There are many composers throughout
music history who were equally famous as virtuosos during their lifetime. This
month, Clef Notes takes a closer look at a few notable stars who found success
through both composition and performance! We’ll get things started with the
ever-famous Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791).
Did you know that Mozart was a child
prodigy? His father, Leopold Mozart, was a celebrated violinist for the
archbishop of Salzburg during his day but ended up sacrificing advancement in
his own career when he discovered that his children, Wolfgang and Maria Anna
(also nicknamed Nannerl), possessed great musical talent.
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| Courtesy of mozart.com |
Leopold toured Western Europe with his
children during the 1760s, exposing them to a variety of cultures and music.
Both children were keyboard virtuosos and Wolfgang also quite proficient on the
violin. The musical experiences during this time period effected Wolfgang’s
compositional style, creating a universal approach to his writing. One composer
whose style influenced the young prodigy was that of J. C. Bach, whom Wolfgang
met in London. By listening to both men’s concertos, you can note that they
follow a similar approach. Wolfgang even arranged three of Bach’s sonatas as
piano concertos!
Next time, join me as I look at a
piece Mozart composed to perform himself at a concert during the 1780s!
