Dictionary of Music - Birding America

Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus 251reed determine the kind of tone that the instrumentproduces.movable do (dō).See under DO.movement A major section in a long composition,such as a Mass, suite, sonata, symphony, concerto,or string quartet. Usually such a section canstand alone but is related in some way to the rest ofthe work. It nearly always has its own key signatureand tempo indication—in fact, the practice of dividinga work into different movements comes from theuse of contrasting tempos and moods in sixteenthcenturymusic—and in performance there is frequently(but not always) a brief pause between themovements of a composition. In instrumental musicmovements are referred to by their order (first, secondmovement, etc.), or their form (scherzo, minuet,etc.), or, occasionally, special titles. In vocal musicthey are named for their text (Gloria, Sanctus, etc.)The earliest instrumental form cast in movementswas the seventeenth-century suite, which consistedof a series of dances, often alternating fast andslow, but usually in the same key. The number ofmovements varied a great deal, from four or so inthe early suites to as many as twelve or more in laterones. The sonatas, symphonies, concertos, and quartetsof the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries hadthree, four, or occasionally five movements. In thelatter half of the nineteenth century there was anincreasing tendency to link the different movementsof a composition more closely together. In someinstances this trend led to long compositions withoutany clear-cut divisions into movements, which aredescribed as being “in one movement” (examplesinclude Barber’s Symphony no. 1 and Sibelius’sSymphony no. 7).movimento (mô′′vē men′tô) Italian: “speed.” 1Italian word for MOVEMENT. 2 A word used in suchdirections as lo stesso movimento (“at the sametempo”), doppio movimento (“twice as fast”).Mozart (mō′tsärt), Wolfgang Amadeus(vôlf′gäng ä′′mä dā′oo s), 1756–1791. An Austriancomposer who, during his short lifetime, producedmore than six hundred compositions—sonatas, symphonies, concertos, quartets, instrumentalpieces, operas, Masses and other sacred works—many of which rank among the finest of their kind.Along with Haydn and Beethoven, Mozart is one ofthe principal composers in the CLASSIC style. Hisworks are particularly noted for their lovelymelodies, their lively rhythms, their outstanding dramaticqualities (particularly in the operas), and theirdisplay of beautiful form and technique. AlthoughMozart was influenced by many composers, amongthem Handel, Haydn, and Gluck, and was apparentlyable to mimic any style he chose, the best of hismusic is unmistakably his own.A child prodigy, Mozart first studied music withhis father, Leopold Mozart (1719–1787), arenowned violinist, composer, and theorist. By theage of six young Mozart was composing and givingconcerts on the harpsichord and violin. After a threeyearconcert tour with his father and sister, Anna(called Nannerl), which took them to most of themajor cities of Europe, Mozart returned to his nativeSalzburg in 1766. By then he had already written thefirst three of some forty-five symphonies. A fewyears later his father took him to Italy, where hereceived many honors. Back in Salzburg in 1771,Mozart entered the employ of the Archbishop, a jobhe held for the next decade. During this period hetraveled to Paris, Mannheim, and Munich, trying tofind a better post, but without success. In 1781 hewent to Vienna, where he remained for the rest of hislife. Although he continued to be respected as a performer,Mozart was not taken too seriously as acomposer. He never received adequate patronageand had to rely on teaching and subscription concertsto support himself and his family. Constantfinancial worries did not deter him from composingat an astounding rate. During his years in Vienna hewrote the greatest of his operas, Le Nozze di Figaro(“The Marriage of Figaro”), produced in 1786; DonGiovanni, in 1787; Così fan tutte (“Women Are LikeThat”), in 1790; and Die Zauberflöte (“The MagicFlute”), in 1791. A minor court appointment inVienna led him to write dozens of dances, marches,divertimentos, and other short instrumental pieces.During this period he also wrote six string quartetsdedicated to his good friend, Haydn; oddly enough,each of the two composers believed that he had