Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Eric Whitacre were two of the most cherished composers of their corresponding times. Mozart was a prominent composer in the 18th century whereas, Whitacre is a notable composer in the 21st century. Moreover, Mozart was an Austrian composer that lived from 1756 to 1791. Eric Whitacre is an American composer that was born on January 2nd, 1970, and is currently still alive. Mozart composed music from the age of 5 until he died at the age of 35. Whitacre began showing interest in music in his youth and eventually became one of the most remarkable American composers at age 30.
Furthermore, Mozart was proficient in all genres that existed at the time, but he was most celebrated as a composer of operas, most known for ‘Le Nozze de Figaro’. The opera was created in the mid-1780s in Austria, and it consists of four acts in Italian. It is based on a comical play created by Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais, and both Mozart and Pierre created their opera/play to shine light upon the constraints on rank and privilege. Moreover, Mozart was the embodiment of a child prodigy. His father, Leopold, recognized his musical abilities and began supervising and encouraging Mozart in his musical journey. His primary instrument was the piano, but he was also proficient in playing the organ and violin. Because Mozart mastered all of the genres, he composed for every kind of music available during the time. Mozart spent 30 years as a musician and a composer, and eventually, his music became the epitome of the classical style. Likewise, Eric Whitacre is a composer for both concert and choral music. His most famous work is titled ‘Cloudburst’, and it is a choral piece. He wrote this work for Dr. Jocelyn K. Jensen's high school choir because she requested for him to create a piece for that expressed her style. This piece was created in New York, New York, and was published in 1995. As previously stated, Whitacre showed an interest in music while in his youth, but he did not truly learn music until he attended college at Julliard. Also, Whitacre began playing piano at a young age and later on played the trumpet in his high school's marching band. Besides, Eric Whitacre typically composes modern/contemporary music for orchestras, wind ensembles, and choirs. Along with also transposing his choral music to make it for bigger orchestras or ensembles. The years that Eric Whitacre has been active is from the 1990s to the 2010s. Lastly, Eric Whitacre is the youngest composer to be awarded multiple awards (Grammys, Oscars, etc.).
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Undoubtedly, my two favorite musical works by both Mozart and Whitacre are the first movement of Mozart's ‘Clarinet Concerto in A K.622’ and ‘Sleep’. Mozart's ‘Clarinet Concerto’ was composed in 1791, and there is not a real 'story' behind this piece. He solely composed it for a friend, and also because he loved the sound of the clarinet. Besides, at 0:25, the strings commence playing in a forte dynamic while the tempo of their notes gets faster, but at 1:52, they moderate the tempo and decrescendo to allow the clarinet to speak. Next, at 2:16, the clarinet suddenly gets loud and shies away from playing at a mezzo-forte dynamic and playing legato. The clarinet begins to play with a marcato tongue and at a forte dynamic. However, shortly after, the clarinet returns to playing legato and quietly. Next, at 7:00, it sounds suddenly chaotic, and it shifts from the lively section. Lastly, at 10:00, both the strings and clarinet crescendo from a mezzo-piano to a forte dynamic, and shortly after, the movement ends. In addition, my next favorite musical work is ‘Sleep’ by Eric Whitacre. ‘Sleep’ was composed in 2000, and he created the piece for a lawyer whose parents died within weeks of each other. Moreover, at 1:04, the woodwinds enter at a forte dynamic and move the tempo a little faster than when the piece commenced. At 3:50, after trumpets and woodwinds join in, they crescendo while other instruments (baritone, trombone, etc.) are consistently joining. Although the nature of the piece is sad, at 4:12, it becomes sorrowful as if it is symbolizing how one of her parents died at that very moment. Lastly, at 5:10, and for the remainder of the piece, the band begins to decrescendo little by little while slowing the tempo. I think that this is either symbolizing how the lawyer is painfully coming to terms with her parents' death or symbolizing the life leaving the body of her other parent with the constant decrescendo that occurs.
All in all, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Eric Whitacre were two of the most cherished composers of their corresponding times. Mozart was a prominent composer in the 18th century and Eric Whitacre is a notable composer in the 21st century. Without Mozart and Eric Whitacre’s contributions to music, music would lack the creativity, technicality, and emotional depth that is now seen in today’s works. I think that both composers should be considered the greatest of their times, and this essay explains why. Without a doubt, Mozart and Whitacre are two of my favorite composers, and I am thankful to have had the opportunity to experience their works. I hope that future generations will have that opportunity also.
Works Cited
- Cummings, Robert. “Eric Whitacre: Biography & History”. AllMusic, www.allmusic.com/artist/eric-whitacre-mn0002046267/biography/
- Spencer, Mel. “Eric Whitacre: the Man and the Music”. Classic FM, 26 Sept. 2012, www.classicfm.com/composers/whitacre/pictures/eric-whitacre-man-behind-music/
- Team, uDiscover. “Mozart's 'Clarinet Concerto': Masterpiece Guide: UDiscover”. UDiscover Music, 16 Oct. 2019, www.udiscovermusic.com/classical-features/mozart-clarinet-concerto/
- Whitacre, Eric. “Biography (Long)”. Eric Whitacre, http://ericwhitacre.com/biography/long
- Whitacre, Eric. “Cloudburst – Music Catalog”. Eric Whitacre, http://ericwhitacre.com/music-catalog/cloudburst
- Whitacre, Eric. “Sleep – Music Catalog”. Eric Whitacre, http://ericwhitacre.com/music-catalog/sleep
- Woosley, Kevin. “Classical Vocal Music: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart”. Introduction to Listening. 2019: 75. Print.
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