Editing Leopold Mozart (section)

== Compositions ==
[[File:LeopoldMozartPortraitFromViolinschule.jpg|thumb|upright|The first edition of Leopold Mozart's ''Violinschule'' included this portrait of the author. Some aspects of violin playing in his day can be seen: the lightweight, concave bow and the absence of any chin rest or shoulder rest.]]

:''See [[:Category:Compositions by Leopold Mozart]]''
Leopold Mozart's music is inevitably overshadowed by the work of his son Wolfgang, and in any case the father willingly sacrificed his own career to promote his son's. But his ''[[Cassation (music)|Cassation]] in G for Orchestra and Toys'' ([[Toy Symphony]]), (also variously attributed to [[Joseph Haydn]], Michael Haydn, and Austrian Benedictine monk {{ill|Edmund Angerer|de}}) remains popular, and a number of symphonies, a [[Trumpet Concerto (Leopold Mozart)|trumpet concerto]], and other works also survive.

A contemporary report described what he had composed prior to 1757:<ref>Title: ''Nachricht von dem gegenwärtigen Zustande der Musik Sr. Hochfürstl. Gnaden des Erzbischoffs zu Salzburg'', "Report on the present state of music [at the court of] his Princely Grace the Archbishop of Salzburg'; {{harvnb|Grove}}</ref>

{{quote|many [[contrapuntal]] and other church items; further a great number of symphonies, some only à 4{{refn|This would mean: four string parts only; violin I, violin II, viola, cello/bass.|group=n}} but others with all the customary instruments; likewise more than 30 large [[serenade]]s in which solos for various instruments appear. In addition he has brought forth many concertos, in particular for the transverse flute,{{refn|This is the ordinary flute, played by blowing across it ("transversely"), as opposed to the [[Recorder (musical instrument)|recorder]].|group=n}} oboe, bassoon, Waldhorn, trumpet etc.: countless trios and [[divertimento]]s for various instruments; 12 [[oratorio]]s and a number of theatrical items, even pantomimes, and especially certain occasional pieces such as martial music … [[Turkish music (style)|Turkish music]], music with 'steel keyboard' and lastly a musical sleigh ride; not to speak of marches, so-called 'Nachtstücke'{{refn|German: "night pieces"|group=n}} and many hundreds of [[minuet]]s, opera dances and similar items.<ref>Quoted from {{harvnb|Grove|loc="Leopold Mozart"}}.</ref>}}

Leopold Mozart was much concerned with a naturalistic feel to his compositions, his ''[[Jagdsinfonie]]'' (or ''Sinfonia da Caccia'' for four horns and strings) calls for shotguns, and his ''Bauernhochzeit'' (Peasant Wedding) includes [[bagpipes]], [[hurdy-gurdy]], a [[Hammered dulcimer|dulcimer]], whoops and whistles (ad. lib.), and pistol shots. ''{{ill|Musikalische Schlittenfahrt|de}}'' (musical sleigh ride) calls for bells and whips in addition to a rich orchestra.

His oeuvre was extensive, but only recently have scholars begun to assess the scope or the quality of it; much is lost, and it is not known how representative the surviving works are of his overall output. Cliff Eisen, who wrote a doctoral dissertation on Leopold Mozart's symphonies, finds in a Symphony in G major examples of his "sensitivity to orchestral colour" and a work that "compares favourably with those of virtually any of Mozart's immediate contemporaries".<ref>[[Cliff Eisen]], "About this Recording" Catalogue No.: 8.570499 Naxos.com</ref>

Some of his work was erroneously attributed to Wolfgang and some pieces attributed to Leopold were subsequently shown to be the work of Wolfgang. Much of what survives is light music but there is some more substantial work including his ''Sacramental Litany'' in D major (1762) and three [[fortepiano]] sonatas, all published in his lifetime.