Studies in the Science and History of Music (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1887 Excerpt: ...but was compelled to resort to teaching at very small pay. We can scarcely imagine how the greatest musical genius the world had ever seen, was never able to obtain a lucrative positionMozart's fame rests to a great extent upon his matchless Operas. "Idomenio," following several of minor importance, was composed in 1780. Soon after, ' II Seraglio," "Le Nozze di Figaro," " Don Giovanni," "Cosi fan Tutti," "Die ZauberflOte." Into these Operas were poured the genius, the learning, the beauty, and in short, all the best qualities of the preceding masters. In his last year he composed the celebrated Mass, "The Requiem," the grandest of all his works. The spontaneity of Mozart's compositions was wonderful. In his short life of only thirty-five years, he composed an immense amount of music, in the forms of Operas, Masses, Songs, Symphonies, Concertos, Quintets, Quartets, etc., besides an immense number of pianoforte compositions. Mozart did not live to crown his efforts with a "Messiah," or a. "Creation;" taken from the world before his powers had fully ripened, we know of him as the greatest genius, virtuoso, and composer of his day. What he might have accomplished had he lived to fulfill his threescore and ten, we know not, but judge that his greatness would have stood second to none; that he would have attained greater financial success, and averted the misfortune of dy 8.ing in poverty, and being laid a.vtay in the common ground of the paupers. On the 5th of December 1791, W. A. Mozart passed away, leaving his impress deeply stamped upon the future of musical Art; at the time when his greatest successor, Beethoven, is just attaining his majority, and who alone was capable of e...