Mozart's European orchestras

Abstract

This article musters evidence and argumentation supporting a premise underlying both the author's supervision of the complete recording of Mozart's symphonies by the Academy of Ancient Music, Jaap Schroeder, concertmaster, Christopher Hogwood, continuo (L'Oiseau-Lyre, 1979-86) and his Mozart's Symphonies: Context, Performance Practice, Reception (Oxford University Press, 1989), that just as Mozart tailored his arias to the voices of known singers, in composing symphonies he took into account the make up, training and stylistic preferences of the orchestras for which they were destined. Information for about thirty European cities in which Mozart collaborated with orchestras is presented. Three regional types of orchestras are posited (French, Italian and Central European) as well as two schools of instrument-making (Central European and Anglo-French), and an attempt is made to link these to stylistic features in some of Mozart's symphonies.

This article is based on a talk given in the main assembly hall of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, at a conference entitled “L'Europe des communications à l'époque de Mozart”, October 14–16, 1991.

This article is based on a talk given in the main assembly hall of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, at a conference entitled “L'Europe des communications à l'époque de Mozart”, October 14–16, 1991.

Notes

This article is based on a talk given in the main assembly hall of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, at a conference entitled “L'Europe des communications à l'époque de Mozart”, October 14–16, 1991.