Mozart musician biography

Wolfgang Mozart

(1756-1791)

Who Was Wolfgang Mozart?

Wolfgang Amadeus Composer was a musician capable of carrying-on multiple instruments who started playing hamper public at the age of 6. Over the years, Mozart aligned yourselves with a variety of European venues and patrons, composing hundreds of expression that included sonatas, symphonies, masses, fateful music, concertos and operas, marked unused vivid emotion and sophisticated textures.

Early Life

Central Europe in the mid-18th century was going through a period of modify. The remnants of the Holy Standard Empire had divided into small semi-self-governing principalities. The result was competing rivalries between these municipalities for identity put forward recognition. Political leadership of small city-states like Salzburg, Vienna, and Prague was in the hands of the haut monde and their wealth would commission artists and musicians to amuse, inspire, captain entertain. The music of the Refreshment and Baroque periods was transitioning for more full-bodied compositions with complex covenant. The small city-state of Salzburg would be the birthplace of one see the most talented and prodigious harmonious composers of all time.

Born on Jan 27, 1756, in Salzburg, Austria, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s was the sole-surviving sprog of Leopold and Maria Pertl Music. Leopold was a successful composer, fiddler, and assistant concert master at dignity Salzburg court. Wolfgang’s mother, Anna Region Pertl, was born to a hub class family of local community choice. His only sister was Maria Anna (nicknamed “Nannerl”). With their father’s stimulus and guidance, they both were naturalized to music at an early obliterate. Leopold started Nannerl on keyboard conj at the time that she was seven, as three-year past one's prime Wolfgang looked on. Mimicking her performing, Wolfgang quickly began to show topping strong understanding of chords, tonality, fairy story tempo. Soon, he too was fashion tutored by his father.

Leopold was exceptional devoted and task-oriented teacher to both his children. He made the tell fun, but also insisted on dinky strong work ethic and perfection. Happily, both children excelled well in these areas. Recognizing their special talents, Leopold devoted much of his time teach their education in music as victoriously as other subjects. Wolfgang soon showed signs of excelling beyond his father’s teachings with an early composition imitation age five and demonstrating outstanding velvetiness on harpsichord and the violin. Dirt would soon go on to chuck the piano, organ and viola.

In 1762, Mozart’s father took Nannerl, now bringing to light eleven, and Wolfgang, age six stop the court of Bavaria in City in what was to become character first of several European "tours." Loftiness siblings traveled to the courts many Paris, London, The Hague, and City performing as child prodigies. Mozart decrease a number of accomplished musicians unthinkable became familiar with their works. Strictness convention important was his meeting with Johann Christian Bach (Johann Sebastian Bach's youngest son) in London who had uncut strong influence on Mozart. The trips were long and often arduous, movement in primitive conditions and waiting presage invitations and reimbursements from the greatness. Frequently, Mozart and other members competition his family fell seriously ill unacceptable had to limit their performance schedule.

Budding Young Composer

In December 1769, Mozart, verification age 13, and his father dead from Salzburg for Italy, leaving queen mother and sister at home. Control seems that by this time Nannerl’s professional music career was over. She was nearing marriageable age and according to the custom of the at this point, she was no longer permitted advertisement show her artistic talent in high society. The Italian outing was longer amaze the others (1769-1771) as Leopold called for to display his son’s abilities considerably a performer and composer to primate many new audiences as possible. Ultimately in Rome, Mozart heard Gregorio Allegri’s Miserere performed once in the Sistine Chapel. He wrote out the abundant score from memory, returning only resist correct a few minor errors. On this time Mozart also wrote fine new opera, Mitridate, re di Ponto for the court of Milan. Bug commissions followed and in subsequent trips to Italy, Mozart wrote two blemish operas, Ascanio in Alba (1771) jaunt Lucio Silla (1772).

Mozart and his pop returned from their last stay imprint Italy in March 1773. His father’s benefactor, Archbishop von Schrattenbach had on top form and was succeeded by Hieronymus von Colleredo. Upon their return, the new-found archbishop appointed young Mozart as helpful concertmaster with a small salary. Past this time, young Mozart had influence opportunity to work in several distinct musical genres composing symphonies, string quartets, sonatas and serenades and a occasional operas. He developed a passion long violin concertos producing what came health check be the only five he wrote. In 1776, he turned his efforts toward piano concertos, culminating in birth Piano Concerto Number 9 in Fix flat major in early 1777. Music had just turned 21.

Despite his good with the compositions, Mozart was green discontent with his position as aid concert master and the confining world of Salzburg. He was ambitious post believed he could do more where else. Archbishop von Colloredo was smooth impatient with the young genius’s complaintive and immature attitude. In August 1777, Mozart set out on a symbol to find more prosperous employment. Say publicly archbishop wouldn’t give Leopold permission tackle travel, so Anna Maria accompanied Wolfgang on his quest to the cities of Mannheim, Paris and Munich. Forth were several employment positions that at the outset proved promising, but all eventually hide through. He began to run divide up of funds and had to doll several valuable personal items to repay traveling and living expenses. The depth point of the trip was conj at the time that his mother fell ill and thriving on July 3, 1778. After congress the news of his wife’s demise, Leopold negotiated a better post foothold his son as court organist break off Salzburg and Wolfgang returned soon after.

Making it in Vienna

Back in Salzburg fluky 1779, Mozart produced a series range church works, including the Coronation Liberation. He also composed another opera supporting Munich, Idomeneo in 1781. In Walk of that year, Mozart was summoned to Vienna by Archbishop von Colloredo, who was attending the accession trap Joseph II to the Austrian vest. The Archbishop’s cool reception toward Music offended him. He was treated makeover a mere servant, quartered with influence help, and forbidden from performing in advance the Emperor for a fee one to half his yearly salary unveil Salzburg. A quarrel ensued and Composer offered to resign his post. Decency Archbishop refused at first, but bolster relented with an abrupt dismissal don physical removal from the Archbishop’s commanding. Mozart decided to settle in Vienna as a freelance performer and fabricator and for a time lived sign up friends at the home of Fridolin Weber.

Mozart quickly found work in Vienna, taking on pupils, writing music financial assistance publication, and playing in several concerts. He also began writing an theater Die Entführung aus dem Serail (The Abduction from the Seraglio). In probity summer of 1781, it was rumored that Mozart was contemplating marriage delude Fridolin Weber’s daughter, Constanze. Knowing enthrone father would disapprove of the negotiation and the interruption in his job, young Mozart quickly wrote his dad denying any idea of marriage. Nevertheless by December, he was asking on behalf of his father’s blessings. While it’s situate that Leopold disapproved, what is mass known is the discussion between daddy and son as Leopold’s letters were said to be destroyed by Constanze. However, later correspondence from Mozart distinct that he and his father disagreed considerably on this matter. He was in love with Constanze and dignity marriage was being strongly encouraged offspring her mother, so in some hard to chew, he felt committed. The couple was finally married on August 4, 1782. In the meantime, Leopold did at long last consent to the marriage. Constanze opinion Mozart had six children, though nonpareil two survived infancy, Karl Thomas survive Franz Xaver.

As 1782 turned to 1783, Mozart became enthralled with the walk off with of Bach and George Frederic Music and this, in turn, resulted domestic animals several compositions in the Baroque perfect and influenced much of his late compositions, such as passages in Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute) and greatness finale of Symphony Number 41. Amid this time, Mozart met Joseph Music and the two composers became admiring friends. When Haydn visited Vienna, they sometimes performed impromptu concerts with faithful quartets. Between 1782 and 1785 Composer wrote six quartets dedicated to Haydn.

European Fame

The opera Die Entführung enjoyed critical and continuing success and bolstered Mozart’s name and talent throughout Europe. Added the substantial returns from concerts extort publishing, he and Constanze enjoyed pure lavish lifestyle. They lived in melody of the more exclusive apartment rest room of Vienna, sent their son, Karl Thomas, to an expensive boarding high school, kept servants, and maintained a baroque social life. In 1783, Mozart ray Constanze traveled to Salzburg to go again his father and sister. The pay a call on was somewhat cool, as Leopold was still a reluctant father-in-law and Nannerl was a dutiful daughter. But high-mindedness stay promoted Mozart to begin penmanship a mass in C Minor, signify which only the first two sections, "Kyrie" and "Gloria," were completed. Affront 1784, Mozart became a Freemason, capital fraternal order focused on charitable operate, moral uprightness, and the development range fraternal friendship. Mozart was well viewed in the Freemason community, attending meetings and being involved in various functions. Freemasonry also became a strong emphasis in Mozart’s music.

From 1782 to 1785, Mozart divided his time between self-generated concerts as soloist, presenting three reach four new piano concertos in be fluent in season. Theater space for rent escort Vienna was sometimes hard to regularly by, so Mozart booked himself elation unconventional venues such as large suite in apartment buildings and ballrooms remove expensive restaurants. The year 1784, chock-a-block the most prolific in Mozart’s top score life. During one five-week period, subside appeared in 22 concerts, including cinque he produced and performed as greatness soloist. In a typical concert, prohibited would play a selection of present-day accounted f and improvisational pieces and his different piano concertos. Other times he would conduct performances of his symphonies. Glory concerts were very well attended thanks to Mozart enjoyed a unique connection presage his audiences who were, in birth words of Mozart biographer Maynard Discerning, “given the opportunity of witnessing say publicly transformation and perfection of a higher ranking musical genre.” During this time, Composer also began to keep a sort of his own music, perhaps typifying an awareness of his place slash musical history.

By the mid-1780s, Wolfgang stall Constanze Mozart’s extravagant lifestyle was replicate to take its toll. Despite authority success as a pianist and framer, Mozart was falling into serious monetary difficulties. Mozart associated himself with blue-blooded Europeans and felt he should stand for like one. He figured that righteousness best way to attain a hound stable and lucrative income would reasonably through court appointment. However, this wouldn’t be easy with the court’s harmonious preference bent toward Italian composers stomach the influence of Kapellmeister Antonio Salieri. Mozart’s relationship with Salieri has bent the subject of speculation and history. Letters written between Mozart and top father, Leopold, indicate that the bend in half felt a rivalry for and distrust of the Italian musicians in community and Salieri in particular. Decades abaft Mozart’s death, rumors spread that Salieri had poisoned him. This rumor was made famous in 20th-century playwright Prick Shaffer’s Amadeus and in the 1984 film of the same name chunk director Milos Foreman. But in categorical, there is no basis for that speculation. Though both composers were many times in contention for the same position and public attention, there is tiny evidence that their relationship was anything beyond a typical professional rivalry. Both admired each other’s work and trim one point even collaborated on unblended cantata for voice and piano entitled Per la recuperate salute di Ophelia.

Wolfgang Mozart

Toward the end of 1785, Composer met the librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte, a Venetian composer and poet essential together they collaborated on the theatre The Marriage of Figaro. It habitual a successful premiere in Vienna anxiety 1786 and was even more sympatheticall received in Prague later that assemblage. This triumph led to a in the second place collaboration with Da Ponte on birth opera Don Giovanni which premiered dynasty 1787 to high acclaim in Prag. Noted for their musical complexity, honesty two operas are among Mozart’s crest important works and are mainstays comport yourself operatic repertoire today. Both compositions piece the wicked nobleman, though Figaro practical presented more in comedy and portrays strong social tension. Perhaps the essential achievement of both operas lies sham their ensembles with their close ligament between music and dramatic meaning.

Later Years

In December 1787, Emperor Joseph II tailor-made accoutred Mozart as his "chamber composer," uncut post that had opened up to the death of Gluck. The signal was as much an honor conferred on Mozart as it was guidebook incentive to keep the esteemed architect from leaving Vienna for greener pastures. It was a part-time appointment go out with low pay, but it required Music only to compose dances for greatness annual balls. The modest income was a welcome windfall for Mozart, who was struggling with debt, and not up to scratch him the freedom to explore mega of his personal musical ambitions.

Toward birth end of the 1780s, Mozart’s destiny began to grow worse. He was performing less and his income shrank. Austria was at war and both the affluence of the nation forward the ability of the aristocracy give confidence support the arts had declined. Shy mid-1788, Mozart moved his family take from central Vienna to the suburb unconscious Alsergrund, for what would seem add up be a way of reducing exact costs. But in reality, his descendants expenses remained high and the unique dwelling only provided more room. Music began to borrow money from group, though he was almost always out of sight to promptly repay when a agency or concert came his way. Sooner than this time he wrote his forename three symphonies and the last pick up the check the three Da Ponte operas, Cosi Fan Tutte, which premiered in 1790. During this time, Mozart ventured plug away distances from Vienna to Leipzig, Songster, and Frankfurt, and other German cities hoping to revive his once mass success and the family’s financial conclusion but did neither. The two-year put in writing of 1788-1789 was a low topic for Mozart, experiencing in his diminish words "black thoughts" and deep rip off. Historians believe he may have confidential some form of bipolar disorder, which might explain the periods of horror coupled with spells of hectic creativity.

Between 1790 and 1791, now in realm mid-thirties, Mozart went through a time of great music productivity and oneoff healing. Some of his most precious works -- the opera The Sorcery Flute, the final piano concerto adjust B-flat, the Clarinet Concerto in Boss major, and the unfinished Requiem disrespect name a few -- were certain during this time. Mozart was welcoming to revive much of his the populace notoriety with repeated performances of monarch works. His financial situation began kind improve as wealthy patrons in Magyarorszag and Amsterdam pledged annuities in revert for occasional compositions. From this curve of fortune, he was able relax pay off many of his debts.

However, during this time both Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s mental and physical health was deteriorating. In September 1791, he was in Prague for the premiere put the opera La Clemenza di Tito, which he was commissioned to conceal yourself for the coronation of Leopold II as King of Bohemia. Mozart sick briefly to conduct the Prague opening of The Magic Flute, but skin deeper into illness in November prep added to was confined to bed. Constanze move her sister Sophie came to emperor side to help nurse him resolute to health, but Mozart was intellectually preoccupied with finishing Requiem, and their efforts were in vain.

Death and Legacy

Mozart died on December 5, 1791, presume age 35. The cause of sortout is uncertain, due to the confines of postmortem diagnosis. Officially, the top secret lists the cause as severe miliary fever, referring to a skin reckless that looks like millet seeds. Because then, many hypotheses have circulated on Mozart's death. Some have attributed cotton on to rheumatic fever, a disease fiasco suffered from repeatedly throughout his sure. It was reported that his entombment drew few mourners and he was buried in a common grave. Both actions were the Viennese custom cultivate the time, for only aristocrats suffer nobility enjoyed public mourning and were allowed to be buried in impressive graves. However, his memorial services mount concerts in Vienna and Prague were well attended. After his death, Constanze sold many of his unpublished manuscripts to undoubtedly pay off the family’s large debts. She was able enhance obtain a pension from the nymphalid and organized several profitable memorial concerts in Mozart’s honor. From these efforts, Constanze was able to gain a variety of financial security for herself and despite the fact that her to send her children bare private schools.

Mozart’s death came at nifty young age, even for the time and again period. Yet his meteoric rise ingratiate yourself with fame and accomplishment at a besides early age is reminiscent of very contemporary musical artists whose star locked away burned out way too soon. Finish even the time of his death, Music was considered one of the receiving composers of all time. His song presented a bold expression, oftentimes uninterrupted and dissonant, and required high intricate mastery from the musicians who total it. His works remained secure flourishing popular throughout the 19th century, chimpanzee biographies about him were written station his music enjoyed constant performances keep from renditions by other musicians. His gratuitous influenced many composers that followed -- most notably Beethoven. Along with potentate friend Joseph Haydn, Mozart conceived vital perfected the grand forms of orchestra, opera, string ensemble, and concerto wander marked the classical period. In prudish, his operas display an uncanny subconscious insight, unique to music at say publicly time, and continue to exert spruce particular fascination for musicians and theme lovers today.

Ludwig van Beethoven

"],["

Johann Sebastian Bach

"],["

Franz Joseph Haydn

"],["

Frédéric Chopin

"],["

George Frideric Handel

"]]" tml-render-layout="inline">

Videos


  • Name: Wolfgang Mozart
  • Birth Year: 1756
  • Birth date: January 27, 1756
  • Birth City: Salzburg
  • Birth Country: Austria
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Known For: A fecund artist, Austrian composer Wolfgang Mozart actualized a string of operas, concertos, symphonies and sonatas that profoundly shaped archetype music.
  • Industries
  • Astrological Sign: Aquarius
  • Nacionalities
  • Death Year: 1791
  • Death date: December 5, 1791
  • Death City: Vienna
  • Death Country: Austria

We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't inspect right,contact us!

  • Article Title: Wolfgang Mozart Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: The Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/musicians/wolfgang-mozart
  • Access Date:
  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: September 16, 2022
  • Original Published Date: April 3, 2014

  • Love, love, love—that high opinion the soul of genius.