Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Biography
Austrian Composer of Die Zauberflöte and Così Fan Tutte
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Austrian composer of the Classical Era, was born in Salzburg, Austria, on January 27, 1756. His parents were Leopold Mozart, a composer himself and brilliant violinist, and mother, Maria Anna Pertl. Of the seven children, only Mozart and his older sister, Maria Anna or "Nannerl" as family called her, survived infancy.
Mozart's Early Training and First European Tour
Early on in their childhood, Nannerl and Wolfgang showed musical promise. An excellent teacher, it was natural that Leopold Mozart became the children's first teacher. At that time, he was a court musician of the Salzburg archbishop, and author of a well-known book on violin-playing. Wolfgang Mozart was an amazing infant prodigy who began to play the harpsichord at the age of three, compose at the age of five, and wrote his first minuet at six. At seven, he went on his First European Tour with his family.
The Wonder Years of Mozart: More Travels and Early Compositions
The family lived for years touring and playing over Europe. Before his ninth birthday, Mozart composed his first symphony, wrote his first oratorio at age eleven, and his first opera the following year. His teenage years were productive years as he forged more travels, compositions and early performances.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart the Man
As a young man, while in one of his European travels in Mannheim, Mozart fell in love with a young soprano, Aloysia Weber, a cousin of composer Carl Maria von Weber. His love was not reciprocated. A year later, in 1778, his beloved mother died in Paris. With double heartache of his mother and first love, he returned to Salzburg. He found work at the court but unhappy with its restrictions. Mozart left Salzburg for Vienna in 1781, and decided to go solo, a freelance musician.
Marriage to Constanze Weber
He married Constanze Weber, Aloysia's younger sister, on August 4, 1782. Mozart and his wife Constanze Weber seemingly always lacked money, probably because he also gambled. He didn't have a good health, and his life was filled with difficulties. Yet we rarely see evidence of these hardships in his music, but rather, we hear a lively disposition and graceful spirit, credit to his mother. Mozart and constanze had four sons and two daughters but only two sons outlived their father, Karl Thomas Mozart the older one, and Franz Xavier Wolfgang Mozart.
Mozart Friendship with "Papa" Haydn
Mozart also met the older Joseph Haydn he called 'Papa Haydn,' and a lasting friendship developed. Haydn's works had a strong influence on Wolfgang Mozart. In gratitude, Mozart dedicated six string quartets to him, the six Haydn Quartets.
Film Amadeus
The play and film Amadeus certainly advertised Mozart, but immensely misrepresented his life and work. The myth depicting him as simple-minded with a miraculous gift of music is far from the complicated truth.
Mozart's Final Years and Requiem
While working on his "Requiem," he died at the young age of 35, on December 5, 1791. He believed even as he wrote it that it would be his own requiem. The opening theme of the "Kyrie" is one used by both Bach and Handel. This is not surprising, as the influence of these Baroque masters, especially the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, was deep and lasting on Mozart.
The Musical Genius
Mozart was a comprehensively gifted musician. He belonged to the classical period of the second half of the 18th century, the "Age of Enlightenment", the complex movement involving the revolt of the spirit. Towards the end of his life Mozart turned from formal religion to Freemasonry. This period was also the "Age of Elegance."
This musical genius, from age three until he died at thirty-five, scarcely had a day's rest. His thoughts were always occupied with music. No other prodigy has approached Mozart's ability to combine a musical imagination with a total mastery of style and form, a perfect blending of the French elegance, German knowledge and Italian art.
The Viennese Classics
Arguably, in the era of Viennese classicism there are masters of the highest caliber like Haydn, Gluck, Beethoven and Schubert, to name a few, (the last two as transition composers to the Romantic era), but no other classical music composer has ever written in the great range of genres at the same time excelled in all of them as Mozart. A prolific composer, Mozart's major works include more than 20 piano concerti, 24 string quartets, 35 violin sonatas, 5 violin concerti, concerti for clarinet and other wind instruments, chamber music, masses, and more than 45 symphonies.
Mozart's Milestones
Mozart's Four Famous Operas
- Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro)
- Così fan tutte
- Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute)
- Don Giovanni
Mozart's Other Most Popular Works
- Clarinet Concerto in A
- Piano Concerto No.21 in C includes the famous "Elvira Madigan"
- Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
- Exsultate, Jubilate
- Clarinet Quintet in A
- Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola and Orchestra
- Piano Concerto No.23 in A
- Requiem
- Symphony No.41 in C "Jupiter"
- Laudate Dominum
- Symphony No.40 in G minor
- Flute and Harp Concerto
- list goes on...
Check out Classical Music Lounge for more Mozart related articles.
Suggested Reading:
Constanze, Mozart's Beloved by Agnes Selby (1999)
Sources:
Mozart's Letter Mozart's Life, Selected Letters by Robert Spaethling (2000)
Mozart, His Character, His Work by Alfred Einstein (1945)
The Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, edited by Stanley Sadie (2000)
The Mozart Compendum by H.C. Robbins Landon (1990)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Austrian Composer
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Leopold Mozart, Father of Wolfgang A. Mozart
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Anna M. Pertl-Mozart, Mother, Wolfgang's Mother
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Anna M. 'Nannerl' Mozart, Wolfgang's Sister
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Constanze Weber, Mozart's Wife
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