How would you name a child who started composing at the age of five and performed in public at the age of eight? Prodigy, right? Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart ranks first in the list of composers with a special place in the musical field. During his short life, he became the most famous musician, having written almost 600 pieces of music, all of which are recognized as musical masterpieces.
Childhood
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on January 27, 1756, as the son of Leopold and Anna Maria Mozart in Getreidegasse in Salzburg (part of present-day Austria, which was part of the Roman Empire at the time). Originally from Augsburg, his father Leopold was a violinist and composer in the court chapel of the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg, Count Sigismund von Strattenbach. Speaking of Wolfgang's mother, there is practically no information about her. She was a year younger than her husband and always recognized Leopold's superiority.
The only sister of Mozart who survived was Maria Anna, his older sister. The day after his birth, Mozart was baptized in St. Rupert's Cathedral. According to the church archives, his baptismal name is John Chrysostom Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart. When Mozart was four years old, his father taught him several minuets, which he began to play effortlessly and with pleasure. And at the age of five, Wolfgang composed his first pieces of music.
Leopard Mozart was the young Mozart's only teacher as a child. Mozart was always enthusiastic and eager to learn much more than he was taught. But not only music fascinated young Amadeus, he was equally passionate about mathematics. When he was learning to count, everything: furniture, floor, chairs were covered with numerous numbers, drawn in chalk. His love for mathematics remained for the rest of his life.
Youth
In his younger years, Mozart traveled extensively in Europe, where he and his sister acted as child prodigies. In 1762, his trip to the court of Prince-Elector Maximilian III of Bavaria in Munich and to the imperial court in Vienna and Prague lasted almost three and a half years. On this trip, he also visited cities such as Munich, Mannheim, Paris, London, The Hague, Zurich and Donaueschingen. It was during this trip that Mozart became acquainted with the works of other musicians and composers, the most important of which were those of Johann Christian Bach. In 1767, when the family was in Vienna, Mozart wrote a Latin drama and performed at the University of Salzburg. After returning to Salzburg, Mozart traveled with his father to Italy in December 1769. This trip gave him the chance to meet Mr. B. Martini in Bologna and became a member of the famous "Philharmonic Academy". In Milan, Mozart wrote the opera Mithridate, re di Ponto (1770) and performed it successfully. He later visited Milan in 1771, 1772 and 1773 for the premieres of Ascanio in Alba (1771) and Lucio Cilla (1772). Towards the end of his last Italian journey, he wrote his first work, Exsultate, jubilate.
After returning to his homeland in 1773, Mozart became the court composer of the ruler of Salzburg, Prince-Archbishop Jerome Colloredo. It was during this time that he released five violin concertos and piano concertos, some of which are considered by critics to be breakthroughs in the field of music. During his stay in Salzburg, he and his father visited Vienna and Munich, which resulted in the premiere of his opera "La finta giardiniera". By this time he had many friends and admirers and worked in a wide variety of genres, including symphonies, sonatas, string quartets and minor operas.
Chasing a dream
In 1777, Mozart retired from service and went to Augsburg, Mannheim, Paris and Munich in search of a better career. For a time he collaborated with Mannheim, a famous orchestra in Europe, but alas, this did not bring him much benefit. He was offered the position of organist at Versailles, which he turned down and eventually went into debt. In 1778, Mozart's mother died. Mozart was again offered a job as court organist and accompanist in Salzburg. Although he was not ready to accept it, but unable to find suitable work in Mannheim and Munich, Mozart returned home in 1779 and began work. But he already settled in Vienna as an independent performer and composer.
Living in Vienna
In Vienna, Mozart often performed as a pianist. He soon established himself as a keyboardist and composer. The opera Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Abduction from Seraglio), which premiered in 1782, was a great success and gained a reputation as a talented composer. At the same time, he begins to look after Alosia Weber's sister, Constance. Although they were separated for a short time, they were married in 1782, in St. Stephen's Cathedral. The couple had six children, of whom only two survived.
Career peak
Between 1782 and 1783, Mozart became acquainted with the works of Johann Sebastian Bach and George Friedrich Handel. This inspired Mozart to write in the Baroque style and then led to the development of his own unique musical language. In 1783, Mozart and his wife visited Salzburg, where he wrote one of his greatest plays, Mass in C Minor. In 1784, Mozart met Haydn, who became his lifelong friend. Mozart later dedicated his six quartets to Haydn. During this time, Mozart also performed as a soloist with three or four piano concertos per season. Since there was little room in theaters, he chose unconventional locations, such as a large room in an apartment or a ballroom. Due to improved financial stability thanks to concert fees, Mozart and his wife moved into an expensive apartment. In 1784 Mozart became a Freemason.
After the huge success of Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Mozart took a break for a while. Later he collaborated with the librettist Lorenzo da Ponte and wrote The Marriage of Figaro, which premiered in Vienna in 1786. The great success and general enthusiasm inspired him to continue his collaboration with da Ponte and composed 'Don Giovanni', which premiered in 1787. The opera was successfully staged in Prague and Vienna the following year. These two operas are still masterpieces of the opera genre, but musical difficulties pose a great challenge to both performers and listeners. Mozart's father died in 1787.
In 1787, Emperor Joseph II appointed Mozart "chamber composer" for 800 florins a year. The job required Mozart to compose dance music for the annual balls. However, historical evidence suggests that the emperor's goal was to keep Mozart in Vienna and prevent him from leaving the city in search of better prospects.
By 1786, the musicians in Vienna were having a hard time as Austria was at war and the financial power of the aristocracy was at stake. By 1788, Mozart moved with his family to the suburb of Alsergrund in order to reduce rental costs. During this time, Mozart traveled to Leipzig, Dresden, Berlin, Frankfurt, Mannheim and other German cities in search of a better state. This tour did not bring much success.
Last years and death
The later years of Mozart's life were very fruitful, he wrote many works such as The Magic Flute, K. 595 in B-flat, K. 622, K. 614 in E-flat, K. 618 and K. 626, which he left behind. unfinished. Mozart's financial position also improved, mainly due to annuities granted to him by wealthy patrons in Amsterdam and Hungary. He also made a good profit from the sale of dance music that he wrote for the Imperial Chamber. In recent years he has been very pleased, mainly due to the success of his work, primarily 'The Magic Flute'.
Mozart fell ill in 1791. Although he continued to make public appearances for some time, his health continued to deteriorate and very soon he was bedridden. On December 5, 1791, Mozart died at the age of 35. However, the cause of his death is still unclear, and researchers have listed at least 118 possible causes of his death.
Heritage
Although Mozart lived for only 35 years, Mozart's legacy is unmatched. With nearly 600 pieces of music, Mozart's contributions to all genres of music ranging from symphonies, concerts, operas, chamber music to piano solo are invaluable. He is undoubtedly one of the greatest musicians, if not the greatest.
