Mozart’s notebook

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  • Intro

    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is widely recognised as one of the greatest musical geniuses in history. Born in Salzburg in 1756, by the time he was five years old, he had completely mastered the keyboards and violin, and had written his first five compositions. By 16, he had already written three operas and 25 symphonies. The catalogue shown here was compiled by Mozart during the last eight years of his life. No other great composer kept so detailed a chronological list of their works. He began the work in 1784 to bring order to his increasingly busy schedule of composing and performing. Mozart’s meticulous notebook provides a unique insight into the creation of some of history’s most celebrated music. These pages show the last five notes he entered in his catalogue. They include notes on The Magic Flute and the A-major Clarinet Concerto.  Empty staves on its final pages stand as silent witnesses to the composer’s sudden and tragic death, aged just 35.

     

    Shelfmark: Zweig MS 63, ff.28v-29

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