"Had this man Mozart lived, none of the rest of us would earn a crust of bread for our operas." - Antonio Salieri
Wolfgang Amadeus [Amadé] Mozart was born today, January 27, 1756, in Salzburg, Austria.
“Mozart is the highest, the culminating point that beauty has attained in the sphere of music,” Tchaikovsky said. And of course, he was just one of many composers with highest praise of Mozart–Rossini, Brahms, Gounod, Bernstein, to name a few others.
To celebrate, I’m putting on airs–arias (for the uninitiated, that’s what aria means in Italian). And I received numerous wonderful titles from the Twittersphere when I asked for favorite Mozart arias.
I have my own faves, which like my best loved foods and wines, I go back to again and again. But on this august occasion, I am happy to share others’ favorite arias by the birthday boy, as much for myself as for you.
This is the musical version of me trying sushi rather than ordering another filet mignon, medium rare.
Here’s three arias (airs) offered up like pure and noble sacrifices from some of the lovely folks populating my humble but extremely useful Twitter feed pour vous.
Soprano La Toya Lewis (@LaToyaLewis) mentioned “Hai già vinta la causa” from The Marriage of Figaro as one of her favorites. Here’s a fine version from American baritone Rodney Gilfrey:
More than one Twitter compadre named “Come scoglio” from Così fan tutte as their favorite Mozart aria. Brandon Antoine (@B_A_L_Baritone), soprano Kate L. Fenech (@MissFeneshhhhh), and Pokrovsky Opera (@Pokrovsky_Opera), who mentioned this clip in their Tweet, from Salzburg 2009 sung by Miah Persson:
Finally, here’s Mexican Tenor Ramón Vargas performing “Fuor del mar” from Idomeneo, who Paulo Montoya (@operarules) must concede is spectacular:
