Egad. Another Mozart thread.

If I had to pick one work, it would be the String Quintet in G minor, K516. But I don't have to pick one work.

 

If I had to pick one work, it would be the String Quintet in G minor, K516.

That would be my choice, too.

 

In the master's symphonic writing, I would rate his Jupiter Symphony as the absolute peak, particularly the fourth movement with its fugal writing: its baseline boldness, its beauty, its Bach-like rigor, its effortless Classical elegance, its confidence, its soaring emotional uplift, it's sense of triumph, its consummate genius-the result of a lifetime of love, inspiration, and study:

 

Masterful orchestral and fugal writing there, that would probably be my choice too. If not, I'd go with the Fantasia K. 475.

 

His operas Marriage of Figaro, Don G, Cosi, Magic Flute. His piano concertos 20-24, 27. Piano music K475, K511. Clarinet Quintet. Symphonies 39-41.

 

...I'm a big fan of the piano concertos as well, but I haven't heard any of the early ones (1-11).

You may want to give Piano Concerto No. 9 "Juenehomme" a listen. It's an earlier work but is often accounted a masterpiece. Note the immediate piano entry, very unusual in those days.

 

On the contrary his solo keyboard work is dull to listen to and even more of a chore to play.

As a piano student you typically have to choose between a Beethoven or Mozart sonata for exam classical-era requirements. NOBODY PICKS MOZART.

His operas (Cosi, Figaro, Giovanni, Zauberflote) are the best of his work.

 

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If you ask me which 'form of composition' (genre) has the greatest impression on me, it would be the liturgical works, (Masses, Vespers, Motet (Ave Verum Corpus), including the Masonic ones as he had been writing them all his life (quite literally)) there is a great deal of wealth in them.

 

Perhaps for other no his high but I find it quit interesting work.

 

Even as pure music (rather than as dramas) his operas are too wonderful. But his symphonies - from 24 (K182) onwards - and most of his piano concertos are also wonderful. And the clarinet works. And then there is a lot of other chamber music (especially most of the quintets) ... . Actually the OP say it - he excels in most genres. So why choose? But, if you do it has to be the operas - the three Da Ponte operas, The Magic Flute, Idomeneo, La Clemenza di Tito. I am not really an opera fan but as pure music there is so much there ... and they are great to watch, too.

 

the 6 string quintets and sinfonia concertante

 

I'm not an opera fan, so if I had to choose one genre Mozart excelled in it would be the piano concerto.

 

Mozart Clarinet Concerto in A major K622
Maybe not what you are looking for as the peak of his talent but one I never tire of.

 

The OP is not asking for our favourite Mozart work(s), but:

In your opinion, which form of composition was his greatest strength?

To my taste, concertos, and it's not even close. Especially a dozen or more of his piano concertos, the clarinet concerto (possibly my favourite concerto ever), the oboe concerto, the horn concertos, and the fifth violin concerto. Difficult to think of any other composer that combined quality and quantity in this form like him.

 

The OP is not asking for our favourite Mozart work(s), but:

To my taste, concertos, and it's not even close. Especially a dozen or more of his piano concertos, the clarinet concerto (possibly my favourite concerto ever), the oboe concerto, the horn concertos, and the fifth violin concerto. Difficult to think of any other composer that combined quality and quantity in this form like him.

I second your clarification of the OP and your answer. I also think his collection of concertos seem unmatched by others. I would add the sinfonia concertante, Flute Concerto No. 2 In D Major - K. 314, and Concerto for Flute and Harp in C Major - K. 299.

 

I can listen to his piano concertos all day and also string quartets/quintets and piano sonatas. I find it hard to make a judgment on my favorite composers greatest strength. I often go for the high K numbers, since I believe the best comes after some experience in composing, but IT'S MOZART!

 

Clarinet quintet and the two piano quartets

 

Instrumental concertos and operas are where Mozart reached his peak, IMHO.

 

Sorry I can't remember the source for the quote but Mozart said something to the effect of:

"I am an opera composer who writes piano concerti for a living and chamber music for my friends."

 

Totally!. He was a super composer of operas. His piano sonatas are interesting, but as another poster replied, few,few, few students choose this sonatas for exam classical era requirements. In my college ,nobody picks these sonatas for the exams.

DON GIOVANNI IS THE QUEEN OF THE OPERAS

 

Don Giovanni.

I think if Mozart were asked, this is also what he might've said.

 

I'd say Mozart "peaked" at the end of his life. These compositions all have very later Köchel numbers:

Clarinet concerto, The Magic Flute, Requiem, String Quintet in E flat and Ave Verum Corpus.

The longer he went about it, the better he got in my opinion. He died young, aged 35, so this could have continued about 30-40 years without decline had he lived longer.

 

We were asked to choose a genre and all chose different ones without really being shocking. As expected, perhaps, Mozart is great in all of them.

 

Definitely more or less what I expected. Still interesting seeing everyone's perspectives here!

I'd like to get more into Mozart's operas, but I don't really have that kinda free time to be watching whole 2-3+ hour works at a time. How do y'all opera fans typically enjoy his operatic works? DVDs, youtube, listening only to the music?

 

Piano Concertos.

 

To answer this question I would have to ask which genre I would want to survive if there was only one and it would have to be opera. Much as it would pain me to let the rest go - these are the works that Mozart revelled in composing and the last 6 operas are all supreme. Contrast this with the symphonies and even piano concertos where some are better than others. From Idomeneo on when Mozart put his pen to opera the result was something special every time. The last 8 piano concertos are near the mark - if you take out K537.

I would like to scupper this notion that only the very high K numbers showed Mozart at his best. The sinfonia concertante K364, PC 9 Idomeno Die Entfuhrung mass in c minor all composed 8 years before he died belong to his immortal works.

 

Probably the major works from Figaro onwards excluding 'Tito' which was probably a rush job for cash.

 

Tito is still a great opera.

 

Instinctively i go for symphonies but tbh i could have chosen any genre such is the quality of his music in every area. I even enjoy some of his operas and im no opera fan.

 

Yeah, the late operas and then the piano concertos stand out. After that I'm a fan of his works for wind instruments (clarinet concerto, Kegelstatt trio, oboe concerto etc.) and violin sonatas. But pretty much everything he wrote was excellently crafted at the least.

 

The Clarinet Concerto. The Jupiter Symphony. The C Minor Mass. Each exemplifies an aspect of Mozart's genius.