Mozart was an Austrian composer who was born in Salzburg on January 27, 1756. Mozart was a child prodigy who began composing at the age of five and developed into one of the greatest musical geniuses to emerge in the history of Western classical music. Mozart was known for combining emotions with musical craft.
Mozart produced an astonishing array of music, including symphonies, sonatas, operas, concertos, chamber music, and choral music, all of which are still performed today. His masterpieces include The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Così fan tutte and The Magic Flute. Some of his symphonic works that are still famous include his last symphony No. 41 in C major, K.551, which is known as the Jupiter Symphony. He also produced many virtuosic piano concertos and violin concertos. Mozart’s legacy as one of the touchstones of classical music is assured because his music is memorable for the beauty of its melody, emotional meaning, perfection of form, and richness of harmony.
Birth and Family Background
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on January 27, 1756, in Salzburg. He was the youngest of the seven children born to Leopold Mozart and Anna Maria Pertl. Out of all seven, only he and his sister Maria Anna (nicknamed “Nannerl”) survived infancy.
Leopold Mozart belonged to the family of bookbinders and architects. He was an accomplished violinist, composer, and a respected music teacher. He became a musician at the Salzburg court, eventually serving as deputy Kapellmeister. Leopold homeschooled his children and also played an important role in their musical education. He recognised his son’s interest in music early and also dedicated much of his time to encouraging and fostering his child’s gift. Leopold described his son as a “magic miracle which God let be born in Salzburg.” He felt it was a duty not as a father or a teacher, but as a missionary to develop and showcase this “miracle” to the world. Anna Maria Pertl belonged to a renowned middle class family of local administrators in Salzburg.
Musical Roots and Early Life in Salzburg
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart began his musical journey from childhood. At the age of three, he was able to play chords on the harpsichord. At five, started composing and soon performing in courts and in public with his sister as a child prodigy.
Childhood Tours and Early Compositions
To advance his children’s musical careers and capitalize on the social and financial opportunities of performing at major European cultural centers and courts, Leopold embarked on a grand tour with his family from 1763 to 1766. During the journey, they visited cities such as Munich, Augsburg, Mannheim, Mainz, Frankfurt (where they performed for a young Johann Wolfgang von Goethe), Brussels, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Paris (their longest stay, about five months, where Wolfgang composed his first symphonies), and London (over a year, meeting leading musicians such as Johann Christian Bach). In all his performances, Wolfgang impressed his audience with his proficiency and compositional skill by performing a wide variety of music from sonatas to concertos to extemporization on harpsichord and organ.
This tour not only allowed Wolfgang to flourish as a child prodigy, but also provided him an invaluable experience, networking, and education that profoundly influenced his musical development and career. They then returned via Paris and other cities before heading back home to Salzburg in 1766.
From Court Musician to Independent Composer
Mozart was officially appointed as a court musician for Prince-Archbishop Hieronymus Colloredo of Salzburg on March 13, 1773, after he returned with his father from Italy. While employed at the Salzburg court, Mozart had opportunities to compose and perform in many musical genres: symphonies, sonatas, string quartets, masses, serenades, minor operas, and others.
During this two-year period, Mozart also composed significant works, including five violin concertos (in 1775) and began to engage in composing piano concertos from 1776, which generated works such as Piano Concerto No. 9 in E-flat major.
Clashes with Colloredo and Mozart’s Dismissal
Despite having a high level of productive opportunity as an artist during this time, Mozart was not satisfied with the compensation (150 florins per year), and with the limited opportunities to compose operas. The situation worsened when the Salzburg court theatre closed down in 1775. To pursue a better future and to access artistic liberties, Mozart undertook extensive travel from 1777 to 1779 to locations including Mannheim, Paris, and Munich. These travels were successful, having some good performances, yet financial issues emerged, and the tragic death of his mother in 1778.
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While in Salzburg, despite being offered improved positions at court, such as court organist and court concertmaster, Mozart was still unhappy because of Colloredo’s strict control of court music. Eventually, frustrations culminated when Mozart was dismissed from court in 1781 after a series of conflicts with the Archbishop.
Operas that Revolutionized the Stage
A significant event in this time period was the successful premiere of the Opera idomeneo, in Munich in January 1781, which began to set Mozart on the path to becoming a significant composer of opera. After being released from obligations to the court, with the freedom to pursue an independent career, Mozart settled in Vienna, marking a historical shift from a constrained court musician to an independent composer and performer.
Life in Vienna and Peak Creativity
In Vienna, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart first resided with the Weber family, supporting himself in the city as a freelance composer and artist. His early years in Vienna were promising. He quickly became known as the best keyboard player in the city and gained the favor of Emperor Joseph II. Mozart produced some of his most important and well-known works in Vienna. The period was arguably Mozart’s musical peak, during which he composed masterworks across almost every genre of music, including operas such as The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, Così fan tutte, and The Magic Flute. He also wrote his last three symphonies, including the famous Jupiter Symphony.
In addition, he composed distinguished piano concertos, significant chamber music, and major choral works, including the Great Mass in C minor. In Vienna, Mozart enjoyed a time of intense creativity and great success, despite overall financial instability. He died in 1791 in Vienna at the age of 35, leaving a legacy of over 600 compositions that profoundly impacted Western classical music.
Marriage and Family Life
On August 4, 1782, Constanze Weber married Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna. Their courtship had its challenges as they faced family objections to their marriage as well as a brief separation, but Wolfgang remained his heart devoted to Constanze. Constanze and Wolfgang lived together as husband and wife and became parents to six children; however, only Karl Thomas Mozart and Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart (also a composer) survived infancy.
Constanze Weber was a strong supporter of Wolfgang’s career in music, managed their finances, and, later, preserving his legacy after Wolfgang’s death, at the age of 35, of a tragic illness in 1791. Though every marriage has its challenges, Constanze Weber and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s marriage was a strong partnership founded on deep devotion that sustained them through Mozart’s struggles both professionally and personally.
Masterpieces of the Classical Era
Though Mozart’s every work is known for its extraordinary emotional, musical, and technical qualities, some of these contributed significantly to his legacy as one of the greatest composers in history.
- Requiem in D Minor, K. 626
- The Magic Flute (Die Zauberflöte, K. 620)
- The Marriage of Figaro (Le nozze di Figaro, K. 492)
- Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550
- Jupiter Symphony (Symphony No. 41 in C Major, K. 551)
- Piano Sonata No. 11 in A Major, K. 331 (“Alla Turca”)
- Don Giovanni, K. 527
- Eine kleine Nachtmusik (Serenade No. 13 in G Major, K. 525)
- Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major, K. 467
- Clarinet Concerto in A Major, K. 622
- Ave verum corpus, K. 618
- Exsultate, Jubilate, K. 165
Legacy of a Musical Master
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s legacy is vast and long-lasting, shaping Western classical music and beyond. Mozart produced over 600 works of music, including symphonies, operas, chamber works, and piano concertos, each distinguished by clarity, balance, expressive strength, and an innovative approach to form. Mozart shaped classical style and expanded and developed operatic forms and harmonic language and thus, represents a wealth of musical foundation for many subsequent composers. His music continues to be central to music education around the world both as a repertoire to study as well as a way to learn musical theory, technique, and expressive subtleties.
Outside of classical contexts, his melodies and dramatic plots continue to thrive in popular culture and they have inspired countless musicians, in all genres, throughout time. Likewise, Mozart’s life and music symbolizes artistic brilliance, emotional leisure, and the creative essence of humanity lasting throughout time.
Spirituality Provides Inner Peace
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was not only a musical genius but was deeply spiritual.
His connection with spirituality and God are evident in his works such as the Requiem and the Great Mass in C minor. His musical compositions were not only pleasant to the ears, but also were a pathway to the divine and the sublime, with a strong faith in God guiding his life and work despite personal hardships.
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