Happy Birthday Mozart! Top 5 Pieces Written by Mozart

Happy Birthday Mozart!

 

Years Lived: 1756-1791
Period of Composing: Classical
Country: Austria

In honor of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's 256th birthday, here are 5 of his most famous works. Do you recognize any of them? Have you heard any of them in movies or commercials?

Over 900 films include music by Mozart, including When Harry Met Sally, Alien, Groundhog Day, Trading Places, Out of Africa, Grumpy Old Men; the list goes on and on. Mozart's music has been used in many television ads too. Car companies—including Alfa Romeo, Inifinity, Hyundai, Lexus—and other businesses, such as Air France, Purina Pro Plan, Nike, iPod, and DirectTV, have all used Mozart's music to sell their products.

Eine kleine Nachtmusik (Serenade No. 13)
Eine kleine Nachtmusik translates to "A Little Night Music." It is a string piece written for two violins, one viola, one cello, and a string bass, but it is commonly performed by a larger string orchestra. The most famous movement is the first one (linked above), but the whole piece is catchy!

Queen of the Night Aria (from The Magic Flute)
The Magic Flute opera tells a story of Tamino, the hero, who falls in love with Pamina, the daughter of the Queen of the Night. Pamina is being held captive by an evil sorcerer and the Queen of the Night says Tamino can marry her if he rescues her. The Queen of the Night Aria is the Queen singing to Pamina asking her to kill the sorcerer who holds her captive.

Here is an illustrated synopsis of the story from the Metropolitan Opera and Minnesota Public Radio tells the Magic Flute story in this animated video including music from the opera.

Symphony No. 41 In C, K. 551 – "Jupiter"
Mozart's 41st symphony was the last symphony he wrote. London impresario Johann Peter Salomon nicknamed it "Jupiter," after the Roman god of sky and thunder, as part of an advertising campaign for performances in 1819, almost 30 years after Mozart's death.

Lacrimosa From Requiem Mass In D minor, K. 626
The Lacrimosa from Mozart's Requiem is solemn and dignified. A Requiem is a Catholic Mass for the dead. It involves a set of texts that various composers have put to their own melodies (Mozart, Brahms, and Vivaldi to name a few).

Piano Sonata No. 11 In A, K. 331, Mvt. III
The third movement of Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 11, nicknamed "Rondo Alla Turca," or "Turkish Rondo," is the most famous movement of the whole sonata (and possibly of all of Mozart's piano sonatas). Mozart actually gave the nickname "Rondo Alla Turca" himself, as opposed to the "Jupiter" symphony which was nicknamed after Mozart's death.

Do you recognize any of these pieces? What's your favorite Mozart piece? Let us know in the comments!