I ’m willing to bet that if you start your hands on a written matter of Mozart ’s Symphony No . 41 — or “ The Jupiter Symphony , ” you might discover yourself suddenly lost in the lilting beauty of the second movement — the Andante Cantabile[2 ] . You might even find yourself zephyr - conducting your very own philharmonic orchestra . Oh , you say you already have a transcript ? Wonderful . Here ’s what you do :
find oneself a placid spot where you could be alone , someplace tranquil and remote control . Once you have your spot , put on the aforementioned 2d movement , the Andante Cantabile[3 ] . Never beware that you still have no idea what Andante Cantabile imply because you have n’t taken the clock time to take the footnote . Put it on anyway and then close your middle . Okay , now you ca n’t read this because your eyes are closed , but whatever .
Let the train in the beginning affectionate over you , uprise you softly from your remote smudge , and carry you to another maculation — your Mozart spot . Your horse sense should suddenly come active . You should experience as if a cool child’s play is blowing through your hair — like you just seize with teeth into a York Peppermint Patty .
Notice how elegantly proportioned Mozart ’s music is . Notice how it ’s simple , but never simplistic . consistent , but never coldly so . fair , but not so clean your female parent is n’t still going to have a conniption .
Once you ’ve listen through the entire seven- or eight - minute[4 ] movement , go back and listen to it again . This time , give particular care to the opening base . note the beautiful , lambent , almost ballad - like quality of the melody as it rescind off , zoom upward , holds there suspended in mid - tune a few seconds before mildly falling back down into the concord . Blissful , is n’t it ? I ’ve always imagined that if this theme were a love song by Elvis , the lyric would go something like this :
Love me darling , love me genuine
Love me dear , as I love you
Play the social movement once more , this fourth dimension singing my phony Elvis lyric poem to the possible action report every time you hear it reprize . Never beware if your voice sounds like a cross between a exponent exercise and cat-o'-nine-tails in oestrus . Never heed if you ca n’t carry a tune . You ’re alone in your remote topographic point . Who can hear you ? And even if someone can hear you , so what ? It ’s your chance to let the Elvis impersonator inside you pass wild . To go a fiddling meshuga . To let your hairsbreadth down like Mozart did . Forget that his was a fine-grained wig , just do it .
Now , does n’t the motion sound like a long - lose song by The King of Rock and Roll ? The B - side to one of his hit singles ? Eh ?
Unfortunately for Mozart , the Jupiter Symphony did n’t become a bang until long after his dying . While he was alive , it did n’t take in him a florin,[5 ] let alone see the published Christ Within of day .
The last years for Mozart were exceedingly arduous and sorry . His opera , Don Giovanni had a successful production in Prague , but then failed in Vienna . The Viennese , in general , were hard - press to go out for a night at the theater because of the economical recessional make by the Austrian Empire ’s novel warfare with Turkey . As a upshot , the Mozarts were forced to move out of the center of townsfolk and into the suburbs , where the composer was at least able to boast , “ I have greater leisure to work now since I am not put out by so many visitors . ”[6 ] Adding , “ Plus , there ’s a convenient 7 - Eleven right down the route and a Blockbuster Video that stay open ‘ til midnight . ”
But the suburbs proved isolating and the Mozart ’s income dropped considerably . Commissions dried up , his six - month honest-to-god daughter , Theresia , cash in one’s chips , and short after , his own health start to waver once again . But not before he received one last commissioning for a Requiem Mass from a source who wished to continue anonymous . It was to be composed entirely in secret — something that must have appealed to the Mason in Mozart . He jell out working on it at once and discharge about half of it before his late illness confined him to bottom .
There ’s a expectant scene in the moving picture Amadeus where Mozart is dictating portions of the requiem from his bed to the composer Antonio Salieri . While about as accurate as George Bush ’s statement of the English speech communication ( Salieri had nothing to do with the commissioning or writing of Mozart ’s requiem ) it ’s still worth consider , if you have n’t already . And if you have , well go engage it again . The film certainly did n’t gain the “ Best Picture ” Oscar for nothing you experience .
Unlike Milos Forman , the director of Amadeus , Mozart kick the bucket a very wretched military man on December 5th , 1791 of rheumy seditious feverishness . Other diagnoses , consider into account Mozart ’s famed medical account , come onward posthumously claiming he died of everything from toxic condition ( by Salieri himself if you think Amadeus ) to Schönlein – Henoch syndrome , which is something Mozart could have break up up as a baby . Though the cause of this difficult - to - pronounce syndrome is n’t on the button known , it ’s been associated with intense exposure to cold , insect bite , and , well - whaddaya - know , food for thought chemical reaction . So my little put-on about the liver pâté he consumed in abundance while a guest at Buckingham Palace as a boy may not , indeed , be a laughing subject after all .
As for the his unfinished Requiem , Constanze Mozart , who was now hapless beyond measure ( Mozart was buried in a common , public pit of a grave ) , labialise up every composer she could find to pitch in and complete it in a timely fashion so she might collect the money due her household .
The anon. delegacy , it would after be shape , was from one
Count von Walsegg - Stuppach . And no , I did n’t just make that name up — experience gratuitous to Google him if you do n’t believe me . Turns out , Count von Walsegg - Stuppach need to pass the requiem off as his own , in computer memory of his tardy married woman . ( The Countess Ham - ikka - Schnim - ikka - Schnam - ikka - Schnoop , perhaps ? )
[ 1 ] For more on instrument of the orchestra , give ear on to your hat for a next post .
[ 2 ] Italian for “ Slowly Singing ”
[ 3 ] See premature footnote . number on people ! Just ‘ cause they ’re small and stuck at the bottom of the post does n’t mean you do n’t have to read ‘ em .
[ 4 ] Depending on who conduct the recording you have , and how quondam he was at the metre the transcription was made . Leonard Bernstein , for illustration , immortalise Beethoven ’s ninth Symphony three times during his life history . First in ’ 64 , then ’ 79 , and then again in ’ 89 . Each successive recording is long by as much as two minute .
[ 5 ] No , not the Viennese equivalent of a Grammy , but rather the currentness used at the metre .
[ 6 ] Source : The Letters of Mozart and his Family , W.W. Norton & Co. , 1985
