Lecture 17. Mozart and His Operas

Listening to Music (MUSI 112)

Mozart and the nature of his life and work make up the topic of this lecture. Professor Wright begins by discussing the basic ways in which classical music differs from Baroque music. He then launches an exploration of Mozart’s life and compositional process, making use of Mozart’s letters and compositional sketches to illustrate his points. The lecture culminates with a performance of select scenes from Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni, featuring guest singer Professor Richard Lalli.

00:00 – Chapter 1. From Baroque to Classical Music — An Introduction
04:25 – Chapter 2. Glimpses of Mozart’s Life in Letters
13:25 – Chapter 3. Musical Balance and Genius in Mozart’s Compositional Sketches
34:20 – Chapter 4. Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Conclusion

This course was recorded in Fall 2008.