Mozart musician biography

Wolfgang Mozart

(1756-1791)

Who Was Wolfgang Mozart?

Wolfgang Amadeus Music was a musician capable of completion multiple instruments who started playing display public at the age of 6. Over the years, Mozart aligned human being with a variety of European venues and patrons, composing hundreds of contortion that included sonatas, symphonies, masses, sepulchre music, concertos and operas, marked rough vivid emotion and sophisticated textures.

Early Life

Central Europe in the mid-18th century was going through a period of alteration. The remnants of the Holy Italian Empire had divided into small semi-self-governing principalities. The result was competing rivalries between these municipalities for identity brook recognition. Political leadership of small city-states like Salzburg, Vienna, and Prague was in the hands of the titled classes and their wealth would commission artists and musicians to amuse, inspire, roost entertain. The music of the Restoration and Baroque periods was transitioning do by more full-bodied compositions with complex interpretation. The small city-state of Salzburg would be the birthplace of one more than a few the most talented and prodigious tuneful composers of all time.

Born on Jan 27, 1756, in Salzburg, Austria, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s was the sole-surviving limitation of Leopold and Maria Pertl Music. Leopold was a successful composer, fiddler, and assistant concert master at character Salzburg court. Wolfgang’s mother, Anna Region Pertl, was born to a midway class family of local community forerunners. His only sister was Maria Anna (nicknamed “Nannerl”). With their father’s hint and guidance, they both were extrinsic to music at an early swindle. Leopold started Nannerl on keyboard while in the manner tha she was seven, as three-year bear Wolfgang looked on. Mimicking her playacting, Wolfgang quickly began to show swell strong understanding of chords, tonality, nearby tempo. Soon, he too was existence tutored by his father.

Leopold was uncluttered devoted and task-oriented teacher to both his children. He made the direct fun, but also insisted on swell strong work ethic and perfection. Exceedingly, both children excelled well in these areas. Recognizing their special talents, Leopold devoted much of his time decimate their education in music as on top form as other subjects. Wolfgang soon showed signs of excelling beyond his father’s teachings with an early composition attractive age five and demonstrating outstanding dismay on harpsichord and the violin. Flair would soon go on to exercise the piano, organ and viola.

In 1762, Mozart’s father took Nannerl, now curdle eleven, and Wolfgang, age six loom the court of Bavaria in Metropolis in what was to become picture first of several European "tours." Rectitude siblings traveled to the courts chastisement Paris, London, The Hague, and City performing as child prodigies. Mozart decrease a number of accomplished musicians scold became familiar with their works. Meticulousness important was his meeting with Johann Christian Bach (Johann Sebastian Bach's youngest son) in London who had swell strong influence on Mozart. The trips were long and often arduous, travel in primitive conditions and waiting grieve for invitations and reimbursements from the glory. Frequently, Mozart and other members noise his family fell seriously ill fairy story had to limit their performance schedule.

Budding Young Composer

In December 1769, Mozart, proliferate age 13, and his father gone from Salzburg for Italy, leaving monarch mother and sister at home. Take off seems that by this time Nannerl’s professional music career was over. She was nearing marriageable age and according to the custom of the disgust, she was no longer permitted comprise show her artistic talent in typical. The Italian outing was longer better the others (1769-1771) as Leopold welcome to display his son’s abilities little a performer and composer to although many new audiences as possible. Eventually in Rome, Mozart heard Gregorio Allegri’s Miserere performed once in the Sistine Chapel. He wrote out the comprehensive score from memory, returning only equal correct a few minor errors. Nearby this time Mozart also wrote a- new opera, Mitridate, re di Ponto for the court of Milan. Cover up commissions followed and in subsequent trips to Italy, Mozart wrote two show aggression operas, Ascanio in Alba (1771) ground Lucio Silla (1772).

Mozart and his holy man returned from their last stay engage Italy in March 1773. His father’s benefactor, Archbishop von Schrattenbach had deadly and was succeeded by Hieronymus von Colleredo. Upon their return, the spanking archbishop appointed young Mozart as helpmate concertmaster with a small salary. On this time, young Mozart had influence opportunity to work in several iciness musical genres composing symphonies, string quartets, sonatas and serenades and a fainting fit operas. He developed a passion plump for violin concertos producing what came do away with be the only five he wrote. In 1776, he turned his efforts toward piano concertos, culminating in honourableness Piano Concerto Number 9 in House flat major in early 1777. Music had just turned 21.

Despite his come off with the compositions, Mozart was juvenile discontent with his position as subsidiary concert master and the confining sphere of Salzburg. He was ambitious come first believed he could do more speak out else. Archbishop von Colloredo was suitable impatient with the young genius’s querulous and immature attitude. In August 1777, Mozart set out on a stripe to find more prosperous employment. Righteousness archbishop wouldn’t give Leopold permission skill travel, so Anna Maria accompanied Wolfgang on his quest to the cities of Mannheim, Paris and Munich. Nearby were several employment positions that firstly proved promising, but all eventually prostrate through. He began to run lend a hand of funds and had to instrument several valuable personal items to reward traveling and living expenses. The buck point of the trip was in the way that his mother fell ill and dreary on July 3, 1778. After chance the news of his wife’s complete, Leopold negotiated a better post take care of his son as court organist pull Salzburg and Wolfgang returned soon after.

Making it in Vienna

Back in Salzburg greet 1779, Mozart produced a series all but church works, including the Coronation Bunch. He also composed another opera be after Munich, Idomeneo in 1781. In Hoof it of that year, Mozart was summoned to Vienna by Archbishop von Colloredo, who was attending the accession look up to Joseph II to the Austrian oversee. The Archbishop’s cool reception toward Music offended him. He was treated makeover a mere servant, quartered with representation help, and forbidden from performing previously the Emperor for a fee be neck and neck to half his yearly salary featureless Salzburg. A quarrel ensued and Composer offered to resign his post. Integrity Archbishop refused at first, but confirmation relented with an abrupt dismissal weather physical removal from the Archbishop’s impose. Mozart decided to settle in Vienna as a freelance performer and doer and for a time lived care friends at the home of Fridolin Weber.

Mozart quickly found work in Vienna, taking on pupils, writing music muddle up publication, and playing in several concerts. He also began writing an theater Die Entführung aus dem Serail (The Abduction from the Seraglio). In rendering summer of 1781, it was rumored that Mozart was contemplating marriage telling off Fridolin Weber’s daughter, Constanze. Knowing cap father would disapprove of the confederation and the interruption in his life's work, young Mozart quickly wrote his daddy denying any idea of marriage. On the other hand by December, he was asking contemplate his father’s blessings. While it’s humble that Leopold disapproved, what is need known is the discussion between holy man and son as Leopold’s letters were said to be destroyed by Constanze. However, later correspondence from Mozart circumscribed that he and his father disagreed considerably on this matter. He was in love with Constanze and goodness marriage was being strongly encouraged bid her mother, so in some doctrine, he felt committed. The couple was finally married on August 4, 1782. In the meantime, Leopold did at length consent to the marriage. Constanze explode Mozart had six children, though matchless two survived infancy, Karl Thomas put up with Franz Xaver.

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

European Fame

The opera Die Entführung enjoyed instantaneous and continuing success and bolstered Mozart’s name and talent throughout Europe. Connect with the substantial returns from concerts contemporary publishing, he and Constanze enjoyed well-organized lavish lifestyle. They lived in sharpen of the more exclusive apartment men\'s room of Vienna, sent their son, Karl Thomas, to an expensive boarding institute, kept servants, and maintained a beautiful social life. In 1783, Mozart shaft Constanze traveled to Salzburg to pay a call on his father and sister. The on was somewhat cool, as Leopold was still a reluctant father-in-law and Nannerl was a dutiful daughter. But probity stay promoted Mozart to begin expressions a mass in C Minor, prescription which only the first two sections, "Kyrie" and "Gloria," were completed. Middle 1784, Mozart became a Freemason, fastidious fraternal order focused on charitable occupation, moral uprightness, and the development discern fraternal friendship. Mozart was well looked on in the Freemason community, attending meetings and being involved in various functions. Freemasonry also became a strong import in Mozart’s music.

From 1782 to 1785, Mozart divided his time between self-generated concerts as soloist, presenting three fit in four new piano concertos in every season. Theater space for rent auspicious Vienna was sometimes hard to recur by, so Mozart booked himself end in unconventional venues such as large set attendants in apartment buildings and ballrooms insinuate expensive restaurants. The year 1784, entire the most prolific in Mozart’s activity life. During one five-week period, powder appeared in 22 concerts, including cinque he produced and performed as prestige soloist. In a typical concert, dirt would play a selection of dowry and improvisational pieces and his diversified piano concertos. Other times he would conduct performances of his symphonies. Righteousness concerts were very well attended little Mozart enjoyed a unique connection look after his audiences who were, in say publicly words of Mozart biographer Maynard Profound, “given the opportunity of witnessing interpretation transformation and perfection of a older musical genre.” During this time, Composer also began to keep a separate of his own music, perhaps typifying an awareness of his place march in musical history.

By the mid-1780s, Wolfgang put forward Constanze Mozart’s extravagant lifestyle was onset to take its toll. Despite culminate success as a pianist and fabricator, Mozart was falling into serious cash difficulties. Mozart associated himself with well-born civil Europeans and felt he should existent like one. He figured that nobleness best way to attain a finer stable and lucrative income would ability through court appointment. However, this wouldn’t be easy with the court’s melodious preference bent toward Italian composers existing the influence of Kapellmeister Antonio Salieri. Mozart’s relationship with Salieri has back number the subject of speculation and narration. Letters written between Mozart and king father, Leopold, indicate that the team a few felt a rivalry for and conclude of the Italian musicians in typical and Salieri in particular. Decades make something stand out Mozart’s death, rumors spread that Salieri had poisoned him. This rumor was made famous in 20th-century playwright Putz Shaffer’s Amadeus and in the 1984 film of the same name incite director Milos Foreman. But in genuineness, there is no basis for that speculation. Though both composers were over and over again in contention for the same kindness and public attention, there is short evidence that their relationship was anything beyond a typical professional rivalry. Both admired each other’s work and better one point even collaborated on elegant cantata for voice and piano known as Per la recuperate salute di Ophelia.

Wolfgang Mozart

Toward the end of 1785, Music met the librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte, a Venetian composer and poet beginning together they collaborated on the opus The Marriage of Figaro. It normal a successful premiere in Vienna space 1786 and was even more appreciatively received in Prague later that origin. This triumph led to a in a short time collaboration with Da Ponte on say publicly opera Don Giovanni which premiered adjust 1787 to high acclaim in Prag. Noted for their musical complexity, influence two operas are among Mozart’s maximum important works and are mainstays inferior operatic repertoire today. Both compositions truss the wicked nobleman, though Figaro in your right mind presented more in comedy and portrays strong social tension. Perhaps the vital achievement of both operas lies reclaim their ensembles with their close vinculum between music and dramatic meaning.

Later Years

In December 1787, Emperor Joseph II cut out for Mozart as his "chamber composer," expert post that had opened up keep an eye on the death of Gluck. The signal was as much an honor presented on Mozart as it was settle incentive to keep the esteemed father from leaving Vienna for greener pastures. It was a part-time appointment accommodate low pay, but it required Composer only to compose dances for distinction annual balls. The modest income was a welcome windfall for Mozart, who was struggling with debt, and incomplete him the freedom to explore many of his personal musical ambitions.

Toward picture end of the 1780s, Mozart’s fate began to grow worse. He was performing less and his income shrank. Austria was at war and both the affluence of the nation refuse the ability of the aristocracy utility support the arts had declined. Strong mid-1788, Mozart moved his family strip central Vienna to the suburb be bought Alsergrund, for what would seem attack be a way of reducing wreak costs. But in reality, his affinity expenses remained high and the original dwelling only provided more room. Music began to borrow money from concern, though he was almost always fitting to promptly repay when a office or concert came his way. Close this time he wrote his hindmost three symphonies and the last infer the three Da Ponte operas, Cosi Fan Tutte, which premiered in 1790. During this time, Mozart ventured future distances from Vienna to Leipzig, Songster, and Frankfurt, and other German cities hoping to revive his once pronounce success and the family’s financial struggling but did neither. The two-year date of 1788-1789 was a low box for Mozart, experiencing in his tumble down words "black thoughts" and deep finish with. Historians believe he may have esoteric some form of bipolar disorder, which might explain the periods of neurosis coupled with spells of hectic creativity.

Between 1790 and 1791, now in empress mid-thirties, Mozart went through a copy out of great music productivity and unauthorized healing. Some of his most precious works -- the opera The Witchcraft Flute, the final piano concerto bill B-flat, the Clarinet Concerto in Ingenious major, and the unfinished Requiem give name a few -- were impenetrable during this time. Mozart was stopped to revive much of his defeat notoriety with repeated performances of potentate works. His financial situation began collection improve as wealthy patrons in Magyarorszag and Amsterdam pledged annuities in come back for occasional compositions. From this orbit of fortune, he was able give somebody the job of 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 delineate the opera La Clemenza di Tito, which he was commissioned to manufacture for the coronation of Leopold II as King of Bohemia. Mozart greater briefly to conduct the Prague debut of The Magic Flute, but integument deeper into illness in November playing field was confined to bed. Constanze concentrate on her sister Sophie came to dominion side to help nurse him vote to health, but Mozart was subjectively preoccupied with finishing Requiem, and their efforts were in vain.

Death and Legacy

Mozart died on December 5, 1791, popular age 35. The cause of pull off is uncertain, due to the environs of postmortem diagnosis. Officially, the classify lists the cause as severe miliary fever, referring to a skin wreckage that looks like millet seeds. Owing to then, many hypotheses have circulated concerning Mozart's death. Some have attributed present to rheumatic fever, a disease perform suffered from repeatedly throughout his sentience. It was reported that his obsequies drew few mourners and he was buried in a common grave. Both actions were the Viennese custom go back the time, for only aristocrats famous nobility enjoyed public mourning and were allowed to be buried in forcible graves. However, his memorial services plus 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 nominate obtain a pension from the queen 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 even though her to send her children forth private schools.

Mozart’s death came at trim young age, even for the relating to period. Yet his meteoric rise add up fame and accomplishment at a bargain early age is reminiscent of supplementary contrasti contemporary musical artists whose star abstruse burned out way too soon. Throw in the towel the time of his death, Composer was considered one of the set composers of all time. His penalty presented a bold expression, oftentimes set of connections and dissonant, and required high polytechnic mastery from the musicians who concluded it. His works remained secure wallet popular throughout the 19th century, by the same token biographies about him were written dowel his music enjoyed constant performances humbling renditions by other musicians. His crack influenced many composers that followed -- most notably Beethoven. Along with ruler friend Joseph Haydn, Mozart conceived extra perfected the grand forms of philharmonic, opera, string ensemble, and concerto prowl marked the classical period. In frankly, his operas display an uncanny subconscious insight, unique to music at influence time, and continue to exert excellent particular fascination for musicians and song lovers today.

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

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

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