Today is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's birthday. Yesterday, the PBS News Hour (here) ran a piece with composer Rob Capilow discussing Mozart's Symphony #40 in Gm (video above), one of his most well know works (you can hear the entire symphony here). In the symphony, Mozart takes a simple three-note idea and develops it into a major work relying only on his great creative powers. This is the essential challenge facing any jazz musician and the symphony is worth any creative musician's careful study.
Here's the opening theme which every musician will instantly recognize (you have probably heard it on someones cell phone ringtone here, the musical notation is from Wikipedia here).
Through key changes, chord changes, rhythm changes, pure invention, and creative genius, Mozart turns it into a masterpiece. Happy birthday, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, an inspiration to every creative musician.
EXERCISE
1. Take any simple jazz, blues or folk melody. Using key changes, chord changes, rhythm changes and your own creative powers, transform it into a jazz masterpiece!
2. Pick another melody. Do it again!
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