11 February 1785: the Premiere of The d Minor Piano Concerto

“Heavy snows and freezing temperatures accompanied Leopold and Heinrich to Vienna. They arrived on 11 February 1785 to find the apartment a hive of activity as Mozart oversaw the copying of a new piano concerto he was to play that evening at his first Mehlgrube concert of the season. During the performance, Leopold marveled at the [...]

10 February 1785: The d Minor Piano Concerto is born

“the 10th of February. A Piano concerto. Accompaniment. 2 violins, 2 violas, 1 flute, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 clarinets, timpani and bass”.   It is Mozart’s entry in his hand-written catalogue of works, on a Thursday the 10th of a cold, harsh February, in Vienna. Two lines announcing the birth of one of [...]

Mozart Week 2012

Every year in January, to celebrate the birthday of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the Mozarteum Foundation Salzburg hosts the Mozart Week: a series of opera performances, orchestral, chamber and soloist concerts. World-renowned Mozart interpreters sustain the peerless reputation of this unique event. Between 27 January – 5 February 2012, classical music lovers from all over the world [...]

Walking with Mozart, on his Birthday

It’s been snowing for three days… a long-awaited snow…  The car is stuck in the parking, so yesterday I walked a long way  to the post office,  and it felt wonderful!  I had not walked for a long time,  so long it felt like I was just discovering  the sensation of delicate snow flakes  touching [...]

Happy Birthday, Humanity! Mozart is born!

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on 27 January 1756 and left our world on 5 December 1791. Thirty five years was the time on earth of this wonderful child of humanity. God loved him too much and called him back. The angel who lightened our life returned to heaven. His body rests in the peace of [...]

10 December 1791: Mozart lives!

In the evening of 10 December 1791 the Requiem was heard for the first time! Gathered in St Michael’s Church to attend the memorial for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the audience, holding their breath, listened to the heavenly masterpiece that Mozart only heard within himself. As the Requiem unfolded to the world, Mozart was offering humanity his [...]

29 October 1787, Prague: Don Giovanni

224 years ago, on October 29, 1787, Mozart was undergoing the last preparations for the Prague première of his opera Don Giovanni. Prague, the city so dear to him, had enthusiastically welcomed the great composer, who in turn had not hesitated to return their affection. “Meine Prager verstehen mich” – “My Praguers understand me” – this [...]

iPod meet Mozart

I would never have thought that a commercial could convey such a special emotion. In fact, this video doesn’t seem to be a commercial. Maybe because it was made with a soul  

Dreams do come true!

I have been wishing for a long time to play a harpsichord or a fortepiano – Mozart’s, if possible… But Mozart’s fortepiano is with the Mozarteum Foundation in Salzburg, there where it belongs… and until yesterday it seemed to me that a harpsichord would forever remain only a beautiful wish… Today I look upon it, [...]

Happy Birthday, Music! Happy Birthday, Humanity! Mozart is born!

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on 27 January 1756 and left our world on 5 December 1791. Thirty five years was the time on earth of this wonderful child of humanity. God loved him too much and called him back. The angel who lightened our life returned to heaven. His body rests in the peace [...]

Mozart Week 2011

Every year in January, to celebrate the birthday of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the Mozarteum Foundation Salzburg hosts the Mozart Week: a series of opera performances, orchestral, chamber and soloist concerts. World-renowned Mozart interpreters sustain the peerless reputation of this unique event. Between 21-30 January 2011, classical music lovers from all over the world are invited to [...]

The night has come, Mozart…

The papers of divorce between the world and the genius were deposited in the common grave of the Vienna cemetery on 6 December 1791, there where, to its glory, the World threw Mozart under the  septic lime of final oblivion. And since then the scene has kept repeating. The night has come, Mozart. He drew [...]

Rest in peace, beloved friend…

It is 5 December. For 219 years humanity has been waiting for you to come back. Your music has survived and will go on. But we miss your living heart, your soul enlightened by a divine feeling of harmony! For you have been His gift, which we have not loved enough when He took you back. [...]

Bella mia fiamma, addio! – 3 November 1787

During his visit in Prague in 1787, for his Don Giovanni premiere, Mozart stayed at the Villa Bertramka, the property of his musician friends Frantisek and Josepha Duschek, and it was there where he wrote the beautiful concert aria „Bella mia fiamma, addio!” Dated 3 November 1787, the aria was dedicated to  his friend Josepha Duschek, [...]

Happy Eternity to Saint Wolfgang’s Music!

On 31 October the Christian Churches are celebrating Saint Wolfgang, one of the great German saints of the tenth century. During his lifetime Saint Wolfgang was a reformer of the Church, a teacher, a priest, a hermit, a missionary and a bishop. He has worked miracles of healing of the body but mostly of the [...]