The career of Mozart Wolfgang Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The career of Mozart Wolfgang - Research Paper Example In order to understand the value of orchestration for Mozart’s works it should be necessary to refer primarily to the characteristics of orchestration, as a technique used while performing music pieces with different requirements in terms of their performance environment. In its most common form, orchestration can be described as ‘the division of a musical composition among the instruments of an orchestra for artistic effects’. These effects are not standardized. For certain composers, such as Mozart, emphasis would be given on the sense of unity of the music piece. Other effects, such as the unexpected change on a music piece’s tone, could be also achieved using orchestration. The first concerns for the potential value of orchestration in regard to the performance of music works have appeared in the 18th century (Keefe 2003). During that period, the need for a technique for increasing the tone effects of music works was made clear. Instrumental effects could be used for securing a ‘grand tone, like a Pindaric one’, but up to a point.... e contribution of Mozart in the promotion of orchestration is made clear through the following fact: orchestration, as part of performing music works, was known by the late 18th century (Keefe 93). However, in the past, before Mozart, orchestration was related only to ‘wind instruments’ (Zaslaw 439). Mozart introduced orchestration as a technique for increasing the tone effects of a music piece by engaging all instruments of the orchestra, a practice that has been unknown by then (Zaslaw 439). Indeed, it was just in Paris Symphony of Mozart that the potentials of orchestration were full revealed. During the performance of the above work all instruments of the orchestra were employed for achieving unique, up to then, orchestral effects, such as the sense of ‘unity and of coloristic nuance’ (Zaslaw 439) in regard to all parts of a music piece. At this point, the following issue should be explored: which are the factors that influenced Mozart in choosing orches tration as a key technique for presenting his works to the public? In addition, it should be made clear at what level orchestration has been part of Mozart’s works. Finally, the key tools used by Mozart for promoting orchestration should be presented. Different factors tend to influence composers and performers when having to choose instruments that will be used in performing music works. For example, when composers were asked to develop music works for ‘a powerful person who loved to play a particular music instrument and wished to combine it with others’ (Honigsheim 98), the music work ordered needed to meet the following criterion: it should be based solely on ‘the combination of this instrument with others’ (Honigsheim 98). Mozart has responded to such requests developing music pieces based