If you’ve ever wondered why composer Mozart became so well known a team at The Open University has created an interactive educational ‘show’ that demonstrates his brilliance.
It coincides with the airing of a new three-part Open University/BBC co-production called Mozart: Rise of a Genius beginning on Monday, 16 September, at 9pm on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.
The film explores the life of Mozart – just one of many brilliant composers who might be described as a genius – who rose to fame because his family recognised his prodigious talents as a child.
They took him and his talented sister Maria Anna, nicknamed Nannerl, on tour to perform in the cultural centres of 18th century Europe. This series explores how his relationships and experiences may have influenced his work.
Dr Naomi Barker is a musicologist who studies late 16th and 17th century music, and a performer specialising in 18th century music. She worked with the OU Connect producers alongside Dr Helen Coffey, a musicologist and specialist in music from German and Austrian cities from the 16th to 18th centuries. Both are senior lecturers in the OU Music department.
Together, they explored Mozart’s brilliance in composing concertos and you can discover a ‘must-listen’ playlist and learn more about his musical world at OU Connect.
Naomi said:
“The OU team that created the interactive content to go onto the webpage have been brilliant.
“We have an animated graphic that explains some technical details about the structure of Mozart’s piano concertos using a recording by our learning partner, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (OAE).
“And there are links through to videos from the OAE that provide accurate information and great performances.”
Supporting Online Content:
Visit our Broadcast and Partnerships site, OU Connect where you can find an animation exploring what a concerto is and why Mozart excelled at composing them. This supporting content was developed with support from Dr Naomi Barker and Dr Helen Coffey.
This series was commissioned by Broadcast and Partnerships and is supported by the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, with particular relevance to BA (Hons) Music (R25), BA (Hons) Arts and Humanities (R14) and MA in Music (F99).
Picture: Bere Ökrös for 72 Films
