Mozart
Child Mozart in
Schönbrunn Palace
Quotes about Mozart
What Do other Composers Say about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart?
Here is a collection of popular quotes by famous composers about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. There are a lot more quotes proliferating around but through the years, these ones are amongst favourites. And speaking of a favourite book of quotations about the wunderkind, I find Mozartiana by Joseph Solman the best.
To Mozart lovers and enthusiasts, it is always fascinating to know what other composers say about him. Sometimes, one reads or hears about the quotes but cannot name the famous composer who said it. Here are some of these familiar quotations, reflective of how they relate to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Some Quotes about Mozart
“The marvelous beauty of his quartets and quintets, and of some of his sonatas, first converted me to this celestial genius, whom whence forth I worshipped.” ~ Hector Berlioz, Memoirs
“It is hard to think of another composer who so perfectly marries form and passion.” ~ Leonard Bernstein
“If we cannot write with the beauty of Mozart, let us at least try to write with his purity.” ~ Johannes Brahms, In a letter to Antonin Dvorak
“Together with the puzzle, Mozart gives you the solution.” ~ Ferruccio Busoni
“Mozart encompasses the entire domain of musical creation, but I’ve got only the keyboard in my poor head.” ~ Frederic Chopin
“Mozart tapped the source from which all music flows, expressing himself with a spontaneity and refinement and breathtaking rightness.” ~ Aaron Copland, Copland on Music, 1960
“I have never known any other composer to possess such an amazing wealth of ideas. I wish he were not so spendthrift with them. He does not give the listener time to catch his breath…” ~ Karl Ditters von Dittersdorf, Contemporary of Mozart, in his Autobiography
“Mozart’s music is particularly difficult to perform. His admirable clarity exacts absolute cleanness: the slightest mistake in it stands out like black on white. It is music in which all the notes must be heard.” ~ Gabriel Faure
“Before Mozart, all ambition turns to despair.” ~ Charles Gounod
“In Bach, Beethoven and Wagner we admire principally the depth and energy of the human mind; in Mozart, the divine instinct.” ~ Edvard Grieg
“I tell you before God and as an honest man that your son is the greatest composer known to me; he has taste and in addition the most complete knowledge of composition.” ~ Franz Joseph Haydn, to Leopold, Mozart’s father, after hearing the six quartets Mozart dedicated to him in 1785
“The place in the center belongs to Mozart, due to the universality of his genius.” ~ Franz Liszt, in a letter to Marie zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, December 10, 1872
“I replied, however, that I should be only too happy to renounce all my virtues in exchange for Mozart’s sins.” ~ Felix Mendelssohn, Letters
“Beethoven I take twice a week, Haydn four times, and Mozart every day!” ~ Gioachino Rossini
“Give Mozart a fairy tale and he creates without effort an immortal masterpiece.” ~ Camille Saint-Saëns
“O Mozart, immortal Mozart, how many, how infinitely many inspiring suggestions of a finer, better life have you left in our souls!” ~ Franz Schubert, Diary, 1816
“Does it not seem as if Mozart’s works become fresher and fresher the oftener we hear them?” ~ Robert Schumann
“The most tremendous genius raised Mozart above all masters, in all centuries and in all the arts.” ~ Richard Wagner
I have written the biographies of all (I think!) these composers quoted here. For those interested, simply search the specific composer’s name in the internal ‘Search’ button. Thank you.
Sources:
Encarta Book of quotations, Macmillan (2000)
Mozartiana, Two centuries of Notes, Quotes and Anecdotes about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, by Joseph Solman, Macmillan (1990)
Note: This list of quotation was originally posted at Suite101, April 21, 2007. After almost five years, this quotations have been revived here in celebration of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s birthday, January 27.
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Music for the Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton
We are happy and proud to present the …
Music for the Wedding Service of Prince William and Kate Middleton
28th April 2011
Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton are pleased to announce the music for their Wedding Service. The music has a largely British theme. The Couple have put considerable thought into selecting the music, and their choices blend traditional music with some newly commissioned pieces.
Before the Service
The music before the Service will begin with a selection of organ pieces:
Fantasia in G (Pièce d’orgue à 5) by Johann Sebastian Bach, followed by
Veni Creator Spiritus by the Master of The Queen’s Music, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies;
Prelude on St. Columba Op. 28 by Sir Charles Villiers Stanford and
Sonata for Organ Op. 28 (Allegro maestoso and Allegretto) by Edward Elgar.
Following this will be seven orchestral pieces:
Serenade for Strings in E minor Op. 20 (Allegro piacevole, Larghetto and Allegretto) by Edward Elgar
Courtly Dance V: Galliard from Gloriana (Symphonic Suite) Op. 53a no. 7 by Benjamin Britten
Fantasia on Greensleeves by Ralph Vaughan Williams
Farewell to Stromness by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies
On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring by Frederick Delius
Touch Her Soft Lips and Part from Henry V Suite by William Walton
Romance for String Orchestra Op. 11 by Gerald Finzi
Three of these pieces – Farewell to Stromness, Touch Her Soft Lips and Part and Romance for String Orchestra Op. 11 – were played at the Service of Prayer and Dedication for The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall in 2005. The Couple specifically chose these pieces for that reason.
The final piece of music before the Service begins continues the broadly British theme: Canzona from Organ Sonata in C minor by Percy Whitlock.
Processional Music
The Service will begin with a Fanfare by The State Trumpeters of the Household Cavalry to mark the arrival of The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh. The Fanfare will be followed by three Processionals. For the Procession of The Queen, Prince William and Miss Middleton have chosen March from The Birds by Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry.
Prelude on Rhosymedre by Ralph Vaughan Williams will accompany the Procession of the Clergy, and was chosen for its Welsh echoes.
The Couple have selected ‘I was Glad’, also by Parry, for the Procession of the Bride.
Hymns
Prince William and Miss Middleton have chosen three hymns for the Service:
‘Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer’, words by William Williams, translated by Peter Williams and others, and music by John Hughes.
The second will be ‘Love Divine All Love Excelling’, words by Charles Wesley and music by William Penfro Rowlands.
The third will be ‘Jerusalem’, by Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, words by William Blake. All three hymns have been chosen because they are favourites of the Couple.
The Anthem and Motet
The Anthem, ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made’, has been composed specially for the occasion by John Rutter. It was commissioned by Westminster Abbey as a wedding present for Prince William and Miss Middleton and will be performed by both the Choir of Westminster Abbey and the Chapel Royal Choir. Mr. Rutter is a British composer, conductor, editor and arranger who specialises in choral music.
The Anthem will be followed by the Motet ‘Ubi caritas’ by Paul Mealor, a Welsh composer, who is currently Reader in Composition at The University of Aberdeen.
Mr. Mealor’s composing studio is on the Isle of Anglesey, where Prince William and Miss Middleton live. This version of ‘Ubi caritas’ was written on Anglesey and premiered at the University of St. Andrews in November 2010.
The National Anthem will be sung immediately before the Signing of the Registers.
The Signing of the Registers and the Recessional
During the Signing of the Registers, the choirs will sing ‘Blest pair of Sirens’, words by John Milton from At a Solemn Musick, music by Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry.
Following the Signing, there will be a Fanfare by the Fanfare Team from the Central Band of the Royal Air Force. The Fanfare, called Valiant and Brave, after the motto of No. 22 Squadron (Search and Rescue Force) was specially composed for this Service by Wing Commander Duncan Stubbs, Principal Director of Music in the Royal Air Force.
The Recessional, for the Procession of the Bride and Bridegroom, will be Crown Imperial by William Walton. Toccata from Symphonie V by Charles-Marie Widor and Pomp and Circumstance March no. 5 by Edward Elgar will follow the Service.
Source: Official Royal Wedding 2011
What lovely music, what beautiful hymns especially when we grew up singing them or are familiar with the lyrics & music. They are so soothing and poignant to reflect on most especially in these troubled times. Indeed, the royal couple chose very well.
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Halloween Classical Music Treat
In the spirit of Halloween, I’m re-posting this classical music treat.
Music affects moods and environment. Classical music has been greatly used in movie soundtracks for dramatic effects.
Consider adding this list of thrillingly devilish classical music. Some of them may have been used in film scores.
- Bach, Johann Sebastian: Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565.This is JS Bach’s most famous organ piece, considered to be the most scary organ music. Often associated with dramatic silent films, there are lots of unsettling tension in the music, from the opening motif through the pulsing rhythm of the entire piece.
- Beethoven, Ludwig van: Ghost Piano Trio. A nickname of Beethoven’s Piano Trio in D Op.70 No.1, because of the slow movement’s ghostly atmosphere.
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Mozart and “Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star”
Mozart Variations of “Ah! vous dirai-je maman” for Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star
“Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star” is a poem sung to the tune of the French melody “Ah! vous dirai-je, Maman”, which was published in 1761 and later arranged by composer Wolfgang A. Mozart for his famous “12 Variations on “Ah! vous dirai-je, Maman, K265/300e.
It is a common misconception that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote “Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star.” He did not, as many of us believed or were made to believe whilst playing it for our piano lessons as children that Wolfgang Mozart composed it. Mozart was a child of five when the original French folk song was composed under the title of “Ah! vous dirai-je, Maman”, in 1761. Literally, or in context, the English translation would mean something like “Oh, would I tell you, mom?”, “Will I tell you, mom?”, or “Should I tell you, mom?”. The music first appeared (without words) in “Les Amusements d’une Heure et Demy” by Mr. Bouin in Paris.
However, Mozart composed a series of variations on this melody when he was older. Amongst my CD collection of Mozart music is Mozart, with 12 Variations “Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman,” K265, performed by Andras Schiff on the piano under Decca Record label, 1988.
Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star – an English Nursery Rhyme
“Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” is a popular English nursery rhymes. The lyrics are from an early nineteenth-century English poem, “The Star” written by Jane Taylor. The poem is in couplet form, first published in 1806 in Rhymes for the Nursery, a collection of poems by Taylor and her sister, Ann.
Ah! Vous Dirai-je Maman and Mozart’s 12 Variations, K. 265/300e
For a time, the composition date of Mozart’s Variations were thought to have been composed in 1778, whilst Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, aged 22, stayed in Paris from April to September in that year, the assumption being that the melody of a French song could only have been picked up by him whilst residing in France. For this presumed composition date, in the chronological catalogue of his compositions, Mozart’s 12 Variations of Ah! vous dirai-je Maman was renumbered from K.265 to K.300e. A later analysis of Mozart’s manuscript of the composition by Wolfgang Plath indicated 1781-1782 as the probable composition date.
Related Article: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Biography
Aika Dan Plays Mozart’s ‘Ah,vous dirai-je, maman’ K.265
YouTube Video Credit:
Aika Dan Mozart ‘Ah,vous dirai-je, maman’ K.265, uploaded by 1989piano. Accessed September 11, 2009.
Resources:
- Neue Mozart-Ausgabe, IX/26: Variationen für Klavier, Kritischer Bericht (Fischer, 1962), p. 58-59 (In German)
- Booklet notes by Robin Golding, 1991 for Daniel Barenboim. Mozart: The Complete Piano Sonatas and Variations, EMI Classics, 8 CD box No. 5 73915 2.
- Mozart CD. 12 Variations “Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman,” K265, etal. Andras Schiff, Piano. Decca Record, London (1988).
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