Mozart: Violin Concerto No. 4 / Sinfonia Concertante

Description

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791)Sinfonia concertante in E Flat Major, K.364 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born inSalzburg in 1756, the younger and second surviving child of Leopold Mozart, amusician in the service of the ruling Archbishop. The same year brought thepublication of Leopold Mozart's book on violin-playing, a compilation that wonhim a wide reputation. Nevertheless his career was sacrificed before long tothat of his son, whose genius he soon realised and to the fostering of which hededicated his energies. He remained until his death in 1787 Vice-Kapellmeisterin Salzburg, his final years darkened by his son's departure for Vienna in1781.In his childhood Mozart excelled as akeyboard-player, his skill shown in performance, in sight-reading and inimprovisation, and as a violinist. With his older sister Nannerl he touredEurope, exciting wonder wherever he went. Adolescence proved less satisfactory.In 1771 the old Archbishop of Salzburg, an indulgent patron, died, and wassucceeded by Count Colloredo, a son of the Imperial Vice-Chancellor, a prelate,with progressive views, coupled with a precise idea of what was due to him fromthose in his employ. At the age of thirteen Mozart had been appointed thirdconcert-master of the court orchestra, unpaid. Under the new Archbishop he wasgiven the paid position of concert-master, but there were now severerestrictions on his freedom, exercised in earlier years in extended tours thathad taken him to Paris, to London and on several occasions to Italy. Salzburg,furthermore, could hardly satisfy Mozart's ambitions as a composer, or hisfather's justified hopes for his son's material advancement. In 1777 he wasallowed to resign from the Archbishop's service, an option offered also to hisfather, but prudently refused, in order to travel to Mannheim and to Paris. Theobject of the journey, on which he was accompanied by his mother, who fell illand died during their stay in Paris, was to seek a better appointment. InJanuary 1779 he returned home, reluctantly accepting the appointment of cour1organist in Salzburg.In 1780 there came a commission for a newopera for the Elector of Bavaria in Munich, staged early in 1781, and this wasfollowed by a visit to Vienna in the entourage of his patron. Apparentrestrictions on his freedom to perform as he wished in Vienna led Mozart toquarrel with the Archbishop, a dispute that ended in his dismissal. For theremaining ten years of his life he remained in Vienna, encumbered by a wife andintermittently increasing family, but without the security of a patron or thesupport of regular paternal advice. Initial success in the theatre and as akeyboard-player, particularly in a magnificent series of piano concertos he wrotefor his own use, was followed by a period of depression, when he found itincreasingly difficult to meet the expenses of a style of life to which he hadbeen accustomed. In spite of his father's admonitions from Salzburg, he nolonger practised the violin, although he