How can we best understand the rules of Mozart's musical games? His first symphony, written in E flat major when he was just nine years old, sits at the opposite end of the tonal spectrum of his final concerto in A major. Through his diligent attention to -- and the creative reconsideration of -- tuning and temperament, instrumentation, musical intertextualities, and key-specific idioms, Mozart demonstrated the breadth of his musical ingenuity. By incorporating distinctive musical techniques within and across keys, the composer pushed the boundaries of meaning in late eighteenth-century music in ways that still resonate today. In Mozart: A Tale of Two Keys, Tim Carter explores this unique approach to musical creativity, uncovering new insights that reveal the inventiveness and humor inherent in Mozart's works. With particular emphasis on the intention behind his technique, Carter argues that the composer used sound in unexpected, playful, and striking ways, revealing the intense joy and limitless possibility inherent in the art and craft of making music.
| ISBN: | 9780197806333 |
| Publication date: | 21st October 2025 |
| Author: | Tim Carter |
| Publisher: | Oxford University Press an imprint of OUP USA |
| Format: | Hardback |
| Pagination: | 192 pages |
| Genres: |
Art music, orchestral and formal music Composers and songwriters Musicians, singers, bands and groups Musical scores, lyrics and libretti |
How can we best understand the rules of Mozart's musical games? His first symphony, written in E flat major when he was just nine years old, sits at the opposite end of the tonal spectrum of his final concerto in A major. Through his diligent attention to -- and the creative reconsideration of -- tuning and temperament, instrumentation, musical intertextualities, and key-specific idioms, Mozart demonstrated the breadth of his musical ingenuity. By incorporating distinctive musical techniques within and across keys, the composer pushed the boundaries of meaning in late eighteenth-century music in ways that still resonate today. In Mozart: A Tale of Two Keys, Tim Carter explores this unique approach to musical creativity, uncovering new insights that reveal the inventiveness and humor inherent in Mozart's works. With particular emphasis on the intention behind his technique, Carter argues that the composer used sound in unexpected, playful, and striking ways, revealing the intense joy and limitless possibility inherent in the art and craft of making music.
Mozart features in the following genres: Art music, orchestral and formal music, Composers and songwriters, Musicians, singers, bands and groups, Musical scores, lyrics and libretti
Mozart is available in Hardback
Mozart was written by Tim Carter and published by Oxford University Press an imprint of OUP USA
Mozart has 192 pages
£57.60