Notes on Mozart: 20 Crucial Works

Conrad Wilson has put together a series of brief introductions to major composers and their works. Already published books include Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert, with more volumes on the way. These are put out by Eerdmans, one of the great scholarly publishing houses. This is a good series both for the music lover and for those starting out in learning about music; the books assume no particular technical training or knowledge about music, but do not 'dumb down' the material for the reader. Wilson will use the occasional musical term, but this is kept to a minimum. The concept of the text is fairly simple - composers such as Mozart, Schubert and Beethoven produced hundreds if not thousands of pieces; how does the average music listener start to learn about these? Wilson uses the 'top twenty' device - the 'top ten' would be too limiting, particularly for prolific composers, and any more most likely ends up being less of a selective process. However, this is not a true 'top twenty' in terms of hierarchical ranking, but rather a representative twenty works from the range of the composer highlighted. In the Mozart text, Wilson includes the following twenty: - Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major, K216 - Sinfonia Concertante in E flat major for violin, viola and orchestra, K364 - Idomeneo, re di Creta, K366 - Serenade in B flat major for thirteen wind instruments, K361 - Serenade in C minor for wind octet, K388 - String Quartet in D minor, K421 - Piano Concerto in C major, K467 - Quartet for piano and strings in G minor, K478 - Piano Concerto in C minor, K491 - Le nozze di Figaro, K492 - Piano Concerto in C major, K503 - Symphony No. 38 in D major ('Prague'), K504 - Don Giovanni, K527 - Symphony No. 41 in C major ('Jupiter'), K551 - Cosi fan tutte, K588 - String Quintet in D major, K593 - Piano Concerto in B flat major, K595 - The Magic Flute, K620 - Clarinet Concerto in A major, K622 - Requiem in D minor, K626 Each of the essays included is in the terms of programme notes, the kind of piece one might find in a concert or opera programme booklet at a performance. Wilson intersperses brief, one-page pieces on Mozart with three to four-page pieces on the works themselves; while things are arranged chronologically, this isn't really meant to be taken as a definitive biographical treatment, but rather biographical sketch to place the music in context with Mozart's overall life. One might quibble a bit on the pieces included; I might opt for the inclusion of the Abduction from the Seraglio, or for more sacred music from Mozart, but these are minor points. Wilson provides suggestions for particular recordings/performances of the pieces, and provides a glossary of terms at the end of the text. Wilson is a good writer, and keeps the reader engaged. This is a very good series for those who want a quick, ready reference or a brief survey of a composer's life.

Conrad Wilson has put together a series of brief introductions to major composers and their works. Already published books include Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert, with more volumes on the way. These are put out by Eerdmans, one of the great scholarly publishing houses. This is a good series both for the music lover and for those starting out in learning about music; the books assume no particular technical training or knowledge about music, but do not 'dumb down' the material for the reader. Wilson will use the occasional musical term, but this is kept to a minimum. The concept of the text is fairly simple - composers such as Mozart, Schubert and Beethoven produced hundreds if not thousands of pieces; how does the average music listener start to learn about these? Wilson uses the 'top twenty' device - the 'top ten' would be too limiting, particularly for prolific composers, and any more most likely ends up being less of a selective process. However, this is not a true 'top twenty' in terms of hierarchical ranking, but rather a representative twenty works from the range of the composer highlighted. In the Mozart text, Wilson includes the following twenty: - Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major, K216 - Sinfonia Concertante in E flat major for violin, viola and orchestra, K364 - Idomeneo, re di Creta, K366 - Serenade in B flat major for thirteen wind instruments, K361 - Serenade in C minor for wind octet, K388 - String Quartet in D minor, K421 - Piano Concerto in C major, K467 - Quartet for piano and strings in G minor, K478 - Piano Concerto in C minor, K491 - Le nozze di Figaro, K492 - Piano Concerto in C major, K503 - Symphony No. 38 in D major ('Prague'), K504 - Don Giovanni, K527 - Symphony No. 41 in C major ('Jupiter'), K551 - Cosi fan tutte, K588 - String Quintet in D major, K593 - Piano Concerto in B flat major, K595 - The Magic Flute, K620 - Clarinet Concerto in A major, K622 - Requiem in D minor, K626 Each of the essays included is in the terms of programme notes, the kind of piece one might find in a concert or opera programme booklet at a performance. Wilson intersperses brief, one-page pieces on Mozart with three to four-page pieces on the works themselves; while things are arranged chronologically, this isn't really meant to be taken as a definitive biographical treatment, but rather biographical sketch to place the music in context with Mozart's overall life. One might quibble a bit on the pieces included; I might opt for the inclusion of the Abduction from the Seraglio, or for more sacred music from Mozart, but these are minor points. Wilson provides suggestions for particular recordings/performances of the pieces, and provides a glossary of terms at the end of the text. Wilson is a good writer, and keeps the reader engaged. This is a very good series for those who want a quick, ready reference or a brief survey of a composer's life.