Peasant Wedding Toy Symphony

AMSTERDAM BAROQUE ORCHESTRA KOOPMAN MATHOT

W.A. Mozart grew up in a musical environment. His father, Leopold Mozart, was a composer, performer and theoretician. Leopold gave his children musical tuition and guidance, also encouraging composition from an early age. Wolfgang write his first compositions- an Andante and an Allegro for piano- at the age of five. Leopold mounted an elaborate publicity campaign in order to win renown for his prodigious children throughout Europe. The younger they were the greater the sensation. Thus, setting off with them, Leopold visited the musical centers of the time. In 1764 they arrived in London, where Wolfgang composed his first Symphony in E flat K 16, assisted by his father and influenced by J. C. Bach. His initial symphonies are clearly experiments, but they are nevertheless well-crafted, fullfledged, miniature works. Leopold Mozart was a composer of an entirely different caliber than his son. His conscious aim was to write simple, understandable music. In his time, “the ordinary man” had started becoming interested in composed music. Since the level of the amateurs was not such that they were able to perform the virtuosic music of the court ensembles, a demand rose for more simple music. Leopold filled this gap. Leopold often used uncommon instruments to give additional color to his music. An example is Die Bauernhochzeit, which draws on a set of bagpipes. In addition, the musicians have to cheer and clap. Leopold also supplemented many of his scores with simple indications for performance. A typical example of the above is Cassatio ex G ‘mit der Kindersinfonie.’

Price: $25.98