Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), a name that resonates with genius in the world of music, was an Austrian composer whose works marked the pinnacle of the Classical era in music. Born into a world when the Baroque era was just waning, his prodigious talent, extraordinary versatility, and prolific output left an indelible mark on the succeeding Romantic era. Despite his short life of only 35 years, Mozart created a vast amount of works, including symphonies, sonatas, operas, and chamber music, that continue to captivate and inspire musicians and audiences alike.
Early life and childhood
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg, an ecclesiastical principality in the Holy Roman Empire (now in Austria). His father, Leopold Mozart, a noted composer, instructor, and the author of famous books on violin instruction, gave him his early training in music. His mother was Anna Maria Pertl Mozart.
Mozart demonstrated prodigious ability from his earliest childhood in Salzburg. Already competent on keyboard and violin, he started composing music from the age of five and performed before European royalty. At the age of six, Mozart and his elder sister Maria Anna (“Nannerl”) embarked on a series of European tours, showcasing the young Mozart’s exceptional talent for playing the harpsichord and violin and improvising music.
Middle years
After visiting major cities like Munich, Vienna, Paris, London, The Hague, and Zurich, the Mozart family returned to Salzburg in November 1766. In these years, the young Mozart composed various forms of music, including symphonies, sonatas, string quartets, masses, serenades, and a few minor operas. These early pieces, while skillful and refined, show the influence of Mozart’s contemporaries.
In 1769, at the age of thirteen, Mozart was appointed as an honorary Konzertmeister at the Salzburg court. From 1769 to 1773, he undertook three tours of Italy with his father, which profoundly influenced his development. His operas, “Mitridate, re di Ponto” (1770) and “Lucio Silla” (1772), were acclaimed, and he was commissioned to compose the opera seria “Il sogno di Scipione” in 1771.
Adulthood and struggles
However, Mozart grew restless in Salzburg, and in 1777, he left his position at the Salzburg court in search of a more fulfilling post. Accompanied by his mother, he traveled to Mannheim, Paris, and Munich. This was a challenging period for him, especially after the death of his mother in Paris in 1778. He fell in love with Aloysia Weber in Mannheim, but the affair did not last long.
On returning to Salzburg in 1779, he was appointed court organist and produced a series of church works, including the Coronation Mass. However, he still sought more lucrative and fulfilling employment outside Salzburg. During these years, Mozart composed many sonatas for keyboard and violin, symphonies, and a few operas.
Vienna years
In 1781, Mozart’s opera “Idomeneo” premiered in Munich and was a great success. In the same year, he left his job in Salzburg and moved to Vienna, where his life took a turn for the better. In Vienna, he chose a life of a freelance performing artist and composer, and the city became his new home until his death.
In 1782, Mozart married Constanze Weber, Aloysia’s sister. They had six children, but only two survived infancy. His relationship with Constanze was considered complicated, but they were supportive of each other.
In Vienna, Mozart’s reputation grew, and he received a series of commissions, allowing him to focus on composing music. His significant compositions include “Die Entführung aus dem Serail” (1782), the six string quartets dedicated to Haydn (1782-1785), the “Linz” (1783), “Prague” (1786), and “Jupiter” (1788) symphonies, and many of his most famous piano concertos.
Later years and death
One of the high points of his career was the composition of the operas “Le nozze di Figaro” (1786), “Don Giovanni” (1787), and “Cosi fan tutte” (1790), which are considered among the greatest operas ever written. However, the mid-to-late 1780s were financially difficult for Mozart due to the general decline in his income and his lifestyle.
In the last decade of his life, Mozart composed some of his most famous works, including his final three symphonies and the great string quintets, and his last opera, “Die Zauberflöte” (The Magic Flute). He was working on his Requiem Mass when he fell ill.
Mozart died on December 5, 1791, at the young age of 35. The circumstances of his death have been much mythologized, with rumors about him being poisoned. The most accepted theory, however, is that he died of rheumatic fever, an illness he had repeatedly throughout his life.
Legacy
Mozart’s music, like his life, represents an extraordinary paradox. Despite his premature death and his turbulent personal life, he composed over 800 works, many of which are acknowledged as the pinnacles of symphonic, chamber, choral, and operatic music. His work profoundly shaped classical music and influenced many composers who came after him, including Beethoven and Haydn.
Though he was not widely recognized during his own lifetime, Mozart’s music gained enormous popularity in the decades following his death, and he is now hailed as one of the greatest composers in the history of Western music. His works are still widely performed, recorded, and studied, and they continue to astonish and delight listeners worldwide.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 1791)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), a name that resonates with genius in the world of music, was an Austrian composer whose works marked the pinnacle of the Classical era in music. Born into a world when the Baroque era was just waning, his prodigious talent, extraordinary versatility, and prolific output left an indelible mark on the succeeding Romantic era. Despite his short life of only 35 years, Mozart created a vast amount of works, including symphonies, sonatas, operas, and chamber music, that continue to captivate and inspire musicians and audiences alike.
Early life and childhood
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg, an ecclesiastical principality in the Holy Roman Empire (now in Austria). His father, Leopold Mozart, a noted composer, instructor, and the author of famous books on violin instruction, gave him his early training in music. His mother was Anna Maria Pertl Mozart.
Mozart demonstrated prodigious ability from his earliest childhood in Salzburg. Already competent on keyboard and violin, he started composing music from the age of five and performed before European royalty. At the age of six, Mozart and his elder sister Maria Anna (“Nannerl”) embarked on a series of European tours, showcasing the young Mozart’s exceptional talent for playing the harpsichord and violin and improvising music.
Middle years
After visiting major cities like Munich, Vienna, Paris, London, The Hague, and Zurich, the Mozart family returned to Salzburg in November 1766. In these years, the young Mozart composed various forms of music, including symphonies, sonatas, string quartets, masses, serenades, and a few minor operas. These early pieces, while skillful and refined, show the influence of Mozart’s contemporaries.
In 1769, at the age of thirteen, Mozart was appointed as an honorary Konzertmeister at the Salzburg court. From 1769 to 1773, he undertook three tours of Italy with his father, which profoundly influenced his development. His operas, “Mitridate, re di Ponto” (1770) and “Lucio Silla” (1772), were acclaimed, and he was commissioned to compose the opera seria “Il sogno di Scipione” in 1771.
Adulthood and struggles
However, Mozart grew restless in Salzburg, and in 1777, he left his position at the Salzburg court in search of a more fulfilling post. Accompanied by his mother, he traveled to Mannheim, Paris, and Munich. This was a challenging period for him, especially after the death of his mother in Paris in 1778. He fell in love with Aloysia Weber in Mannheim, but the affair did not last long.
On returning to Salzburg in 1779, he was appointed court organist and produced a series of church works, including the Coronation Mass. However, he still sought more lucrative and fulfilling employment outside Salzburg. During these years, Mozart composed many sonatas for keyboard and violin, symphonies, and a few operas.
Vienna years
In 1781, Mozart’s opera “Idomeneo” premiered in Munich and was a great success. In the same year, he left his job in Salzburg and moved to Vienna, where his life took a turn for the better. In Vienna, he chose a life of a freelance performing artist and composer, and the city became his new home until his death.
In 1782, Mozart married Constanze Weber, Aloysia’s sister. They had six children, but only two survived infancy. His relationship with Constanze was considered complicated, but they were supportive of each other.
In Vienna, Mozart’s reputation grew, and he received a series of commissions, allowing him to focus on composing music. His significant compositions include “Die Entführung aus dem Serail” (1782), the six string quartets dedicated to Haydn (1782-1785), the “Linz” (1783), “Prague” (1786), and “Jupiter” (1788) symphonies, and many of his most famous piano concertos.
Later years and death
One of the high points of his career was the composition of the operas “Le nozze di Figaro” (1786), “Don Giovanni” (1787), and “Cosi fan tutte” (1790), which are considered among the greatest operas ever written. However, the mid-to-late 1780s were financially difficult for Mozart due to the general decline in his income and his lifestyle.
In the last decade of his life, Mozart composed some of his most famous works, including his final three symphonies and the great string quintets, and his last opera, “Die Zauberflöte” (The Magic Flute). He was working on his Requiem Mass when he fell ill.
Mozart died on December 5, 1791, at the young age of 35. The circumstances of his death have been much mythologized, with rumors about him being poisoned. The most accepted theory, however, is that he died of rheumatic fever, an illness he had repeatedly throughout his life.
Legacy
Mozart’s music, like his life, represents an extraordinary paradox. Despite his premature death and his turbulent personal life, he composed over 800 works, many of which are acknowledged as the pinnacles of symphonic, chamber, choral, and operatic music. His work profoundly shaped classical music and influenced many composers who came after him, including Beethoven and Haydn.
Though he was not widely recognized during his own lifetime, Mozart’s music gained enormous popularity in the decades following his death, and he is now hailed as one of the greatest composers in the history of Western music. His works are still widely performed, recorded, and studied, and they continue to astonish and delight listeners worldwide.
Discography
Sweelinck, Mozart & Debussy: Live at the Royal Concertgebouw
Nicolas van Poucke
Mozart: Sonatas for four hands
Thomas Beijer
Nicolas van Poucke
Miscellanea
Artem Belogurov
Menno van Delft