[painting of a young Mozart at the keyboard, narrator speaking:] Mozart had been the greatest child prodigy of the age. Performing the leading courts and capitals of Europe. [painting of older Mozart] But in spite of the honor showered upon him, he was never happy with the status of a musician in a princely household, [painting of Salzburg] and so in 1781 he left the service of his patron, the arch bishop of Salzburg, and embarked on the career of an independent musician in the city of Vienna.

Mozart gave concerts, at which he appeared as composer, pianist, and conductor. [picture of piano] Many of his concerto’s for piano and orchestra were written for these occasions. [paintings of various people]  The slow movements of these concerto’s often have a wistful melancholy undertone. They are part of a trend towards sentimentality that appears in all of the arts in the late 18^th century. In painting, nostalgic views of classical ruins were very popular at this time.