5 episodes
| Series | Episode | Title | First Broadcast | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (1781-1783) | 20061225 | In 1781, against his father's wishes, Mozart decides to stay in Vienna as a freelance composer and performer. In his first three years he marries Constanze and has his first child. His prolific output includes Die Entführung aus dem Serail. But what kind of competition does he face? Gassmann: Overture (L'amore artigiano) English Chamber Orchestra Richard Bonynge (conductor) Salieri: Wenn dem Adler das Gefieder (Der Rauchfangkehrer) Patrice Michaels (soprano) Classical Arts Orchestra Stephen Alltop (conductor) Haydn: Coll' amoroso fuoco (Le fedelta premiata) Roberto Scaltriti (baritone) Les Talens Lyriques Christophe Rousset (conductor) Sachini: Overture (La Contadina in corte) English Chamber Orchestra Richard Bonynge (conductor) Mozart: Six Variations on Paisello's aria Salve tu, Domine, K398 Ingrid Haebler (piano) Mozart: Vorrei spiergarvi, o Dio, K418; Per Pieta, non ricercate, K420 (Arias for Anfossi's Il curioso indiscreto) Edith Gruberova (soprano) Thomas Moser (tenor) Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra Leopold Hager (conductor). | ||
| (1784-1785) | 20061226 | In 1784, Mozart begins a thematic catalogue to keep track of his compositions, which that year includes six keyboard concertos. A year later, Leopold Mozart arrives for an extended visit, listens to his son perform in public and observes the predominance of Italian opera at the Burg-Theater. Wolfgang writes several insertion pieces for other operas which are played there. Paisiello: Overture (Il Re Teodoro in Venezia) Swiss Italian Orchestra Enrique Mazzola (conductor) Salieri: Amor, Pietoso Amore (Il Ricco d'un giorno) Cecilia Bartoli (mezzo) Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment Adam Fischer (conductor) Sarti: Come un agnello (Fra I due litiganti il terzo gode) Roberto Scaltriti (baritone) Les Talens Lyriques Christophe Rousset (conductor) Mozart (attrib.): Eight Variations in A on Come un agnello from Sarti's I due Litiganti, K460 Walter Klien (piano) Righini: Per pieta, deh, ricercate (L'incontro inaspettato) Patrice Michaels (soprano) Classical Arts Orchestra Stephen Alltop (conductor) Salieri: Overture (La grotta di Trofonio) Czechoslovak Radio Symphony Orchestra Michael Dittrich (conductor) Salieri: La ra la, che filosofo buffon! (La grotta di Trofonio) Cecilia Bartoli (mezzo) Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment Adam Fischer (conductor) Mozart: 2 insertion ensembles for Francesco Bianchi's La vilannella rapita Dite almeno in che mancai, K479 Julie Kaufmann (soprano) Hans-Peter Blochwitz (tenor) Anton Scharinger and René Pape (basses) Munich Radio Orchestra Jorg-Peter Weigle (conductor) Mandina amabile, questo donaro, K480 Eva Lind (soprano) Hans-Peter Blochwitz (tenor) Anton Scharinger (bass) Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra Jorg-Peter Weigle (conductor). | ||
| (1786-1787) | 20061227 | In 1786 Mozart is unwell for a time. His third child is born and dies. Wolfgang's work with Da Ponte on Figaro will bear fruit the following year and result in a further commission for Prague. But operas by other composers, especially a Spaniard and an Italian, will be even more successful. Salieri: Prima la Musica e poi le Parole (Overture and scene 1) Robert Holl (bass-baritone) Thomas Hampson (baritone) Royal Concergebouw Orchestra Nikolaus Harnoncourt (conductor) Dittersdorf: Doktor und Apotheker (Act 1, excerpts) Hans von Welz (bass) Richard van Vrooman (tenor) Alois Perl (tenor) Camerata Academia Salzburg Uli Weder (conductor) Martin y Soler: Vo' dall' infami viscere (Una cosa rara) Inaki Fresan (baritone) Le Concert des Nations Jordi Savall (conductor) Martin y Soler: Dolce mi parve un di (Una Cosa rara) Montserrat Figueras (soprano) Le Concert des Nations Jordi Savall (conductor) Martin y Soler: Dammi la cara mano (Uno cosa rara) Soloists Le Concert des Nations Jordi Savall (conductor) Mozart: Ten Variations on Unser dummer Pöbel meint from Gluck's Die Pilger von Mecca, K455 Ingred Haebler (piano) Martin y Soler: Sereno raggio (L'arbore di Diana) Patrice Michaels (soprano) Classical Arts Orchestra Stephen Alltop (conductor) Gazzaniga: Death of the Commendatore (Don Giovanni Tenorio) Ferruccio Furlanetto (bass) Douglas Johnson (tenor) Elzbieta Szyytka (soprano) Johann Tilli (bass) Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra Bruno Weil (conductor). | ||
| (1788-1789) | 20061228 | In 1788, Don Giovanni reaches Vienna. But Mozart is short of money and borrows heavily while writing his last three symphonies. The following year, as Paris erupts, he makes an extended continental journey in search of commissions. Back in Vienna, his competitors thrive. Gazzaniga: Due baronesse amabili (L'isola d'Alcina) Roberto Scaltriti (baritone) Les Talens Lyriques Christophe Rousset (conductor) Salieri: Overture (Il Talismano) Czechoslovak Radio Symphony Orchestra Michael Dittrich (conductor) Mozart: Un bacio di mano, K541 (aria for Pasquale Anfossi's Le gelosie fortunate) Roberto Scaltriti (baritone) Les Talens Lyriques Christophe Rousset (conductor) Mozart: Nine Variations in D on a Minuet by Jean-Pierre Duport, K573 Alfred Brendel (piano) Salieri: Non vo' gia che vi suonino (La cifra) Cecilia Bartoli (mezzo) Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment Adam Fischer (conductor) Mozart: Alma grande e nobil core, K578 (aria for Cimarosa's I due baroni di Rocca Azzura) Edith Mathis (soprano) Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra Leopold Hager (conductor) Martin y Soler: Il Burbero di buon core (Act 1 finale) Gloria Banditelli (soprano) Umberto Chiummo (baritone) Montserrat Figueras (soprano) Francesc Garrigosa (bass) Eva Kirchner (soprano) Ernesto Palacio (tenor) Luigi Petroni (tenor) Le Concert des Nations Jordi Savall (conductor). | ||
| COTW | 05 LAST | (1790-1791) | 20061229 | In 1790, the music-loving Emperor Joseph II dies and his brother Leopold succeeds him. Mozart attends his coronation as Holy Roman Emperor in Frankfurt and also writes Cosi fan tutte. Next year his sixth child is born, one of only two to survive infancy. Mozart becomes involved with a German-language opera troupe but will not survive kidney failure and acute rheumatic fever. His reputation grows posthumously as that of his contemporaries declines. Paisiello: Il mio ben quando verra (Nina, o sia La pazza per amore, Act 1) Teresa Berganza (soprano) Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden Alexander Gibson (conductor) Mozart/Cimarosa: No caro, fa coraggio (recitative and aria for Guglielmi's La quakera spirituosa) Patrice Michaels (soprano) Classical Arts Orchestra Stephen Alltop (conductor) Mozart: Eight Variations on Ein Weib ist das herrlischste Diung au der Welt from Schack and Gerl's Der Stein der Weisen, K613 Soloists Boston Baroque Martin Pearlman (conductor) Salieri: Armonia per un tempio della notte Il Gruppo di Roma. |