This exercise was about how to listen and approach Mozart`s piece called Flute Concerto in G, written for Wendling in Mannheim in 1778.

Mannheim was an important center of music in the 18^th century. Karl Theodor, the Elector of the Palatinate organized festivals, opera performances and masked balls. He created a revolutionary court which attracted the best musicians. Karl became the Director of Instrumental Music in 1778 and he established the best orchestra in Europe. He implanted discipline and uniform technique in the players. The Mannheim style contains certain melodic features, use of dynamic contrasts, homophonic textures, slow rates of harmonic change and solo passages for woodwind and horns.

The Flute Concerto No. 1 in G major, K. 313 was written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1778. This concerto was commissioned by the Dutch flautist Ferdinand De Jean in 1777, whom Mozart met via Johann Baptist Wendling, a virtuoso solo flutist of the Mannheim orchestra. The piece is scored for a standard string orchestra, plus two flutes and two horns, and is arranged in a three-movement (fast-slow-fast) cycle – first movement Allegro maestoso, second movement Adagio and third movement Rondo form.

Although I have some practice at following a score, I found it much easier after I familiarized myself with the piece. After the second listening I was able to follow the music without difficulties. It also added to the enjoyment. Beside listening the beautiful piece, I gained an inside view of the composer`s work which gave me a better understanding about the music and its structure.

Most of the elements described above were clearly present in the music of the Mannheim school. First there are solo passages for woodwind as this piece written for flute and it plays the leading role. We can also hear the opening bar returns like a refrain at each structurally important point. Also, we can discover dramatic musical narrative and dynamic changes of powerful effect.  Following Mozart’s score for the flute concerto we can hear the different melodic ideas being introduced one by one and then confronted with each other, revealing their similarities or contrasting traits before they are brought to resolution. These variety of melodic patterns form the basis of the dialogue between the solo instrument and the orchestra. Mozart’s beautiful flute concerto is a revolution of the musical trends of his age.

Reference

Encyclopaedia Britannica (2013) Mannheim School [online] Wikipedia website. Available from: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/362596/Mannheim-school [Accessed 03rd March 2020]

The Free Library (2013) The Mannheim school: phenomenon and myth [online] The Free Library website. Available from: http://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+Mannheim+school%3A+phenomenon+and+myth.-a0173466649 [Accessed 03rd March 2020]