Abstract

The existence of multiple connections between theatrical dramaturgy and Mozart's instrumental genres is deeply rooted in the conscience of exegetes, performers and cultivated music lovers. The idea is generally accepted, but the compositional techniques involved are too little known. We started our demonstration from the intuition that Mozart's  instrumental compositional style can only be analyzed in terms of the following three essential phenomena: dramaturgy, discourse and form. In other words, in terms of the  individualization of ideas and the parameters for the configuration of the dramaturgical suggestion, of the degree of eloquence and the figures of speech preferred, and of the coherence and proportionality of the sonoroustemporal development. Thus, we wish to draw attention to a few aspects of instrumental theatricality, by reflecting the following ideas, in succession: the main theme or character, the episodic themes or characters, the abandonment of theatricality or the single theme, the metamorphosis of the idea or the hidden facet of the character, the inner drama or the monothematic development. More precisely, by approaching this issue from a musical analysis  perspective, we will attempt a dramaturgical or discursive-rhetorical interpretation of the atypical formal elements – discovered in piano sonatas, quartets and trios composed by Mozart beginning in 1785.

Download