Mozart and the Keyboard Culture of His Time

 

Mozart at the Pianoforte
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An unfinished oil painting by Joseph Lange (Mozart’s brother-in-law), Vienna, around 1782/3. This is the most famous portrait of Mozart, in part because it is the most "romantic" and introspective depiction. Earlier portraits showed Mozart in poses—as a family member, as a Knight of the Golden Spur, in court costume. This one, had it been finished, would have shown us a contemplative Mozart at the pianoforte, natural and more "real." The fact that it remains unfinished renders it more perfect—a poignant parallel to Mozart’s own life.

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Mozart at the Pianoforte. Unfinished Oil Painting by Joseph Lange. Vienna, probably winter 1782-3. Original owned by the Mozarteum, Salzburg.
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continue to Mozart's Image Imagined
Introduction
From Sketch to Completed Work
From Print to CD
How did Mozart Compose?
The Mozart Myth: Tales of a Forgery
Mozart's Images
Mozart's Images Imagined
What the Score Doesn't Tell Us
The Piano Lesson
The Cult of Mozart
Commodification & Kitsch
Credits
Cornell University Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections Cornell University Library

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