Mindful Mozart

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is one of the most famous western classical music composers of all time. You can find out more about him in The Magic Flute activity on the Opera North Little School of Music.

The music that Mozart wrote and played was inspired by his life and experiences. Below is a short selection. Each piece is linked to an emotion you might experience when you listen to it. Music means different things to different people so these are only suggestions. Maybe you will feel different emotions. It can be hard to name our emotions. We might see colours and pictures in our imagination. We might feel sensations in our body like a strong heartbeat, tingly tummy, twitchy toes, warm hands or tight jaw.

Listen very carefully and try to notice how all the different pieces of music written by Mozart make you feel… It can help to find a quiet space and shut your eyes to do this.

Anger

We can feel angry when we feel someone has done something to upset us and we want to change things. Feeling angry can be scary because our bodies have a strong reaction. If you know you are angry it can be good to take a moment to stop, breath and talk to someone you trust that can help you.

• Listen to the Queen of the Night aria from Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute (try not to look at the images).
• What parts of the song suggest anger? Think about the speed of music and the singing…

Sadness

We can feel sad for lots of different reasons, feeling sad can be something we want to push away but it can be good to sit for a while and let the feeling pass through us. When we are sad, we can do things to help: take a few deep breaths, let out some tears, cuddle our favourite toy, get comfy under a blanket, draw a picture or write things down…

• Listen to ‘Lacrimosa’ from Mozart’s Requiem.
• What does this piece make you think of?
• What do you think may have made Mozart sad when he wrote it?
• Can you think of other songs that make you feel sad or bring back sad memories?

Happiness

Feeling happiness can be a real comfort, it can come to us when something positive happens. We can find a happy place when we recall memories. We can feel happy when we are with certain people in certain places. It can be useful to notice moments of joy that bring happiness and say thank you.

• Listen to Mozart’s ‘Overture’ from his opera Cosi Fan Tutte.
• While you are listening you could draw a picture of a place with all the things that make you happy. You could write a list of things you feel grateful for in this moment. Maybe there is someone in your life who brings you lots of happiness, you could write them a thank you letter to tell them why you are happy to have them in your life.

Fear

Fear can be an uncomfortable feeling; it can sometimes come up if we think we are in danger. Sometimes it can be helpful to know when someone looks or sounds fearful so you might offer them support.

• Listen to the Commendatore’s aria from Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni (try not to look at the images).
• Why do you think this music can bring a feeling of fear when you listen to it? Think about the speed of music and the singing…

If you enjoyed listening to music by Mozart and want to discover more, Così fan tutte is opening at Leeds Grand Theatre on Friday 2 February.