Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on the January 27th, 1756
in Salzburg, now apart of Austria, but at the time part of the Holy Roman
Empire. His father was Leopold Mozart, a deputy Kapellmeister to the court
orchestra and minor composer himself. Leopold was very dedicated to the
education of his children and was Wolfgang's only teacher during his early
years. He not only gave Wolfgang music lessons but instructed him in languages
and academic subjects as well.
Beginning in 1762, the Mozart family began to make several trips around Europe
to different courts displaying young Wolfgang and his older sister, Maria Anna,
as child prodigies. They traveled to such places as Munich, Vienna, Paris, The
Hauge, and even visited London in 1764-65 where Mozart met Johann Christian
Bach. From 1769-71, Leopold and Wolfgang traveled to Italy. In Bologna, he met
G.B. Martini, a prominent composer and writer. In 1770, Mozart's opera Mitridate,
re di Ponto was premiered in Milan to much success. This led to further
opera commissions and two more trips to Milan, one in 1771 and another in 1772.
However, to the disappointment of his father, neither of these trips led to
court appointments for the young Mozart. These trips, however, did expose
Mozart to a range of different musical styles, from the style galant of
England and Italy, to the avant-garde techniques of the Mannheim orchestras.
Following Mozart's return from Italy with his father in
1773, he accepted the position of a court musician in Salzburg. During this
time, Mozart had the opportunity to work in many different genres, including
symphonies, sonatas, concertos, string quartets and a few operas. However,
despite the opportunities and successes Mozart experienced in Salzburg, he
became increasing disgruntled with the position and began to seek work
elsewhere. After trips to Mannheim, Munich and Paris, and a brief return to
Salzburg, Mozart ultimately settled in Vienna in 1781 as a freelance performer
and composer.
Mozart's early years in Vienna were quite successful. He frequently performed
on the piano, particularly in competition with Muzio Clementi and soon earned
the title of the "finest keyboard player in Vienna." His opera Die
Entführung aus dem Serail ("The Abduction from the Seraglio") was premiered
with much success and fully established Mozart's reputation as a composer.
While in Vienna, Mozart also met Haydn and the two composers became friends.
Haydn greatly praised the young Mozart and on one occasion he stated to
Mozart's father Leopold: "I tell you before God, and as an honest man,
your son is the greatest composer known to me by person and repute, he has
taste and what is more the greatest skill in composition."
However, Mozart's initial success in Vienna did not last. Toward the end of the
1780's the general condition of music had declined in Vienna due to Austria
being at war. Mozart began to appear less often in concert as a performer and
his income significantly shrunk. He made several trips to Berlin, Leipzig and
other German cities that brought isolated and short-lived moments of success.
He was often forced to borrow money from friends during this period and some
musicologists, such as Maynard Solomon, suggest that he suffered from
depression.
In 1791, Mozart's last year, things began to finally look up. The year, until
his final sickness, was marked by great productivity in which he produced the
opera The Magic Flute, his last piano concerto, the Clarinet Concerto,
the last string quintet, and the unfinished Requiem. Mozart's financial
situations also began to improve. He had stopped borrowing money and even began
paying off his debts.
However, Mozart fell ill in September 1791 while in Prague. He was able to
continue his work for some time until he became bedridden on November 20th.
Mozart died a few weeks later on December 5th at 1 a.m. As was the custom at
the time, he was buried in a mass grave at St. Marx cemetery outside the city.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Biography
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on the January 27th, 1756 in Salzburg, now apart of Austria, but at the time part of the Holy Roman Empire. His father was Leopold Mozart, a deputy Kapellmeister to the court orchestra and minor composer himself. Leopold was very dedicated to the education of his children and was Wolfgang's only teacher during his early years. He not only gave Wolfgang music lessons but instructed him in languages and academic subjects as well.Beginning in 1762, the Mozart family began to make several trips around Europe to different courts displaying young Wolfgang and his older sister, Maria Anna, as child prodigies. They traveled to such places as Munich, Vienna, Paris, The Hauge, and even visited London in 1764-65 where Mozart met Johann Christian Bach. From 1769-71, Leopold and Wolfgang traveled to Italy. In Bologna, he met G.B. Martini, a prominent composer and writer. In 1770, Mozart's opera Mitridate, re di Ponto was premiered in Milan to much success. This led to further opera commissions and two more trips to Milan, one in 1771 and another in 1772. However, to the disappointment of his father, neither of these trips led to court appointments for the young Mozart. These trips, however, did expose Mozart to a range of different musical styles, from the style galant of England and Italy, to the avant-garde techniques of the Mannheim orchestras.
Following Mozart's return from Italy with his father in 1773, he accepted the position of a court musician in Salzburg. During this time, Mozart had the opportunity to work in many different genres, including symphonies, sonatas, concertos, string quartets and a few operas. However, despite the opportunities and successes Mozart experienced in Salzburg, he became increasing disgruntled with the position and began to seek work elsewhere. After trips to Mannheim, Munich and Paris, and a brief return to Salzburg, Mozart ultimately settled in Vienna in 1781 as a freelance performer and composer.
Mozart's early years in Vienna were quite successful. He frequently performed on the piano, particularly in competition with Muzio Clementi and soon earned the title of the "finest keyboard player in Vienna." His opera Die Entführung aus dem Serail ("The Abduction from the Seraglio") was premiered with much success and fully established Mozart's reputation as a composer. While in Vienna, Mozart also met Haydn and the two composers became friends. Haydn greatly praised the young Mozart and on one occasion he stated to Mozart's father Leopold: "I tell you before God, and as an honest man, your son is the greatest composer known to me by person and repute, he has taste and what is more the greatest skill in composition."
However, Mozart's initial success in Vienna did not last. Toward the end of the 1780's the general condition of music had declined in Vienna due to Austria being at war. Mozart began to appear less often in concert as a performer and his income significantly shrunk. He made several trips to Berlin, Leipzig and other German cities that brought isolated and short-lived moments of success. He was often forced to borrow money from friends during this period and some musicologists, such as Maynard Solomon, suggest that he suffered from depression.
In 1791, Mozart's last year, things began to finally look up. The year, until his final sickness, was marked by great productivity in which he produced the opera The Magic Flute, his last piano concerto, the Clarinet Concerto, the last string quintet, and the unfinished Requiem. Mozart's financial situations also began to improve. He had stopped borrowing money and even began paying off his debts.
However, Mozart fell ill in September 1791 while in Prague. He was able to continue his work for some time until he became bedridden on November 20th. Mozart died a few weeks later on December 5th at 1 a.m. As was the custom at the time, he was buried in a mass grave at St. Marx cemetery outside the city.