Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

br Libretto in Italian , based on the story of the legendary lover Don Juan was written by Lorenzo da Ponte . Don Giovanni was first performed in Prague in 1787 , where it was an immediate success . Popular selections from the opera are the overture , the minuet , the arias Il mio tesoro and Deh , Vieni alla finestra ' and the duet La ci darem la mano

B . His Music

Mozart was not an innovator or reformer . The many tours he made as a child prodigy taught him a variety of musical styles . Absorbing these

styles , he created one of his own . His music , marked by melodic richness , reflects a variety of emotions . He often expressed deep and passionate feeling

Mozart composed more than 600 works but did not use opus numbers . In the 19th century his works were arranged chronologically by Ludwig von Kochel , an Austrian nobleman . They are usually identified by K , or Kochel , numbers In his instrumental works Mozart brought Classical form to perfection A piano virtuoso , he composed many works for his own performance . He was the first great master of the concerto , composing more than 25 piano concertos including those in D minor and A major . He also wrote many string quartets and piano sonatas

Of Mozart 's more than 40 symphonies , the six written in his last 10 years are the most popular . They are the Haffner ' in D , Linz ' in C , Prague ' in D , and three composed in the summer of 1788 . Other instrumental works include divertimenti , serenades including Eine Kleine Nachtmusik , and dance music . His chamber music includes the so-called Haydn ' and Prussian string quartets

Mozart was the foremost opera composer of his days . His comic and grand operas both are marked by sharp musical characterization and dramatic intensity

References

Einstein , Alfred . Mozart : His Character , His...