Happy Birthday Wolfie!

On this Sunday, January 27, 2013 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart would have been 257 years old.  Tales celebrates the great classical composer’s birthday.  He was born in Salzburg, Austria and was a child prodigy on piano and violin. While his life was a short 35 years, he was a prolific composer of 27 piano concertos, 41 symphonies, 5 violin concertos, 22 operas, numerous masses, concertos for horn, flute and clarinet, and a vast number of chamber music pieces [sonatas, trios, quartets, etc.].  Mozart wasn’t just one of the greatest, if not the greatest composers ever because of the prolificacy of compositions. He was great because of the greatness of the compositions themselves.

Mozart was the quintessential classical composer, as much as J.S. Bach was the quintessential baroque composer. Mozart set the gold standard for classical compositions.

I believe I am correct in saying there is a consensus among musicologists studying Mozart’s compositions of their evaluation: perfect.   In his compositions are some of the most beautiful melodies ever written. They will be loved and played by music lovers forever.

While I have so many favorite classical music composers, my top three [in no order] are Bach, Mozart and Beethoven.  It depends upon the day on which one I put on top. Because on this weekend we celebrate Mozart’s birthday, I put him as #1.

For someone who knows little about classical music, and wants to start learning about it, I would suggest going to your local music store [that has a good section for classical music] and pick out any piece by Mozart. I don’t care what you choose, you can’t go wrong.

So, this weekend on the “Tales” is an all Mozart weekend. Today: Mozart’s last piano concerto, which was written near his death, Mozart’s overture to his opera, “The Marriage of Figaro, and the final movement of his final symphony, the majestic “Jupiter”.   The concerto has as soloist and conductor Murray Perahia.

W.A. Mozart: Piano Concerto #27 in B flat Major, Movement 3, allegro: