If I Could Choose Only One Work By...MOZART

It Would Have To Be...Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro)
The birth of modern opera, plain and simple, and a clinic in creating believable characters through music.

The List So Far:
1. Ravel: Ma Mère l’Oye (Mother Goose Ballet)
2. Bruckner: Symphony No. 7
3. Schubert: String Quintet in C major
4. Shostakovich: Symphony No. 4
5. Mahler: Symphony No. 2 “Resurrection”
6. Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker
7. Debussy: Preludes for Piano (Books 1 & 2)
8: Handel: Saul

[samuelstephens]

Hard to argue with Figaro, but Die Zauberflote is wacky, frightening, strange, and entices us back in despite all that weirdness.

[Mooseman]

I totally agree! I was holding my breath on this one. It HAS to be Figaro, slightly edging out Don Giovanni. Kudos! Figaro has everything from its stirring, exciting overture to its transcendent ending. "The emotions are true." So true. Figaro is one of the greatest human creations ever.

[Nyssa]

Yes! Yes! Yes! Figaro is my favorite creation by any composer in any era.

[ruslanbabayan]

It's hard to argue against this pick. One can even make a case for it being the greatest opera of all time. The libretto, the music, the arias - there are no weaknesses in this opera. Pure perfection.

[marks]

The point is not that the story makes sense but that the emotions make sense". Yes, wonderfully put.

[goonbelly]

My choice would have been his piano concertos, the first truly great (and arguably the greatest) collection of piano concertos ever composed.

[TobyS]

Glad Figaro is your choice too. There are many contenders vying for the place but Figaro just encompasses virtually everything that makes Mozart great, including his gifts in portraying and characterising various facets of humanity through music and producing beautiful, gorgeous, memorable melodies. On top of that its ground-breaking musical-historical significance seals it as the choice for desert isle Mozart.

[joshuafruend]

I’m glad you went with Marriage of Figaro, I have to agree. Although I’m very partial to the piano concerti as a pianist, I think that they are largely operatic in nature and do definitely agree that opera was Mozart’s pinnacle medium in a way. Figaro is just great, fun, exciting, and gorgeous! I’m still looking forward to your pick for Chopin! I think you’ll agree with me about choosing the Preludes, Op. 28!

[torterrakart]

I would go for the Sinfonia Concertante for Violin & Viola!

[d.r.martin]

So glad you chose this. My favorite Mozart and easily my favorite opera. One of the greatest works of art in any form.

[grahammorgan]

Magic Flute for me, just edging out symphony 41 and any of the piano concertos from 19 to 24.

[Johnadams]

mozart wrote such an insane amount of masterpieces beyond masterpieces in merely only35 yeras of life. it is almost impossibe to pick just one. but this is a great choice

[alenaadamkova]

Voice is not just an instrument, but has lot of colors and intensity and emotions.

[jg]

I somewhat agree, but I must confess I would also feel pushed to go for the piano concertos, my favorite music by Mozart, which even have something of his dramatic music in their blood. He really defined the genre's direction from then on. And they're just gorgeous and uplifting. (Guess what, the guy knew a little bit about how to make good music, I suppose). Thanks for sharing!

[michaelmurray]

When you get round to R.Strauss my choice has to be his Four Last Songs. The set epitomises his life long love affair with the soprano voice, his gorgeous orchestration and his nod to his affinity to the French horn. Ultimate Strauss.

[damianjb]

If I Could Choose Only One Work It's a tossup between the Requiem and the 2nd Piano Concerto but my choice is the B flat Piano Concerto. The first two movements contain some of the most dramatic music Brahms wrote. The 3rd movements is one of Brahms' most lyrically gorgeous creations and the last music shows his love of Hungarian music. Therefore, for me, it contains a pretty good cross section off Brahms' styles.

[peterkuntz]

Independent of your specific comments on Figaro, I very much enjoyed your analysis of what makes an opera work! While I may find it in a music 101 book, your verbal articulation was so on point! Well done David!!!

[yon]

I could have said every word you did. I consider Figaro the greatest creation of mankind, with Don Giovanni a close second. My favorite moment in music is the letter duet.

[josecarmona]

Hi, Dave. I agree completely in respect to Le Nozze. And just because of the same reasons: the humanity and reality of the main characters and situations, but adding the pity and love the composer feels for them, I think that the work by Alban Berg which must be offered to Cancrizans is Wozzeck. Which, also, is perhaps one of the most representative operas of the 20th century.

[OuterGalaxyLounge]

My favorite Mozart is the 38th Symphony "Prague, " but man, this is a toughie. I think Cancrizans needs to be distracted from his ill-advised course. The demons of Hell must be unleashed upon him, lol. In other news, I have seen Marriage of Figaro staged live; a very memorable date with an ex-gf, so I certainly have a level of fondness for it.