Beginning in 1786 at the first hearing of Mozart’s opera The Marriage of Figaro, we’ll explore the stream of masterpieces, including operas, symphonies, piano concertos, and chamber works that Mozart wrote in the last five years of his life. He was in his early thirties and navigating the political life of a court composer in Vienna while partying with the passion of the young man that he was, and all the while producing one masterpiece after another. On November 20, 1791, Mozart took to his bed, and still he brought in one of his protégés to write notes and phrases down. On December 5 Mozart died, with his requiem mass unfinished. From these years alone, Mozart left a body of work that expresses a universe of imagination and emotions.
Mozart at his Zenith
Playlist
Episode 1
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro, K. 492 (excerpts)
London Phil/Solti; Ramey, bass; Popp, soprano; Allen, baritone; Te Kanawa, soprano
Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro / Solti, Ramey, Te Kanawa
London 410150; 10:45, 6:03
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Concerto for Horn and Orchestra No. 4 in E-flat Major, K. 495, II & III
Academy of St. Martin in the Fields/Marriner; Tuckwell, horn
Mozart: Horn Concertos 1-4 / Tuckwell, Marriner, ASMF
EMI 69569; 8:08, 3:02
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 25 in C Major, K. 503, I
Cleveland Orch/Szell; Fleisher, piano
Beethoven, Mozart: Piano Concertos / Fleisher, Szell
CBS 37762; 1:24, 14:32
Episode 2
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony No. 38 in D Major, Prague, K. 504, I
Vienna Phil/Levine
Mozart: Symphonies 36 & 38 / Levine, Vienna Philharmonic
DG 423086; 17:37
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Serenade No. 13 in G major, K. 525, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, II & IV
Guarneri Quartet, Levine, double bass
Schubert: Trout Quintet; Mozart: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik / Ax, Guarneri Quartet
RCA 63589; 9:53
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Don Giovanni, K. 527 (excerpts)
London Phil/Solti; Pertusi, bass; Terfel, bass baritone; Groop, mezzo-soprano; Fleming, soprano; Lippert, tenor; Scaltriti, baritone
Mozart: Don Giovanni / Solti, Terfel, Fleming, Murray, Et Al
London 455500; 5:25, 1:26, 2:53, 3:35, 7:41
Episode 3
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Adagio in b minor, K. 540
Brendel, piano
Mozart: Favourite Works For Piano / Alfred Brendel
Philips 446921; 11:20
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony No. 39 in E-flat Major, K. 543, I
CSO/Giulini
Mozart: Symphonies Nos. 38 – 41
CSO CD-94/2; 8:52
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Adagio and Fugue in c minor for Strings, K. 546 (excerpt)
Berlin Phil/Karajan
Mozart: Great Mass
DG 449515; 5:26
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony No. 40 in g minor, K. 550, I
Berlin Phil/Karajan
Mozart: Symphonies 35, 36, 38, 39, 40, 41 / Karajan
EMI 64327; 7:34
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony No. 41 in C Major, K. 551, Jupiter, IV
Cleveland Orch/Szell
Mozart: Symphonies Nos. 35, 40, 41 /Szell, Cleveland Orchestra
CBS 42418; 10:32
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Trio for Violin, Viola and Cello in E flat major, K 563, VI
Kremer, violin; Kashkashian, viola; Ma, violoncello
Mozart: Divertimento, K 563 / Kremer, Kashkashian, Ma
CBS 39561; 6:10
Episode 4
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Quintet for Clarinet and Strings in A Major, K. 581, I
BSO Chamber Players; Wright, clarinet
Mozart, Brahms: Clarinet Quintets / BSO Chamber Players
Philips 442149; 9:26
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Cosi fan Tutti (excerpts)
Philharmonia Orch/Böhm; soloists
Mozart: Così Fan Tutte / Böhm, Schwarzkopf, Ludwig, Et Al
EMI 69330; 4:45, 3:05, 18:34
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 27 in B-flat Major, K. 595, I
Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields/Marriner; Brendel, piano
Mozart Piano Concertos: Complete Mozart Edition
Philips 412856; 13:44
Episode 5
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Quintet for 2 Violins, 2 Violas and Cello No. 6 in E flat major, K. 614, I
Guarneri Quartet; Kashkashian, viola
The Guarneri Quartet plays Mozart Quartets & Quintets
RCA 7771-2; 7:27
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Ave verum corpus in D major, K. 618
Vienna Volksoper Chamber Orchestra/Harrer; Vienna Boys Choir
Mozart: Exsultate Jubilate, Etc / Harrer, Vienna Boys’choir
Philips 462778; 3:02
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: “Der Vogelfanger bin ich ja” from Magic Flute
Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields/Marriner; Bär, baritone
Mozart: The Magic Flute / Marriner, Ramey, Te Kanawa, Studer
Philips 426276; 2:44
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Concerto for Clarinet in A major, K 622, II
Berlin Phil/Abbado; Meyer, clarinet
Mozart, Debussy, Takemitsu / Meyer, Abbado, Berlin Po
EMI 56832; 6:33
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Requiem in D minor, K. 626 (excerpts)
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus/Shaw; Augér, soprano; Ziegler, mezzo-soprano; Hadley, tenor; Krause, bass
Mozart: Requiem / Shaw, Atlanta So & Chorus
Telarc 80128; 26:46