Masters of Music: Mozart and Classical Music

The music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), with that of his friend and elder contemporary, Franz Josef Haydn, stands at the pinnacle of what today we call European music's classical era. Together, these composers created the style and forged the music for the symphony orchestra as we recognize it today. Here, in words and pictures, is an absorbing look into the life, the work, the influences, and the times of Mozart and his contemporaries. Explored in detail are his operas, from The Marriage of Figaro to Don Giovanni and The Magic Flute. Here too are insights into his composition of 41 symphonies, his more than 20 piano concertos, and his string quartets, quintets, and other chamber music. Young readers who follow this fascinating musical adventure will gain an understanding of the many facets of Mozart's artistic genius.

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Perhaps the greatest genius of European music's classical era, Mozart was born in Salzburg, Austria in 1756. He astonished his elders with his musical ability when he was still a very young child. Young Mozart developed under the guidance of his father, who was an accomplished violinist. They traveled throughout Europe, where the boy was recognized as a prodigy. He spent much of his life as a musician in the Hapsburg Court in Vienna, and was a friend of the elder master of classical style, Franz Josef Haydn, Mozart was only 35 years old when he died in 1791, but by that time he'd filled the world with symphonies, concertos, operas, and other musical masterpieces.

Mozart and Classical Music

This book explores the musical world of Mozart in words and full-color illustrations. A two-page spread explains the structure of sonata form, which is the method of music composition perfected by Haydn and Mozart. Sonata form became the structural basis for their sonatas, concertos, symphonies, and chamber music. Readers are also introduced to Viennese life in the late eighteenth century, and to the orchestras and instruments familiar to Mozart. Concluding this volume are sketches of musicians who have been influenced by Mozart, including Beethoven, Mahler, Stravinsky—and even the Beatles.