Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Ludwig van beethoven Bella mia fiamma, addio - Resta, oh cara. Concert aria for soprano and orchestra , K. 528 bedřich smetana Tenor aria „Il mio tesoro“ from Don Giovanni Antonín dvořák Menuet from Don Giovanni gustav mahler U zlatého anděla Symphony no. 38 in D major Prague, K. 504, 3rd movement leoš janáček Thunovský palác Lichtenštejnský palác bohuslav martinů Requiem d moll, K. V. 626, Requiem aeternam Concerto for Piano and Orchestra no. 23 in A major, K. 488, second movement Strahovský klášter Kostel sv. Mikuláše Klemetinum Nostický palác Stavovské divadlo U Tří zlatých lvů Bella mia fiamma, addio - Resta, oh cara. Concert aria for soprano and orchestra (recitative and aria), K. 528 Music Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart/original text D.M. Scarcone Artists Jana Jonášová/Komorní harmonie/Zdeněk Lukáš/Pražští komorní sólisté/Zdeněk Lukáš Concerto for Piano and Orchestra no. 23 in A major, K. 488, 2nd movement Music Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Artist Pavel Štěpán/Czech Philharmonic/Zdeněk Mácal Menuet from Don Giovanni Music Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart/libretto Lorenzo da Ponte Artist Karel Berman/Eduard Haken/Dalibor Jedlička/Vojtěch Kocián/Václav Zítek/Jana Jonášová/Eva Děpoltová/Magdaléna Hajóssyová/Prague Chamber Orchestra (PKO)/Libor Pešek/The Chorus of the National Theatre in Prague Requiem d moll, K. V. 626, Requiem aeternam Music Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart/original text Liturgical text Artist Karel Berman/Libuše Márová/Zdeněk Švehla/Magdaléna Hajóssyová/Prague Philharmonic Choir/Josef Veselka/Prague Symphony Orchestra/Václav Smetáček Symphony no. 38 in D major Prague, K. 504, 3rd movement Music Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Artist Czech Philharmonic/Karel Šejna tenor aria „Il mio tesoro“ from Don Giovanni Music Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart/libretto Lorenzo da Ponte Artist Karel Berman/Eduard Haken/Dalibor Jedlička/Vojtěch Kocián/Václav Zítek/Jana Jonášová/Eva Děpoltová/Magdaléna Hajóssyová/Prague Chamber Orchestra (PKO)/Libor Pešek/The Chorus of the National Theatre in Prague/Milan Malý Bertramka (K. 551) Symphonies: No. 25 in G minor (K. 183/173dB), No. 31 in D major – Paris Symphony (K. 297/300a), No. 38 in D major – Prague Symphony (K. 504), No. 39 in E-flat major (K. 543), No. 41 in C major – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Mozart is one of the most significant and enduringly popular composers of European classical music. He was a brilliant pianist who composed from early childhood. His enormous output includes works that are widely acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music. Mozart visited Prague several times. It was here that two of his best-known operas premiered: Don Giovanni (1787) and La Clemenza di Tito (1791). 27 January 1756 Salzburg 5 December 1791 Vienna, buried in a mass grave at the St. Marx Cemetery At the time of Mozart’s birth, his father was A court musician and composer for the Archbishop of Salzburg. Mozart was taught at home by his father. Upon realizing that young Wolfgang was a prodigy, Mozart’s father devoted all of his time to his son. By the age of four, he was playing instruments, and, by the age of five, he was already composing his first pieces. Mozart was only six when he played for the Empress Maria Theresa. Only one year later, he went on a tour that took him to Bavaria, the Netherlands, and France. He performed for the English King George III and for the French royal family. By that time, he was already playing the piano, the organ, and the violin and his first compositions – a series of piano sonatas – were published in Paris. When Mozart was only thirteen years old, he was appointed as the concertmaster of the Archbishop’s orchestra in Salzburg, whose main task was to entertain the gentry. In 1796, he set out on a journey to Italy: He met the Czech composer Josef Mysliveček and became a great admirer of his works. He also travelled to Munich, Mannheim, and Paris, but finally settled in Vienna as an independent artist. His friend Joseph Haydn considered Mozart to be the greatest composer of all time. It seems that Mozart was the most famous freemason composer and he composed many pieces for the Masonic Lodge. The enthusiastic reception of Mozart’s opera The Marriage of Figaro represents the peak of his Viennese career. He enjoyed another triumph in Prague, with the premiere of Don Giovanni in 1787. Prague was the only European capital that fully recognized the quality and significance of Mozart’s music at a time when the Viennese public was losing interest in his works. Due to his poor financial situation, Mozart started to suffer from depression. Not even his appointments as the court composer to Josef II brought any relief. His operas received only a very mild success. Mozart was tired, drained, and was living in poverty. He died at the very early age of thirty-five and was most likely one of the thousands of victims of the flu epidemic that was raging in Vienna at the time. Works: Eine kleine Nachtmusik is Mozart’s most popular serenade Jupiter Symphony Mozart composed a total of eighteen masses, including Coronation Mass (KV 317) and the Requiem Mass in D minor (K. 626). The latter was composed in 1791 and was the last of Mozart’s works. Mozart composed over six hundred musical works. He was one of the first to compose piano pieces for four hands, piano quartets and quintets, and string quintets. His Turkish March and German Dances, both composed in Prague, are very well-known. His most important works also include his aria Bella mia fiamma, addio (Light of my life, farewell), which he wrote for one of his close Prague friends – the soprano Josepha. Mozart, together with Joseph Haydn, is considered to represent the peak of the Classical period in Western music. Significant operas: Bastien and Bastienne, Abduction from the Seraglio, The Marriage of Figaro, Der Schauspieldirektor (The Impresario), Don Giovanni, Cosi fan tutte, La clemenza di Tito (The Clemency of Titus), and The Magic Flute (which represents the peak of Mozart’s creations) Open April–October daily 10.00–19.00 Open November–February daily 9.00–16.00 March–October daily 9.00–17.00 Open daily 10.00–11.30, 12.00–17.00 except 25 December and Easter Sunday Open daily 10.00–17.00 Bertramka The Memorial of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the Dušek family in Smíchov. Mozart stayed here during his second Prague visit in the autumn of 1787 when finishing the opera Don Giovanni. He probably stayed here again in 1791 when he was working on his famous final opera, The Magic Flute. Clementinum The second largest complex of buildings in Prague after the Prague Castle, the former Jesuit College now houses the National Library. The Mirror Chapel with its unique double organ from the 18th century was admired by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart when he visited at the invitation of the librarian, Rafael Unger. The world’s oldest Mozart memorial was established here in 1837. Estates’ Theatre One of the most beautiful historic theatres in Europe. On October 29, 1787 the world premiere of Mozart's opera Don Giovanni took place here. Mozart conducted the performance himself, to sensational success. Mozart had performed in the Estates’ Theatre before, during his first visit to Prague when he conducted his Marriage of Figaro and premiered his Symphony No. 38, called the Prague Symphony here. House at the Golden Angel The house – nowadays a hotel – used to be a well-known tavern Mozart visited in 1787. Many decades later, Gustav Mahler rented a flat here during his studies at a grammar school. House at the Three Golden Lions Mozart was staying in this house during his second Prague visit in 1787 and he completed his opera Don Giovanni here. It is said that Mozart discussed his work through an open window with his librettist Lorenzo da Ponte who lived across the street. Lichtenstein Palace The Dušek family lived in the house when Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was visiting during his second Prague stay. Francis X. Němeček, Mozart's first biographer, lived here for a while as well. With the help of the Dušek family, Němeček took care of Mozart's two sons, Karl Thomas and Franz Xaver, after Mozart's death. Nostic Palace According to surviving records, the enlightened aristocrat František Antonín Nostitz-Rhieneck invited Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to his palace in 1787. Mozart played the Gräbner clavicembalo. After Mozart's enchanting recital, Nostitz forbade anyone else from using this instrument again. St. Nicholas Church - Lesser Town This Baroque church is often considered the most beautiful Baroque building in Prague. In 1791, a massive crowd of people filled the church and the area outside it to mourn and honor the death of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Band leader Josef Rösler-Rosetti who was employed by the Lobkowicz noble family conducted Mozart’s Requiem. Almost forty years later, in 1827, an imposing memorial service was held here to honor the death of Ludwig van Beethoven; the event was attended by the widest strata of Prague society. Strahov Monastery One of the oldest Premonstratensian monasteries in the world, founded in the 12th century. Singer Josefina Dušek/Duschek visited the monastery in 1787, accompanied by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart admired the organ in the monastery’s Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and spontaneously decided to play it; his inspired improvisation was written down by the Premonstratensian monk Norbert Lehman. Thun (Thunovský) Palace Count Jan Josef František Thun established a theatre in the Great Hall of today’s seat of the Parliament of the Czech Republic in 1779. The theatre was rented to the company of Pascal Bondini, an enthusiastic promoter of Mozart’s operas. During his first stay in Prague in January 1787, Mozart himself lived in the other Thun palace nearby, which today houses the British Embassy. Celetná 588/29 Malostranské nám. 258/13 Malostranské náměstí Maltézské náměstí 471/1 Mariánské náměstí 5 Mozartova 169, Smíchov Ovocný trh 1 Skořepka 423/9 Sněmovní 176/4 Strahovské nádvoří 1/132