“Due Pupille Amabili”

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the Classical Period

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

• Austrian composer, lived from 1756-1791

• His father, Leopold Mozart, was also a composer.

• He started composing at the age of 5 and was also competent on both keyboard and violin

• At age 17, he was hired as a court musician in Salzburg

More on Mozart:

• Throughout his lifetime, he composed over 600 pieces of music

• Today, he is one of the most well-known composers of the classical period- known for opera, chamber music, piano music, symphonic music, choral music

• He left an influence on Western Music that has been enjoyed and studied for centuries

The Classical Period

• Dates: 1750-1825• Some Major Composers:

Mozart, Beethoven, Gluck, Clementi, CPE Bach

• Some Major Terms: Sonata, String Quartet, Symphony

Why “Classical”?• In the mid-18th Century, Europeans desired to return to

the classicism of ancient cultures, especially Greece• Their architecture, literature, art, and music was

affected• Music of the Classical period was very structured and

emotions were controlled.  It was tuneful and simple.  Even the size of the orchestra was small, usually with no more than 40 musicians.  

• The Classical period was about balance and contrast.  .Music was not to be too loud or too soft, too fast or too slow.  Nothing was done in the extreme. 

“Due Pupille Amabili”

• Written in 1783• For SAB chorus

and 3 clarinets• Sung in the

original Italian text (with an optional English translation)

“Due Pupille Amabili”

• “Due pupille amabili m’han piegato il core Se pietà non chiedo a quelle luci belle Per quelle, si per quelle io morirò d’amore”

listen…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOmXrl_gUis

what does it mean???

Due pupille amabili m’han piegato il core

Two lovely eyes hold my heart enslaved

E se pietá non chiedo a quelle luci belle per quelle,

If I cannot win the mercy of those fair lights,

Io moriró d’amoreI will die of love for them.

let’s talk about…formCan you figure out what form this piece is

in?

Binary (AB)? Strophic? Ternary (ABA)? Through-composed? Something else?

…take 1 minute to look it over, figure it out, and we’ll discuss it as a class…

let’s talk about…

Rhythm What do you see in

measures 2, 8, 14, and 20?

How do we treat these? What are they called?

let’s talk about…

Expression• Express the TEXT- what are you

singing about? Make it personal!

• Express the MUSIC- what does it make you feel?

• Express the PERIOD- how can you sing this authentically?

For (date)…

Over the course of the next unit, you will

complete one of the following assignments

based on your interests, all of

which will be due November 15…

2 page written report about:

• The Classical Period: its features, style, major works, and major composers

• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: his life, works, and legacy

• Chamber music: what it is, how it’s meant to be performed, and its history

(Choose one of the above)

Give a 4-5 minute speech/presentation about:

• The Classical Period: its features, style, major works, and major composers

• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: his life, works, and legacy

• Chamber music: what it is, how it’s meant to be performed, and its history

(Choose one of the above)

Give this song a fresh arrangement:

Using the same text, write a new arrangement for “Due Pupille

Amabili”. It must have at least 2 vocal parts and 1 accompanying instrument. How can you do this

assignment and stay authentic to Mozart and the Classical Period?

Or…

Your last option is to write a 2-page report about how you

can/have already internalized this text and music. You’ll write IPA for

the Italian text and provide a summary in your own words that

relates this piece to your life.