Mozart (q.v.) (1756-91), a most prolific genius, worked in every form of musical art known to his time; his significance, however, (from the standpoint of historical development) lies in his symphonies, his string quartets and allied forms, and most of all in his operas. Born at Salzburg, the son of Leopold Mozart, a famous violin teacher, the first 25 years of his life were chiefly spent in professional tours. His marvelous precocity both as composer and cxecutant is well known. In 1772 he became music director at Salzburg, but unable to endure the galling system of patronage went in 1781 to Vienna, where he continued to pour forth masterpieces until his tragic death, largely brought on by poverty and hardship. He was buried in a pauper's grave. Mozart is the supreme example in history of the inborn spontaneous musical temperament, and his wonderful gifts were supplemented by a perfect mastery of the technique of his day. In some ways his music is more Italian than Teutonic, and though often limited in depth of expression, is perfect in its beauty of melodic outline, in its fineness of detail and in its serene purity of sound. His works are a complete embodiment of abstract classic beauty in distinction to the arbitrary self-expression of the Romantic com posers.
Mozart's first string quartets (1782) were dedicated to Haydn, who greatly improved his own symphonic style by a study of Mozart's three great symphonies, all written in 1788. His pianoforte sonatas, owing to the limitations of the instruments of that time, are often super ficial, but in his compositions for pianoforte and orchestra he is virtually the founder of the modern pianoforte concerto.
Mozart's most vital influence is felt in his operas. In • no way a reformer like Gluck, he accepted the existing Italian models, but through sheer power of musical beauty and wonderful dramatic characterization he creates the greatest operatic works of his century, which to-day are still full of life. The most important are 'Don Giovanni,' Figaro' and 'Cosi fan Tutte.' The operas written to German words, including 'Die Entfhrung aus dem Serail> and 'Die Zauberflote) are of historic interest from their connection with the German Singspiel and as forerunners of the romantic opera of the following century.
Beethoven's (q.v.) (1770-1827) historic re lationship is akin to that of Bach in that he concentrated all forms of expression then extant, and also foreshadowed many of the im portant developments still to come. His artistic growth is to be studied in relation to his times. His life coincided with the French Revolution, with the American War of Inde pendence and the German struggle for national unity; the most prominent single note in his music, the free expression of individualism, is a definite result of the spirit of emancipation so prevalent in both literature and political life, and shows Beethoven's intense suscepti bility to all the contemporary currents of thought. With him music ceases to be merely an art depending for its effect upon fineness of workmanship; it becomes a language capable of expressing the deepest emotions of the corn poser and voicing the joys and sorrows of humanity. Beethoven, of mixed ancestry, was born at Bonn but spent the chief part of his life in Vienna and its neighborhood. His sturdy characteristics of body and mind may be traced to his Dutch grandfather while his intensely emotional and romantic nature came from the German blood on the maternal side.
Beethoven's greatness depends on the perfect equipoise found in his works of the intellectual and emotional elements. His symphonies and sonatas embody the most carefully planned musical architecture and yet are so surcharged with emotion that our deepest feelings are • touched. In him the principle of thematic de velopment reached its climax; entire move ments were founded on some striking motive, e.g., the opening movements of the 'Heroic) and the Fifth symphonies. This method of con struction, by which instrumental music was freed from its former diffuseness, has had great influence on all modern composers.
Beethoven's sketch books illustrate his method of work; we see how an idea springing from an emotional source was worked over, changed and improved, until it could stand forth as a perfect expression of musical thought. This concentration is shown by the fact that, although an unceasing worker for 37 years, he produced but 133 works, in contrast to the many hundreds of Haydn and Mozart which are largely in the same style.
Beethoven in variety of conception ranks with Shakespeare. Each of his nine sym phonies is unique, differing from any one of the others. He also first revealed the possibilities of humor in music as distinct from the light wit and playfulness of Haydn, and in many of his works substituted for the minuet a move ment to which he gave the name °Scherzo.'" His nature had a vein of brusquerie and irony and this may be seen manifested in such move ments as the scherzi of the Third and Fifth symphonies and in the finale of the Eighth.
Great advance in the art of orchestration is due to Beethoven; he studied the expressive qualities of each instrument and first showed the entire capabilities of the horns, clarinets, kettledrums, contrabass, and bassoons. His im agination was distinctly orchestral, even when he was composing for the pianoforte. In Beethoven's works we see striking anticipations of modern °programmisticp tendencies, witness the frequent titles, e.g., the 'Heroic) and 'Pastoral) symphonies, the overtures to 'Corio lanus' and 'Egmont' ; the sonata called 'Adieu, Absence and Return.' He said himself that he generally composed with some poetic thought in mind, and his music is often symbolic of mental states. His favorite name was "Ton Dichter.* Since his day there has been a growing tendency to bring instrumental music into closer touch with external poetic thoughts. Beethoven, though not highly educated in the modern sense, was of a powerful, comprehensive intellect. His disposition, a strange mixture of contradictory traits, was at bottom warm-hearted and loyal. His character was one of perfect honor. Al though thrown back on himself by his deafness which began in his 30th year his music never became morbid, but continued to sound the notes of sublimity and spiritual exaltation. He would not allow °destiny to drag him down? kept a firm grasp on his lofty ideals, the love of liberty, the brotherhood of man, and expressed them in immortal music In his 'Heroic' symphony and in the 'Choral' sym phony, the last movement of which is based on Schiller's 'Ode to Joy.' Beethoven is the cen tral figure in the development of music. His supreme power is manifested in his influence over all the composers of the 19th century as indicated in their works and recorded eulogies.