Wolgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791), was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He showed prodigious ability from his earliest childhood. Already competent on keyboard and violin, he composed from the age of five and performed before European royalty. At 17, he was engaged as a court musician in Salzburg. While visiting Vienna in 1781, he chose to stay in the capital, where he achieved fame but little financial security.

Mozart's music, like Haydn's, stands as an archetype of the Classical style. In his time European music was dominated by the style galant, a reaction against the highly evolved intricacy of the Baroque. Progressively, and in large part at the hands of Mozart himself, the contrapuntal complexities of the late Baroque emerged once more. Mozart was a versatile composer, and wrote in every major genre, including symphony, opera,  solo concerto,  chamber music including string quartet and string quintet, and the piano sonata. He almost single-handedly developed and popularized the Classical piano concerto. Peter discusses these works and also Mozart’s works in religious music, including large-scale masses, dances, divertimenti, serenades, and other forms of light entertainment.

During his final years in Vienna, he composed many of his best-known symphonies, concertos, and operas, and portions of the Requiem, which was largely unfinished at the time of his death. The circumstances of his early death have been much mythologized. He was survived by his wife Constanze and two sons.

Peter Tremewan’s Classical Hour 

Looks at and listens to the life of Antonio Lucio Vivaldi  (4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741)

Vivaldi was nicknamed il Prete Rosso ("The Red Priest") because of his red hair, he was an Italian Baroque composer, Catholic priest, and virtuoso violinist, born in Venice. Recognised as one of the greatest Baroque composers, his influence during his lifetime was widespread over Europe. Peter explores his works and plays those that Vivaldi is mainly known for, his instrumental concertos, especially for the violin, as well as sacred choral works and some elements from over forty operas. His best known work is a series of violin concertos known as The Four Seasons. Vivaldi's music was innovative. He brightened the formal and rhythmic structure of the concerto, in which he looked for harmonic contrasts and innovative melodies and themes; many of his compositions are flamboyantly, almost playfully, exuberant.