What are the differences between Mozarts and Bachs music?
They are vastly different. Most of Bach’s music was composed in an era of Aristocracy and Church. Mozart, on the other hand lived during the age of “Enlightenment” where people began asking questions about everything like science, math, and social issues. Mozart (and others during his time) were composing music in a new form. Bach composed “Fugues” where you have 3 or more voices moving horizontally and each has equal importance. Mozart (and his contemporaries) were experimenting with new things. The Fugue was considered old hat in his time although Mozart had great respect for Bach. If you listen to their music one after the other you would see that Bach is “Stuffed Shirt” but Mozart is free and more inventive with his harmonies. Bach was strict and adhered to voice leading rules of his time.
Vast differences. Bach is baroque, Mozart is Classical. Bach has much contrapuntal focuses. A fugue is counterpoint, a voice being relayed over its self and variations of itself. Mozart for the most part had a more focus on melody, and then accompaniment, whereas Bach’s accompaniment was often the melody itself. Playfulness… Both can be quite playful, like a quaint fugue, or a minuet. About the runs, Mozart used lots of “flowery” run type figures, in piano anyway. You have to understand anyway, Bach composed on the harpsichord, Mozart, piano, early piano anyway. Bach can have just as many notes as Mozart, much more in fact… I cannot stress how idiot and ignorant and dreadful the answer above me is… My gosh! Some people!
>>>>>The above answers are correct in that Bach was more contrapuntal. That is why he was more prolific in composing fugues. A notable, although rare, fugue by Mozart is found in the last movement of his Jupiter Symphony. Mozart often accompanied his melodies with an Alberti bass. The Alberti bass is named after Domenico Alberti, a composer who lived in Bach’s time, but Bach chose not to use it. >>>>>The orchestra was expanding in Mozart’s time. It was no longer so common to compose for string orchestra only. A notable exception is Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. >>>>>Musical form was being revised. Although a few of Bach’s preludes show some semblance of the ternary form, or ABA form, in utero, it never really existed until Mozart’s time. The rondo form, as we now know it, also came into existence in Mozart’s time. The most common rondo forms were ABACA or ABACABA, with the B and C themes in related keys. In Bach’s time, all of the themes were in the same key, with only the A theme restated.
