in A minor
Le Nozze di Figaro
Quintet for Piano and Winds
Violin Concerto No. 5 in A "Turkish"


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

"Classical Net" lists the most popular Mozartian repertoire (with red stars beside particularly impressive masterpieces), and reliable suggestions about recordings.

http://www.classical.net/music/rep/lists/class.php

http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/mozartwa.php

The only thing missing that I give a lot of listens to is Mozart's piano repertoire for 4 hands.

Happy exploring!


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## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

Early works that display staggering originality, genius
(1) Bassoon concerto K191
(2) _Exsultate jubilate_, motet for soprano K165
(3) Opera, _Mitridate_ K87

Teen to early adult works that would make any composer envy
(4) Piano concerto no.9 K271
(5) Symphony no.25 in G minor K183
(6) Flute and harp concerto, K299

These demonstrate the mastery of vocal composition, the Classical style and intimate understanding of instrumental color (say the Bassoon concerto or the Flute & Harp concerto).


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Clarinet Concerto.

Clarinet Quintet

String Quintet in G minor.

Piano Concerto No. 21

Piano Concerto No. 23

Great Mass in C minor

Exultate Jubilate

Violin Concerto No. 3

Violin Concerto No. 4

Piano Quartet in G minor


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## Guest (Apr 14, 2015)

Mozart made the biggest contributions in the forms of concertos and operas. I'm not a big fan of opera, so my recommendation would be to get an overview of his concertos which are for a wide variety of instruments. Of course some piano concertos are a necessity, but besides that, these are vital:

Clarinet Concerto, K622
Flute and Harp Concerto, K299
Sinfonia Concertante (for Violin and Viola), K364
Oboe Concerto, K314
Bassoon Concerto, K191
Horn Concertos No. 3, K447, and No. 4, K495
Violin Concertos No. 5, K219
Flute Concerto in G, K313


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## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

About 90% of my fairly substantial Mozart collection comes from the used record stores, albeit in very fine DG editions. While I don't know which are the greatest pieces (there is so much and I mostly just took everything I could find  ), you can't go wrong with these, many of which have already been mentioned:

Violin Concertos
String Quartets dedicated to Haydn
String (Viola) Quintets
Clarinet Concerto
Concerto for Flute and Harp
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
Symphonies 35-41
Piano Concerti (particularly the 20s)
Sonatas for Violin and Piano
Sinfonia Concertante
Concertone
Die Zauberflöte


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Balthazar said:


> As a Mozart lover and a pianist, I feel like a traitor to my [fill in the blank], but I am not an advocate of the piano concertos.
> 
> My list would be:
> 
> ...


Really? Not even 21, 23 and 27?


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

OP As a lover of church/choral music, you must listen to the brief but gorgeous Ave verum corpus, one of Mozart's last compositions.


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## Polyphemus (Nov 2, 2011)

I have always considered Piano Concerto 20 to be one of Mozart's most important works.


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## isorhythm (Jan 2, 2015)

This is getting repetitive, but...

-piano concertos from 19 on, especially 20, 21, 23, 24 and 27
-CLARINET QUINTET - one of my favorite pieces of all time
-Great Mass in C minor
-Ave verum corpus
-Vesperae solennes de Dominica and Vesperae solenes de confessore (I like sacred choral music a lot)
-piano sonatas from 11 on
-violin sonata in E minor
-Magic Flute


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## Balthazar (Aug 30, 2014)

hpowders said:


> Really? Not even 21, 23 and 27?


It's really just a weird personal hang-up I have with the genre. I always have the vague feeling of doing homework when I listen to a piano concerto. I would generally prefer to listen to a piano sonata or a symphony. I hope it will pass. If I were to pick a favorite by Mozart, though, it would probably be 25.


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## AnotherSpin (Apr 9, 2015)

Small scale chamber pieces, as piano sonatas, piano trios, violin sonatas.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

Also Mozart's Masonic music is not to be missed. Those are very much underrated works too.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

As a non-fanatic I probably should not chime in here, but I confess the *flute and harp concerto* mentioned several times above was for a long time my favorite Mozart piece, appealing as it did to both the baroque fan and the Beethoven fan in me, and seemed to represent a typical cross section of Mozart's sound world.


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## Blake (Nov 6, 2013)

Hmm... where to start? Anywhere. What to listen to? Everything. 

Hope this helps.


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## trazom (Apr 13, 2009)

I tried to come up with a smaller list of 'essential' works, but writing them, I'd remember more and more great works, so I've decided to list all of my favorites by genre. I still left a lot of great works out, but this should be more than enough to keep you busy for the next 10 years--assuming you like them enough to give them multiple listens and really get to know the works.


Operas: The seven complete operas he wrote in his prime which you should listen to are Idomeneo, The Abduction from the Seraglio,the three da Ponte operas (Figaro, Don Giovanni, Cosi fan Tutte), The Magic Flute, and La Clemenza di Tito. His unfinished singspiel Zaide has a lot of glorious music as well, and Il Re Pastore as that's one of my favorites from his earlier operas. --If you like his operatic music, you should also listen to his concert arias which were intended to be performed separately, most are for soprano. 

Piano Concertos: All of the concertos from 9-27 are works from his maturity that range from very great to masterpiece, but 5-8 are also good early works and worth a listen.

Chamber works for various ensembles: All 10 of his late string quartets which includes the six dedicated to Haydn(#14-19) the Hoffmeister(#20) and the three Prussian quartets #21-23, Quintet for piano and winds k.453, Piano Quartet G minor k.478 , Piano Quartet E-flat major k.493, Viola Quintets(especially K.515 and 516), String Trio/Divertimento K.563, Clarinet Quintet , Horn quintet, Piano trios(Especially the E major and two in B-flat), trio for clarinet, viola and piano(Kegelstatt trio), oboe and flute quartets, and the duos for violin and viola.

Concertos for other instruments: the Bassoon concerto, oboe concerto, 2 flute concertos(the D major concerto is just a transposed version of the oboe concerto), the horn concertos, flute& harp concerto, violin concertos 3-5, the sinfonia concertante for violin, viola and orchestra k.364, and finally, the clarinet concerto.

Symphonies: I mostly stick to the late ones, 31-41. The first 30 are early works, were written by the time he was 18, and vary a lot in quality, though #29 is also a great work.

Sacred Works: There are a lot of great works here but I'd start with some shorter works, the Exsultate Jubilate, Ave Verum Corpus, Vesperae Solemnes de Confessore k.339, and Vesperae Solemnes de Dominica k.321 and 3 of his masses: The Coronation Mass k.317, The C Minor Mass k.427, and the Requiem Mass.

Violin sonatas: There are a lot of great, relatively underrated works in this genre. Start with the sonatas he wrote after 1778: k.296, 301-306, 376-380, 454, 481, 526, and 547.

The serenades: There's an overwhelming amount of great music here, but I'd say the most important are the three great serenades he wrote for woodwinds (k.361 'gran partita' k.375, and 388), then the Haffner k.250, Posthorn k.320 serenades, and divertimento in b flat k.287. I'm sure I forgot a few others.

Solo piano works(besides the 18 sonatas, which you should also listen to): Fantasias k.475, 396, 397, Rondo in A minor k.511, rondo in D major k.485, andante in F k.616 and the B minor adagio k.540. Also, the sonata for two pianos k.448, and the sonatas for four hands: k.497, 521, 358, and 381.


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## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

ArtMusic said:


> Early works that display staggering originality, genius
> (1) Bassoon concerto K191
> (2) _Exsultate jubilate_, motet for soprano K165
> (3) Opera, _Mitridate_ K87
> ...


Add to that his best masterpieces that practically invented special combinations or genres, and subsequent pieces by other composers don't come close,

(7) Clarinet quintet K581, widely recognized as his most subtle masterpiece, no other clarinet quintet came close
(8) Clarinet concerto K622, no other clarinet concerto came close
(9) Symphony no.40 K550, the first great Romantic symphony ever written

Mozart will always be amongst the very best. One of the most subtle craftsman in all music history.


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