While he is best remembered today as the father and teacher of Wolfgang, Leopold Mozart was a prolific composer and in his own lifetime enjoyed a reputation as a man of intellect and discernment. The crowning glory of his professional life came in 1756 with the publication of his Treatise on the Fundamental Principles of Violin Playing which brought him at once to the attention of the European musical intelligentsia. Although little of Leopold's music is currently played it has of course attracted a great deal of attention over the years as scholars have searched for influences on Wolfgang's work. His best works, those written for the Church, are virtually unknown while perversely, his least typical works - pieces like The Musical Sleigh Ride and The Peasants Wedding - have long been available in print and on record.

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