Mozart's earliest compositions - were they written by a 6 year old? Played on the German theorbo

[@cellobaduk]

Music starts at 3:59

[@sorryusernametaken66]

You chose a good piece by Leopold, so I really cannot say it is inferior. It is, however, in an earlier style. There were times when Leopold rose and fooled posterity: I am thinking of the Neue Lambacher Symphony, long attributed to Wolfgang. Its last movement is very well crafted. Before the days when scores could be dowloaded I copied by hand one of Wolgang's minuets and, after no longer having the source available, I realised I had omitted a bar (the A section had only 7 bars, while B had eight). Nothing to do... So I reconstructed that bar by mirroring the complete section. When I bought a complete set of Mozart I checked that minuet and the missing bar... I had got it right!

[@Quatrapuntal]

Yes there is a symmetry and logic to Mozart, especially these simpler works. Most of the anonymous pieces in Nannerl's Notebook are thought to be by Leopold, and many of them are quite bland. It's telling that despite the fame of his family he only ever reached vice Kapellmeister; he may be able to write a minuet almost as well as a 6 year old, but the gulf widened as Wolfgang matured.

[@JulieCollins1]

Yes, I agree. Wolfgang's music is of higher quality than his father's. Thanks so much for all your musical endeavors!!! What an instrument!

[@Quatrapuntal]

Thanks for watching. Is this the first time you have come across it?

[@havardrivansson7902]

Really fine, spirited performances.

[@Quatrapuntal]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it I have started played these 3 in concerts as well, and asking the audience if they can spot which one is by Leopold! Here is the most recent video with the same theorbo: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aZupf4KKjrZ9Y5o

[@Valvicus]

Thank you for the gorgeous tone and masterful performance, Chris! Kudos to the luthier responsible for building such a magnificent instrument, indeed! Leopold's "Menuet in D MInor" is dull as dishwater by comparison to his son's two sparkling and witty pieces. Particularly, Wolfgang's sense of melody and thematic development, as well as his maintaining a consistently full harmonic texture are planes above his Pedantic Papa's. W. obviously thinks polyphonically, grabbing hold of the music with all ten digits, while Leopold composes more monophonically, as a violinist would. One can see how L. must've been envious of his offspring's clarity of conception, and jealous of the reception W. received in court and the "big city". But L. gave his son both a solid foundation in the basics, and a staid and boring traditionalism as contrasting springboard for his quirky and mischievous son to launch his career from.

[@Quatrapuntal]

Interestingly I sometimes play these 3 pieces in concerts, and ask the audience to say which one they thought was by Leopold. The results are usually completely mixed, so the difference is not obvious to many. I think you can hear the playful child in Wolfgang's pieces, like the little chromatic semiquavers just before the cadence in the first one, and the sudden burst of fast notes in the second. But yes we play some other pieces by Leopold in concerts and they are nice and competently written, but far from inspired and miles off what Wolfgang could do even as a child.

[@alirezaomumi1113]

This instrument is pure amazing.

[@Quatrapuntal]

Glad you enjoyed it, I did this video to answer the questions I often get asked about it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pXOooImYjperqM0

[@mashamarx]

I agree with you. Leopold's composition is structurally simpler, and I think it has less emotional strength than Wolfgang's. And the emotional complexity and strength of his music is what elevates Wolfgang above most composers of his time. Regarding his father's possible influence on his compositions, he certainly could have added or enhanced vibratos, or suggested something like that to the child before the music was notated. Thanks again for the history lesson!

[@Quatrapuntal]

Yes Wolfgang must have been heavily influenced by Leopold, who was teaching him and Nannerl not only keyboard technique but also theory and composition. If you listen to other examples of Leopold's compositions, they are pleasant enough but completely lack that spark of genius I think you can start to hear even in Wolfgang's very early pieces.

[@Roidsear42]

Thank you for all the interesting background information. And the Menuet is simply stunning for a 6 year old. Did Hugo do all the camera work? 😉

[@Quatrapuntal]

No, Hugo was definitely not involved in the production of this, otherwise the camera would have been on the floor, my arms scratched and microphone attacked!

[@dapur777]

Beauriful. Thanks for sharing I'm not too exposed to Lute nor Theorbo, just wondering why there are double string if they sound the same?

[@Quatrapuntal]

In this theorbo the double strings are at the same pitch, but because they are never 100% the same pitch and are hit at fractionally different times, they give a different sound to single strings. Like a 12 string guitar has a different sound to a 6 string. In other types of lutes, the double strings may also be octaves, like the 13 course lute which has 8 bass strings, but each one has a high and low octave string so that it doesn't sound too deep. This is one reason why it's impossible to transcribe music written for that properly on the classical guitar - it's a very different instrument. The 13 course lute is demonstrated in this video which also has a brief history of the lute: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qGWpknltmq1risk

[@dapur777]

@@Quatrapuntal thank you for your reply. But in that case why not all strings double? What factors in building it determines which one is double which one is single

[@Quatrapuntal]

@@dapur777 the highest string was often single because when using gut they break quite often when thin. The theorbo and archlute with long second neck would not be possible to use double strings, because the high octave would be too thin at that length (around 160 cm). Also the strings would ring on far too much. Lutes with double bass strings like in the video have a much shorter neck so it is possible.

[@dapur777]

@@Quatrapuntal I see. Thanks for sharing. Cheers

[@tobyjackson8474]

Welcome back. It's been a while.

[@Quatrapuntal]

On KZbin yes, but I post a lot more often on Facebook: facebook.com/quatrapuntal Were you searching "music written by 6 year olds" then? 😆

[@tobyjackson8474]

If I was, I wouldn't admit it.

[@Quatrapuntal]

Hmm, very suspect...

[@julesmarwell8023]

what a beautiful theobro.. congratulations on your luck. Yes WAD WAS a one off. In todays computerisation society the brain was does not time to work Thank you from Australia

[@julesmarwell8023]

one hears shades of an earlier time of Mozart. he must have been influenced by the past for sure

[@billybow1060]

What is the thing in you hand

[@haigrak9497]

Theorbo

[@pismobiics825]

There's no question these two were Wolfgang's pieces. Kudos to Leopold for having developed his son's talent.

[@JugglingAddict]

He really gave them the best possible learning environment to develope and I would say that while he may not have been on the level of Mozart (then again who would be), he's still clearly quite decent.

[@ImHavingaCoronary]

never understood why people rest their pinky finger on the instrument top to stabilize their picking hand. Basically reducing the capacity of the top to vibrate.

[@Quatrapuntal]

The lute is a very different instrument to the guitar with a separate technique and history. Whilst it's not necessary on a guitar with 6 single strings, on the lute it has always been part of the technique throughout it's long history. On a practical level, the plucking technique is different with double strings, and also when you have 14 courses like this your thumb has to be able to find the strings without looking, so having your hand anchored in that position with the little finger helps. Lightly touching the fingerboard on a small spot doesn't affect the resonance.

[@julesmarwell8023]

WAM sorry Leopold was a bit jealous of his son. he was more interested in using his son for cash I think Leopold lacked his sons talents

[@Quatrapuntal]

It's difficult to say if Leopold was jealous, or just saw the opportunities to advance his family. Taking them all on a gruelling tour of Europe by unheated horse and cart for 3 years was probably not very enjoyable by the children, or good for their health. Wolfgang was ill fairly often, sometimes seriously. But then again, the experiences and exposure to different music that Wolfgang had at that time led to him becoming who he was. No doubt that Leopold had nowhere near the talent of either of his children, especially as a composer.

Splendid stuff! A few questions....1/Who built your Theorbo? 2/The Long Basses are clearly not gut. What are they made of, and where can they be bought? 3/ what is the string-length, in cm's of the 2 necks? many thanks!

[@Quatrapuntal]

It was built by Klaus Jacobsen who lives in London, the basses are plaited nylon which was an experiment Klaus did but they are great, 25 years later they sound the same and rarely go out of tune. The stopped length is 80cm, can't remember exactly for the basses but something like 150cm. See also the info on this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p4fOaYmJYqaXaMU

@@Quatrapuntal That's quite a coincidence....When I lived in London, I used to share a workshop space with Klaus, in Stoke Newington. A very tall Danish chap. I play Lute professionally, hence the technical questions. Are you self-taught? You have a very fluent, neat, and confident technique, particularly in the right hand. Who made the metal-fretted Mandora? It sounds very warm and attractive. With all good wishes, Edward Fitzgibbon.

[@Quatrapuntal]

Klaus is still in Stoke Newington I believe, he makes very fine instruments although he has only done one other German theorbo I believe. I was at Birmingham Conservatoire firstly, then the Guildhall, mainly taught by Bill Carter but also has a few lessons with Nigel North when he lived in London. I play professionally as well, but have been out of the London scene for years now and do less concerts these days.