I'm attending a concert put on by Mozart. How does the event itself play out? How many pieces can I expect to hear? Will there be anything akin to a "warm-up act" or just the man himself?

by ahp327
Lipno

During his years in Vienna (1781-1791) Mozart made a good living teaching, publishing music, and giving concerts. There were concerts held in the homes of rich music lovers, public concerts at theaters and private subscription concerts (which were not publicly advertised, the composer would send a subscription list round the grand houses of Vienna, and the subscriber would pay a few ducats to attend a series of weekly concerts). Especially in Lent and Advent, the peak concert seasons (plays and operas were not allowed), Mozart was very busy; during one 5 1/2 week period in 1784 he gave 22 concerts in 38 days. Generally he performed his own music, just like a band on tour does today (although sometimes not e.g. in 1788 Baron van der Swieten asked Mozart to conduct some Handel oratorios for his private music society).

For example, on Sunday 23 March 1783 Mozart held a grand concert of his own music at the Burgtheater in Vienna, the theater where three of his operas were to be premiered (Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Le Nozze di Figaro, and Così fan tutte). The Emperor Joseph II attended and applauded enthusiastically. Mozart both conducted and played the piano (during the piano concertos he would conduct the orchestral passages from the piano bench, which was the custom at the time). The program, which Mozart detailed in a letter to his father, was as follows:

  1. The first three movements of the Haffner symphony, K385

  2. The aria Se il padre perdei from the opera Idomeneo, K366

  3. Piano concerto in C major K415

  4. The scena Misera! dove son, K369

  5. The sinfonia concertante from Finalmusik, K 320

  6. Piano concerto in D major, K175 (popular with Viennese audiences, so Mozart revived an old crowd favorite)

  7. The scena Parto, m'affretto from Lucio Silla, K 135

  8. Mozart improvising on the piano, starting with a short fugue in honour of the Emperor's distinguished presence, with variations on an aria from a Paisiello opera, which received great applause, followed by variations on an aria from a Gluck opera

  9. A rondo Mia speranza adorata!, K416

  10. The fourth movement of the Haffner symphony from the beginning of the concert

Mozart made 1600 florins from the concert. He was disappointed that the Emperor had sent his gift of 25 ducats to the box office before the concert began, as he was so enthusiastic that he would have given more if he'd decided on the amount at the end. It was common practice to perform individual movements of a symphony or otherwise break it up. Also common was free improvisation at the piano on popular themes; all the great pianist performers/composers like Beethoven, Chopin and Liszt would do this until the 20th century.

https://books.google.com/books?id=l6I6BwTMJ3sC&pg=PA712 https://books.google.com/books?id=EV7BGPY1O4IC&pg=PA3

flotiste

When you say "put on by Mozart" do you mean he's performing, or it's a concert of his compositions, an Opera he wrote? And is it adult Mozart or child Mozart?