Mozart+by+Doug

=__**WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756 - 1791)**__=

**Biography:**
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in 27 January 1756 and passed away in 5 December 1791. He was born in Salzburg, Austria and was buried at the St. Marx Cemetery, Austria. Mozart started composing pieces when he was aged five and also performed for the European royals at only aged seventeen.

**Characteristics of the Classical Period:**
The classical period started in 1730 and ended in 1820. Before the classical period was the baroque period and after the classical period was the romantic period. The classical period is mainly based on sonata form and is mainly homophonic. As there were lots of different composers during the classical period, there were lots of different styles of writing. Some pieces were fast, slow, loud and soft. Many composers wrote their music to show emotions of happiness, anger and sadness. Many pieces were also written to tell stories. Classical music had melodies that were usually easily memorable. The rhythm in classical music is widely varied and easily flexible. Composers used techniques like musical sequences, musical passages, staccato and accented notes. There could also be features like unexpected stops throughout the piece. The rhythm can be simple by using single notes to get the audiences attention, it can also be much more sophisticated to maybe illustrate a more dramatic scene. The texture in classical music is mainly homophonic. However this does not mean that the music must always stay homophonic. Texture can be changed to suit the mood of the piece or to suit the composers liking. For example, a piece may start homophonic, but then during the development, it may change to polyphonic. This is when all the instruments are playing either melodically or harmonically to the main instruments (e.g; Violin 1). Melody in classical music is usually quite easy to remember. It is often balanced and symmetrical because they are made up of two different phrases of the same length. The second phrase is commonly more simple compared to the first phrase. The dynamics in the classical period can be very quite, (pianissimo), quite, (piano), moderately quite, (mezzo piano), moderately strong, (mezzo forte), strong, (forte), very strong, (fortissimo). The dynamics can be changed according to the mood of the particular section of the piece of music. If the piece has a very sad feeling, then the dynamic marking may be mainly quite, if the piece has an angry feel to it, then the dynamic marking may be mainly strong. The composer will usually include crescendos, meaning to start soft then to gradually get louder, the composer can also include decrescendos, meaning to start loud then to gradually get softer.

**Sonata Form:**
Sonata form consists of three section. Exposition, development and recapitulation are the three sections in sonata form. It is two themes set in a certain key and likely to modulate to the dominant in the development. Many composers in the classical period wrote songs using sonata form. Sonata form can have several different movements, (first movement, second movement, etc...). The structural form for sonata form is A.B.A. This simply means that the first section is classified as 'A', the second section is 'B' and the last section is 'A'. Sonata form is commonly known as the "formal type" of music.

**Sacred Music by Mozart:**
Mozart composed over 50 pieces dedicated to religious uses. Sacred music music performed or composed for religious use or through religious influence. A example of sacred music are mass music. This type of music is performed for religious uses. A mass is a composition mainly performed using voices with an accompliment. Some pieces that Mozart wrote for religious uses are:

> Mass in C major, K 317 "Coronation" > Vesperae solennes de confessore, K 339
 * Mass in C major, K 66 "Dominicus Mass"
 * Vesperae de Dominica, K 321

**Secular Music by Mozart:**
Secular music is non-religious music. Secular means being separate from religion. In the West, secular music developed in the Medieval period and was used in the Renaissance. Some examples of secular music by Mozart are:


 *  Marriage of Figaro "Overture"
 * Magic Flute "Overture"

**Choral Music:**
Choral music is a composition specifically written for vocalists and ensembles. Examples of choral music written by Mozart are:


 * Die Entführung aus dem Serail, K. 384 (1782)
 * La clemenza di Tito, K. 621 (1791)
 * La finta semplice, K. 51 (1768)

**Instrumental Music:**
Instrumental music is a piece intended to be performed by a musical instrument or group of instruments commended together. Instrumental music can include sonatas, symphonies and string quartets. Some examples of Mozart's instrumental music are:


 *  Eine Kleine Nachtmusik Movt 1
 * Symphony No 40 Movement 1 "Molto Allegro"
 * String Quartet No 20 K 499 "Minuet"