Classical Music

My main hobby is classical music. I play the piano (very poorly) and have a large set of CDs and LPs. My favourite composers are Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Johannes Brahms and Johann Sebastian Bach.

• Files submitted to Mutopia
• Mozart's Op. X

Files submitted to Mutopia

In my spare time I work for the Mutopia Project. This site hosts a large set of scores out of copyright that are freely downloadable. They are created with GNU Lilypond, a program for typesetting music with the computer.

The scores I submitted till now are listed below. Click on a title to open the corresponding Mutopia page, where you can download the score and hear the MIDI files.

Piano pieces

• W. A. Mozart: Unfinished Piano Sonata Movement KV.^6 deest..
• W. A. Mozart: Fugue fragment in E-flat major KV. 153/375f (with a completion by S. Sechter).
• W. A. Mozart: Fugue fragment in G minor KV. 154/385k (with a completion by S. Sechter).
• W. A. Mozart: Fugue fragment in G major Anh. 41 KV. 375g.
• W. A. Mozart: Fugue fragment in G major KV. 401/375e (in the original version for two hands and an arrangement for piano four hands).
• W. A. Mozart: Marche Funebre in C minor KV. 453a.
• W. A. Mozart: Gigue in G major KV. 574.

String quartets

• W. A. Mozart: String Quartet N. 14 KV. 387.
• W. A. Mozart: String Quartet N. 15 KV. 421.
• W. A. Mozart: String Quartet N. 16 KV. 428.
• W. A. Mozart: String Quartet N. 17 KV. 458.
• W. A. Mozart: String Quartet N. 18 KV. 464.
• W. A. Mozart: String Quartet N. 19 KV. 465.

• F. J. Haydn: String Quartet Op. 76 N. 1 in G major.
• F. J. Haydn: String Quartet Op. 76 N. 2 in D minor ("Fifths").
• F. J. Haydn: String Quartet Op. 76 N. 3 in C major ("Emperor").
• F. J. Haydn: String Quartet Op. 76 N. 4 in B-flat major ("Sunrise").
• F. J. Haydn: String Quartet Op. 76 N. 5 in D major.
• F. J. Haydn: String Quartet Op. 76 N. 6 in E-flat major.

• G. Donizetti: String Quartet N. 18 in E minor.

Other Chamber Music

• W. A. Mozart: Trio for clarinet, viola and piano ("Kegelstatt Trio") KV. 498.
• W. A. Mozart: Quintet for clarinet, 2 violins, viola and cello KV. 581.
• W. A. Mozart: Violin Sonata in G Major KV. 379.
• W. A. Mozart: Piano Quartet in G Minor KV. 478.

Pieces for Orchestra

• W. A. Mozart: Symphony n. 18 KV. 130 for two flutes, four horns and strings in F major.
• W. A. Mozart: Andante for flute and orchestra in C major KV. 315.
• W. A. Mozart: Masonic Funeral Music in C minor KV. 477 for Orchestra.

Songs

• W. A. Mozart: Die Alte, lied for voice and piano KV. 517.
• W. A. Mozart: Als Luise die Briefe ihres ungetreuen Liebhabers verbrannte, lied for voice and piano KV. 520.
• W. A. Mozart: Die Verschweigung, lied for voice and piano KV. 518.
• W. A. Mozart: Das Lied der Trennung, lied for voice and piano KV. 519.
• W. A. Mozart: Abendempfindung, lied for voice and piano KV. 523.
• W. A. Mozart: O du eselhafter Martin (Jakob) KV. 560b.
• F. Schubert: Gretchen am Spinnrade, lied for voice and piano Op. 2.
• F. Schubert: Die Forelle, lied for voice and piano Op. 32.

Mozart's Op. X

In 1785 Mozart published his "Op. X", consisting of six string quartets (K387, K421, K428, K458, K464, K465). This is one of the greatest achievements in the history of chamber music. I typeset the complete set of quartets for the Mutopia Project and created a single postscript file containing the full set of quartets plus some additional notes that you might find interesting. Here follows a set of notes which underline the most interesting passages of each quartet.

To better follow the text you can download the complete score of each quartet at the addresses listed above.

String Quartet K. 387 in G (December 1782)

Among the six quartets in Op. X, this is the one which has the greatest number of dynamic changes. The clearest example comes in the Minuetto (bars 3-9): Violin I and Cello play a chromatic scale where each note has its own dynamic indication.

The first movement shows a witty attitude to avoid literal repeats. Take for instance the second theme (bars 25 ff.): when Violin II plays it for the first time (piano), the harmonization is I-IV^6_4 etc. But when Violin II repeats it forte (bars 31 ff.), the harmonization becomes I-V^4_2 etc. Other examples are found when comparing the exposition with the recapitulation (some examples: bar 109 against bar 2, bar 111 against bar 4).

The Minuetto is the longest of Opus X (it lasts more than eight minutes) and its main theme exhibits an unusual chromatic ascending scale (Violin I) followed by a descending scale (Cello). The Trio is dramatic and powerful.

The third movement, Andante cantabile, seems sometimes to be a concert aria for Violin and orchestra. There is a vivid sense of drama in this marvellous piece (see e.g. bars 26-30 and the beautiful theme which follows) which shows the great talent of Mozart in writing music for strings.

What to say about the last movement (Molto Allegro)? This masterpiece would be unique in Mozart's production if we forget the Molto Allegro of the Jupiter symphony. The skeleton of this piece is based on a classical sonata form, but everything is grounded on a masterly use of counterpoint: both the first (bars 1 ff.) and the second theme (bars 52 ff.) are played like fugues (note how the second theme slowly fades away and the first theme takes place starting from bar 69). There are even some "divertimenti", but these are written in a clear classical style rather than baroque, with quick scales and witty ideas (see e.g. bars 18 ff., bars 92 ff. etc.). Note in bar 124 the presence of a chromatic scale similar to the one heard in the Minuetto.

The last surprise comes at the end of the last movement: after a powerful coda and a classical cadenza IV-V-I (bar 290) in forte, Mozart plays once again the main theme piano and closes the piece with a trill.

String Quartet K. 421 in D minor

This is one of the most famous Mozart's string quartets. Mozart wrote only two quartets using a minor key: the "little" K 173 in D minor and this one. This is a dramatic piece, written in a baroquelike style (the Cello always plays the role of basso) which reminds Bach and Haendel.

The first movement is based on a theme characterised by great intervals (one octave in bar 1, one minor decime in bar 3, and two octaves in bars 9 and 11). Note the presence of a descending diatonic scale in the basso: the same scale is present in the Menuetto, but there it will be chromatic. The development is full of counterpoint passages and some strong dissonances.

The second movement is written in the Lied form A-B-A. Although the main theme has a quite unperturbed character, some elements (like the melodic F chord in bars 2-3) introduce an hidden tension. These elements will precipitate to the tremendous passage in bars 32-33, where the cello plays the melodic chord under the great jumps of the other three strings (this passage is repeated in bars 48-49).

The third movement is a dramatic Menuetto full of chromatism and tragedy, which unexpectedly contains a delightful Trio in D major where Violin I (later with Viola) plays a sweet melody over a pizzicato accompainment. The meaning of such a great contrast is difficult to understand; Hildesheimer (Mozart, Suhrkamp Verlag - Frankfurt am Main 1977) thinks (I too) ttthat this casts a sinister shadow over the Trio.

The fourth movement, Allegro ma non troppo, has more than a reminiscence of the second movement (Andante) of the wonderful Violin Sonata in F K 377. It is a theme with variations based on a beautiful idea and characterised by sixteenth repeated notes (bars 3, 7, etc.). The following four variations are rather classical (note however the second variation and the beautiful fourth variation in D major), but the closing Coda (Pi� allegro) is frightening: Mozart changes the sixteenth repeated notes into tuplets which are obsessively played by the four strings in a great climax till the fantastic cadenza in D major (bar 142).

String Quartet K. 428 in E-flat

In the book written with Roberto Parenti (Mozart, Rusconi 1990), Giovanni Carli Ballola writes about this quartet that "it is the most peaceful, or rather the most olimpically peaceful of the set" (pag. 354).

Quite unexpectedly for a music in E-flat by Mozart, this piece begins in a rather hesitating way. The tonic chord is not heard in the first bars of the exposition. On the contrary, in the first three bars each altered note of the E-flat key (E-flat, A-flat and B-flat) is used at least once with a natural sign. The second theme (bars 40-48) is armonically ambiguous as well: in a piece in sonata form it should be written in the B-flat key, but instead it begins in the context of G minor, and then goes through F major and C minor before reaching B-flat in the very last part.

The development begins with a canon between Violin I and Violin II on one side and Viola and Cello on the another side. Then a quite common idea compares (bars 75 ff.) in a counterpoint with theatrical arpeggios of tuplets.

The second movement, Andante con moto, is a very strange piece of music. Even if it follows the scheme of a sonata form, it is difficult to find a real theme in the whole piece; it seems better to speak of an "atmosphere" which pervades this extraordinary music.

The Menuetto is a delightful "haydnesca" (as Granados would say!) with a sweet Trio in C minor � la musette. The last movement is an irresistible Allegro vivace which shares the same Haydn-like character with the Menuet.

String Quartet K. 458 in B-flat ("Hunt")

I think this was the "lightest" quartet of the set. This is not a negative judgement; in fact, I have always enjoyed the freshness of this music!

It is sufficient to hear the first bars of the opening Allegro vivace assai, with the beautiful theme which gives the name to the whole quartet, to love this work. Note the rythm in bar 42 (Violin I): it will be used no less than one hundred times in this movement! The movement has the longest coda of Op. X (bars 230-278).

The Menuetto is quite short and rather "classical" in its form.

The masterly third movement, Adagio, has a mood which reminds of the Andante cantabile of the first quartet (K 387), and an arpeggio (bar 2) which is similar to the second movement of K 421.

The last movement (Allegro assai) is again an hommage to Haydn, full of joy and wit.

String Quartet K. 464 in A

Now comes what I think to be the greatest quartet in the history of music: the marvellous K 464. I must admit that even if Mozart had composed only this music, it would have still been my favourite composer! It is worth to mention that Beethoven had a great opinion of this quartet as well, and carefully copied by hand the last movement in order to study it with the best accuracy.

Do not be confused by the mean opening of the Allegro: this plain theme has an incredible potential which will revelead through the 270 bars of this first movement. Note the rythm of the first bar: a quarter note, a dotted quarter note and three eighth notes. After the exposition of the first theme (bars 1-8) this rythm is repeated by two interrogative unisoni of the four strings and another time by the answer of Violin I. Then comes a counterpoint on the first theme which acts like a bridge between the A major key and the C major key. A delightful theme comes (bars 25 ff.), but it is only the calm before the tempest: a stormy cadence halts the music in the B major key. Then comes the second theme (bars 37 ff.) that leads shortly to a climax (note the ascending chromatic scale of the cello in bars 50 ff.). In Bar 69 the first theme appares in a very natural way, as if we had not heard anything else meanwhile. It is impossible not to mention bars 84-86, where the beginning rythm is transformed into a very tender coda which closes the exposition.

The development begins with an abrupt chord and a counterpoint on the first theme and continues developing the beginning rythm in an obsessive way that reminds me of the Fifth Symphony by Beethoven (do you remember? the one with the ta-ta-ta-taaaa!) -- see for instance bars 123 ff. The music seems to hold the breath in bars 150 ff.: Mozart is preparing the recapitulation. Here again there is the beginning rythm which plays the main role. Then the recapitulation begins (bar 162) and the movement ends regularly.

The Minuetto is another masterly piece of art, yet it begins in the same "mean" way we experienced in the first movement: a bold assertion of the four strings followed by an answer in piano of Violin I (remember this passage: the rythm of bars 5-6 plays a role similar to the opening rythm of the first movement). But immediately these two ideas are combined into a strong counterpoint (bars 9 ff.) full of octaves and dissonances, as well as long pauses and hesitations (see e.g. bars 29-36). The Trio is more paceful, although Violin I shortly begins with a quick passage of tuplets (bars 81 ff.).

The third movement is an astonishing Andante in the form of a theme with variations, full of emotion and inexpressible feelings which came out since the very first bars of the main theme. It would be boring to list the many beautiful passages contained in this music, but I must remember the great emotion of the fifth variation (bars 95 ff.) which always make me break down, and the irony of the sixth variation, with the cello trying to imitate a bassoon. The long coda repeats the main theme with some variations (bars 164 ff.) and closes over the "bassoon-like" idea.

It seems impossible that Mozart had the strength to write a Finale worthy of the previous three movements, but he succedeed! (unlike Beethoven, which has often been not able to give a good conclusion to his masterpieces). The closing Allegro begins with a chromatic theme which contains more or less the same rythm of the first movement's main theme. Here Mozart follows Haydn's conventions to base the sonata form on an unique theme instead of two different ones: the second theme begins at bar 41 and is clearly a derivation of the opening idea. The use of counterpoint is less visible than in the Molto allegro of K 387, but it is equally extensive. Not only the second theme shows this, but also a lot of other passages (e.g. bars 25 ff.).

The development develops the theme in a variety of expressions which include a choral-like passage (bars 114 ff.), an oasis of peace and contemplation in a restless context. Then follows the recapitulation and a coda which further develops the main theme. The closing bars of this quartet are similar to the same passage of K 387, with a coda in pianissimo.

String Quartet K. 465 in C ("Dissonance")

Together with KV. 421, this is probably the most famous quartet by Mozart. Once upon a time Microsoft released a multimedia product for PC which contained a full recording of this quartet and an interactive text which analyzed its structure with links to the recording itself. I never had the opportunity of viewing it, but I thought it would have been a quite interesting way of publicize classical music.

The name of this quartet derives from the Adagio which opens the first movement (23 bars). It is full of chromatic passages which raised a lot of doubts among Mozart's contemporaries (but Haydn found nothing to object when he played it for the first time). Today the meaning of these bars is quite clear, since they introduce the main theme of the following Allegro (compare bars 4-5 and bar 23 of Violin I). The harmony is not as complex as it might seem: it is based on the basso played by the cello, a descending chromatic scale like in the Menuetto of K 421, and by a thoroughly use of the "sesta napoletana". The following Allegro is a wide movement in sonata form which uses three themes (first theme: bars 23 ff., second theme: bars 56 ff., third theme: bars 71 ff.).

The second movement is an Andante cantabile full of melodic ideas and based on a rythm heard for the first time in bar 13 at the Cello which pervades the music till the very last bars (bars 39 ff., bars 58 ff., bars 101 ff. and many other passages).

The third and fourth movements have many chromatic passages which remind the opening bars of the first movement. The Menuetto contains a tragic Trio which has one of the most beautiful and unforgettable themes Mozart ever wrote. The closing Allegro is again written in an Haydn-like style. Chromatic passages pervade this witty and joyful music from the very first bars; see for instance the ascending chromatic scale at the Cello (bar 3) and the corresponding descending scale at the Viola (bar 4). The movement has a classic sonata form with a breathless coda.