The Life Story of the Musical Genius Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

The German composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was not only a musical genius but was also one of the pre−eminent geniuses of the Western world. He defined in his music a system of musical thought and an entire state of mind that were unlike any previously experienced. A true child prodigy, he began composing at early age. Numerous pundits, researchers, and writers have respected Mozart as the greatest composer ever; he has been viewed as the composer of composers. Born in Salzburg, now called Austria on January 27, 1756, to his mom Anna Maria and his dad Leopold Mozart, who was a violinist and composer for the archbishop of Salzburg Cathedral. He was called John Chrysostom Wolfgang Theophilus Mozart by his family but as he grows, he signed himself as 'Wolfgang Amadé Mozart' or just 'Mozart.'

Since he was naturally introduced to a group of musicians, Mozart and his sister Nannerl demonstrated amazing ability at an early stage. They were instructed to play the piano since early on. Their dad perceived his youngsters' exceptional capacities consequently started to commit additional push to their instruction by leaving his job completely to guarantee that Mozart would have the most ideal musical education and melodic training. His dad had monetary interests in his child's notoriety and took him visiting all over Europe to show his ability in concerts. The consistent performances were exhaustive, however they enabled Mozart's ability to develop at a quicker pace. Mozart created impeccable pitch, which implies that he could sing any note you asked him to without using a piano for help.

At age three he took in a minuet and trio inside a half hour, and he aced his first melodic composition within just thirty minutes too. By his fourth year, he was perfecting ballads for friends and neighbors and could get familiar with a tune on the keyboard in only thirty minutes. Mozart started making music at age six, he was displayed to the most celebrated courts of Europe, learned musicians, and the general public and could extemporize on any tune by age seven. He took in Paris, London, Amsterdam, Versailles, and more as he went with his family. At one show in Munich when he was eight, he played together with sister for three straight hours, and wowed crowds wherever they went. While playing series of concerts in Paris, he published his first piece of music; a violin sonata in five sections.

Though this wonderful boy could not fail to observe the astonishment and admiration which his talents excited, he became neither forward nor vain; a man in talent, he ever remained in all other respects the sweetest tempered and most submissive of children. He never appeared the least out of humor with the commands of his parents, of whatever nature they might be. Even when he had practiced music nearly the whole day, he would continue to do so without the slightest impatience, if such were his father’s wishes. He understood and complied with their most trivial signs, and would not even accept a sugar plum, without the previous permission of his parents.

At age eleven, he composed his first true opera, Apollo et Hyacinthus. Several tours through the Italian urban communities starting in December 1769 affirmed Mozart's supernatural and mysterious ability. Mozart was tasked to compose operas for Milan's carnival, was admitted to Bologna's renowned Accademia Filarmonica, and coordinated the initial three performances of his opera Mitridate, rè di Ponto. At age fifteen, Mozart wrote that he was hearing several opera 'at home in my head' who later confessed to feeling “as proud as a peacock” about his fame. He later consolidated these abilities by extemporizing a significant number of the cadenzas in his piano concertos when he performed them. Mozart additionally composed 16 quartets, 5 operas, 34 symphonies, and 100 different pieces when he was 18. He was really a melodic virtuoso.

Throughout his family's movements, Mozart found out about various styles of music, and met significant musicians such as J.C. Bach and Joseph Haydn, who he turned out to be great companions with. Haydn even considered Mozart the greatest composer he had known. After coming back to Salzburg after a long stay abroad in 1773, Mozart got a job as a court composer by Salzburg’s ruler. His low salary for the position and the constrained interest for operas drove him to resign in 1777 and start travelling once more, joined by his mom this time. He looked for positions in Augsburg, Mannheim, Paris and Munich, yet had no luck. The low point of his trips came in Paris, when Mozart's mom Anna Maria became sick and died in 1778.

In 1779, Mozart came all the way back to Salzburg and took up a better position as a court concertmaster and organist. He earned a lot of cash and great deal of reputation through writing, teaching, and performing with his students. He travelled out Vienna in 1781 at the command of his boss, Archbishop Colloredo, Prince of Salzburg. He felt affronted by his gathering there, and had a quarrel with the Archbishop. Mozart chose to remain in Vienna and make his living as an independent composer and performer which was an exceptionally abnormal step for a performer to take at the time. Toward the starting it paid off, his fame and fortune grew significantly after the incredible accomplishment of his opera, Die Entführung aus dem Serail (The Abduction from the Seraglio), which debuted on July 16, 1782 at the Burgtheater in Vienna. Mozart in that same year got married to Constanze Weber, a singer and Aloysia's younger sister. They had six children but only two survived past infancy.

In spite of the positive gathering for The Abduction from the Seraglio, Mozart spent a large portion of the next four years producing concertos, primarily for piano. That was a time of his financial success of which he spent extravagantly. Mozart in 1784 turned into a Freemason, a choice that extraordinarily influenced his later opera, The Magic Flute. By 1785, he started his productive collaboration effort with librettist Lorenzo da Ponte, premiering successfully La Nozze de Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) in 1786. In 1787, they at that point worked together on Don Giovanni (Don Juan) which was premiered in Prague. Unfortunately, Mozart's dad didn't live to observe that achievement; he died in Salzburg on May 28, 1787.

As of now, Mozart's monetary circumstance became critical, and the family had to move to humbler lodgings. He started to borrow money and to travel in an attempt to drum up funds. His compositional yield eased back, despite the fact that the last of the da Ponte collaborations, Così fan tutte (Women Are Like That) premiered in 1790. The last year of Mozart's life demonstrated to be a period of extraordinary efficiency: his family's monetary situation started to improve and he made one out of his most admired works, Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) which was greatly affected by Mozart's enthusiasm for the Baroque experts (J. S. Bach and G. F. Handel).

Moreover, The Magic Flute was a climax of a time of increasing involvement with his close friend and business person, Emmanuel Schikaneder. Schikaneder worked intimately with Mozart on which he once in a while offers counsel, which the Mozart typically adhered to. Mozart last extraordinary opera opened in Vienna on the night of September 30, 1791. He directed the initial two performances while sick, at age 35, presumably in light of the fact that he did not deal with his finance well, and could not afford to pay for his medical treatment when he became sick, however his condition did not get severe until November.

The death of this great genius took place on the 5th of December, 1792, when he had not attained his thirty-sixth year. Indefatigable to the last, he produced in the concluding few months of his life, his three chefs-d’œuvres, “The Enchanted Flute,” “Clemenza di Tito,” and a “Requiem,” which he had scarcely time to finish. He died after the opera’s 67th exhibition, on December 5, 1791. Mozart’s final commissioned piece was Requiem Mass in D Minor (K626) of which he died before it finalizing, however his student, Franz Xaver Süssmayr completed the piece and delivered it to Austria's Count Franz von Walsegg, who had commissioned the work to memorialize his deceased wife. It was believed that von Walsegg expected to make the piece look like his own. Franz von Walsegg plan was revealed by Constanze, who let it be realized that it was, actually Mozart who had gotten the commission and that she was expected a fee for the work.

Despite the fact that Mozart unfortunately death occurred at his stage of life, the amount of inconceivable music he delivered in his lifetime built up him as one of the most significant and talented musicians in the classical period, and throughout the entire existence of music. Memorial services and shows upon his demise were very much visited, however Mozart's reputation really took off after his passing-on. Mozart has been tagged as the most prolific, influential and enduring composer of the Classical times. Altogether, he composed more than 600 works, many recognized as concertante, piano, pinnacles of symphonic, choral music and others. His influence on later musicians is immeasurable; right up 'til today, studying his scores is a basic training piece of any classical musician. Named one of the 'Best People of the Millennium' by TIME, Mozart's popularity has just grown since his passing 226 years back. The City of New York host the Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center for a month each summer whiles his hometown Salzburg celebrates with a 11-day birthday party for each January.

Keeping in mind that Mozart lived slightly less than 36 years and the sheer quantity of his musical compositions is staggering; it is difficult to say which are the most famous. Some of his better known works are Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, a serenade in G major; operas, The Marriage of Figaro, the masterful Don Giovanni, and The Magic Flute — staged by the best companies in imaginative fantastical ways the “singspiel”(both spoken & sung) richly deserve. Mozart wrote 41 symphonies among numerous other orchestral works for violin & orchestra, piano & orchestra etc. — symphonies performed in concerts halls & heard on radio most often are the Jupiter, Paris & Haffner. The piano concerto No. 21, Elvira Madigan is also quite well known. While I could go on & on, I will end with the Requiem — a consumate masterpiece which Mozart believed foreshadowed his own death, which, alas it did.

References

  • 13 Facts About Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. (2018, July 2). Retrieved from https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/547532/facts-about-wolfgang-amadeus-mozart
  • Eisen, C., & Keefe, S. P. (2006). The Cambridge Mozart Encyclopedia. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
  • Interesting Facts About Mozart | (2017, May 23). Retrieved from https://www.biographyonline.net/music/facts-mozart.html
  • Jahn, O. (2013). Life of Mozart:. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
  • Keefe, S. P. (2003). The Cambridge Companion to Mozart. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Wolfgang-Amadeus-Mozart
07 July 2022
close
Your Email

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and  Privacy statement. We will occasionally send you account related emails.

close thanks-icon
Thanks!

Your essay sample has been sent.

Order now
exit-popup-close
exit-popup-image
Still can’t find what you need?

Order custom paper and save your time
for priority classes!

Order paper now