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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | HearLore
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on the 27th of January 1756 in Salzburg, a city that would become the cradle of his genius but also the prison of his early ambitions. He entered the world as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, a name that would be shortened to Wolfgang Amadè Mozart as he grew, yet the Latin baptismal record remains the only official proof of his existence. His father, Leopold Mozart, was a minor composer and a skilled pedagogue who recognized his son's talent before the boy could even speak clearly. By the age of three, Wolfgang was already picking out thirds on the keyboard, and by five, he was composing minuets that his father wrote down in a notebook known as the Nannerl Notenbuch. This was not merely a child playing; it was a calculated display of ability that would soon take the family on a grand tour of Europe, exposing the young Mozart to the courts of Munich, Paris, London, and beyond. The journey was grueling, filled with illness and the constant pressure to perform for royalty, yet it forged a composer who could absorb the styles of every nation he visited. By the time he was eight, he had written his first symphony, a work that would be transcribed by his father, marking the beginning of a career that would span over 800 works in a life cut short at 35.
The Great Escape From Salzburg
The year 1777 marked a turning point when Mozart resigned his position at the Salzburg court, a decision that would lead to a series of desperate journeys across Europe. He left with his mother, seeking employment in Mannheim, Paris, and Munich, but the reality of freelance life was harsh. In Paris, he fell into debt, pawning valuables to survive, and his mother died on the 3rd of July 1778, a tragedy that left him alone and grieving. The nadir of this period was not just the loss of his mother, but the realization that the aristocracy would not embrace him as a true equal. He returned to Salzburg in January 1779, but the discontent that had driven him away remained undiminished. The situation worsened when the court theatre was closed, leaving him with few opportunities to compose operas, his true passion. The quarrel with his employer, Prince-Archbishop Hieronymus Colloredo, came to a head in 1781. Mozart attempted to resign, but was refused, and when permission was finally granted, it was delivered in a grossly insulting manner: he was dismissed literally with a kick in the arse by the archbishop's steward, Count Arco. This was not just a firing; it was a revolution. Mozart chose to remain in Vienna, a city that would become his home for the rest of his life, achieving fame and some financial success, but no long-term security. The decision to break free from the constraints of the Salzburg court was a gamble that would define the rest of his career.
Common questions
When and where was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart born?
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on the 27th of January 1756 in Salzburg. He entered the world as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, a name that was later shortened to Wolfgang Amadè Mozart.
What happened to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1781?
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart resigned from his position at the Salzburg court in 1781 after a quarrel with Prince-Archbishop Hieronymus Colloredo. He was dismissed in a grossly insulting manner by the archbishop's steward, Count Arco, and chose to remain in Vienna for the rest of his life.
Who did Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart marry and when did the wedding take place?
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart married Constanze Weber on the 4th of August 1782 in St. Stephen's Cathedral. The couple had six children, of whom only two survived infancy: Karl Thomas Mozart and Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart.
When did Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart die and what was the cause of death?
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died in his home on the 5th of December 1791 at 12:55 am. The cause of his death is not known with certainty, with researchers suggesting more than a hundred causes including acute rheumatic fever, streptococcal infection, and mercury poisoning.
What major works did Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart compose in 1788?
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed his last three symphonies, Nos. 39, 40, and 41, in 1788. He also wrote the opera Così fan tutte, which premiered in 1790.
What was the physical appearance of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart?
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was described as a remarkably small man, very thin and pale, with a profusion of fine, fair hair. His facial complexion was pitted, a reminder of his childhood case of smallpox, and he loved elegant clothing.
Mozart's new career in Vienna began with a flourish, as he established himself as the finest keyboard player in the city, notably in a competition before the Emperor with Muzio Clementi on the 24th of December 1781. He soon found himself in the orbit of the Weber family, who had moved to Vienna from Mannheim. His interest shifted from Aloysia Weber, who was now a successful singer and married to the actor Joseph Lange, to her sister Constanze. The courtship was fraught with tension, and the couple briefly broke up in April 1782 over an episode involving jealousy. The marriage took place in an atmosphere of crisis on the 4th of August 1782, in St. Stephen's Cathedral, the day before his father's consenting letter arrived in the mail. The couple had six children, of whom only two survived infancy: Karl Thomas Mozart and Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart. The marriage was described by Constanze in old age as having been completely happy, yet the letters between them reveal a relationship that was affectionate, often funny, and occasionally erotic. The financial situation was precarious, and the couple adopted a more luxurious lifestyle, moving to an expensive apartment and buying a fine fortepiano from Anton Walter. Despite the income from concerts and commissions, Mozart saved little, and the couple's financial struggles would become a source of tension in their later years.
The Master Of Opera And Chamber Music
In the early 1780s, Mozart became intimately acquainted with the work of Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel, thanks to the influence of Gottfried van Swieten. This study of Baroque scores inspired compositions in the Baroque style, influencing his musical language in works like The Magic Flute and the finale of Symphony No. 41. He met Joseph Haydn in Vienna around 1784, and the two composers became friends, playing chamber music together. Mozart's six quartets dedicated to Haydn, written between 1782 and 1785, were judged to be a response to Haydn's Opus 33 set. Haydn wrote, "posterity will not see such a talent again in 100 years," and told Mozart's father, "I tell you before God, and as an honest man, your son is the greatest composer known to me by person and repute." From 1782 to 1785, Mozart mounted concerts with himself as piano soloist, presenting three or four new concertos in each season. The concerts were very popular, and his concertos premiered there are still firm fixtures in the repertoire. The year 1786 saw the successful premiere of Le nozze di Figaro in Vienna, and its reception in Prague later in the year was even warmer. This led to a second collaboration with Da Ponte: the opera Don Giovanni, which premiered in October 1787 to acclaim in Prague, but less success in Vienna during 1788. The two are among Mozart's most famous works and are mainstays of operatic repertoire today, though at their premieres their musical complexity caused difficulty both for listeners and for performers.
The Decline And The Final Symphony
Toward the end of the decade, Mozart's circumstances worsened. Around 1786, he ceased to appear frequently in public concerts, and his income shrank. This was a difficult time for musicians in Vienna because of the Austro-Turkish War, which caused both the general level of prosperity and the ability of the aristocracy to support music to decline. By mid-1788, Mozart and his family had moved from central Vienna to the suburb of Alsergrund. Although it has been suggested that Mozart aimed to reduce his rental expenses, later research has shown that he had not actually reduced his expenses but merely increased the housing space at his disposal. Around this time, Mozart began to borrow money, most often from Michael von Puchberg, and a pitiful sequence of letters pleading for loans survives. Major works of the period include the last three symphonies, Nos. 39, 40, and 41, all from 1788, and the last of the three Da Ponte operas, Così fan tutte, premiered in 1790. In 1787, the young Ludwig van Beethoven spent several weeks in Vienna, hoping to study with Mozart. Beethoven certainly heard Mozart perform, but it is not certain that the two actually met in person. The same year was marked by the death of Mozart's father on the 28th of May 1787, which likely triggered a fallow period for the composer.
The Unfinished Requiem And The Final Days
Mozart's last year was, until his final illness struck, a time of high productivity. He composed a great deal, including some of his most admired works: the opera The Magic Flute, the final piano concerto, No. 27, the Clarinet Concerto, the last in his series of string quintets, and the motet Ave verum corpus. His financial situation, a source of anxiety in 1790, finally began to improve, and he no longer borrowed large sums from Puchberg. He experienced great satisfaction in the public success of some of his works, notably The Magic Flute and the Little Masonic Cantata. Mozart fell seriously ill on the 20th of November 1791, and took to what turned out to be his deathbed. He suffered from swelling, pain, and vomiting. There is a serious controversy about whether his illness had started earlier, with a long and demoralizing period of decline, or was sudden. Mozart was nursed in his final days by his wife and her younger sister Sophie and was attended by the family doctor, Thomas Franz Closset. He may have been occupied with the task of finishing his Requiem, but evidence that he dictated passages to his student Franz Xaver Süssmayr is minimal. Mozart died in his home on the 5th of December 1791 at 12:55 am. The New Grove describes his funeral as interred in a common grave, in accordance with contemporary Viennese custom, at the St. Marx Cemetery outside the city on the 7th of December. The cause of Mozart's death is not known with certainty, with researchers suggesting more than a hundred causes of death, including acute rheumatic fever, streptococcal infection, trichinosis, influenza, mercury poisoning, and a rare kidney ailment.
The Man Behind The Music
Mozart's physical appearance was described by the tenor Michael Kelly as a remarkably small man, very thin and pale, with a profusion of fine, fair hair of which he was rather vain. His early biographer Niemetschek wrote, "there was nothing special about [his] physique.... He was small and his countenance, except for his large intense eyes, gave no signs of his genius." His facial complexion was pitted, a reminder of his childhood case of smallpox. He loved elegant clothing, often wearing a crimson pelisse and gold-laced cocked hat. Mozart usually worked long and hard, finishing compositions at a tremendous pace as deadlines approached. He often wrote sketches, from small snippets to extensive drafts, for his compositions. Though many of these were destroyed by his widow, about 320 sketches and drafts survive, covering about 10 percent of the composer's work. He lived at the centre of the Viennese musical world and knew a significant number and variety of people. He enjoyed billiards, dancing, and kept pets, including a canary, a starling, a dog, and a horse for recreational riding. He had a startling fondness for scatological humour, which is preserved in his surviving letters, notably those written to his cousin Maria Anna Thekla Mozart around 1777, 1778. He was fluent in Latin, Italian, and French, and possibly also understood and spoke some English. He was raised a Catholic and remained a practicing Catholic throughout his life, and embraced Freemasonry in 1784, remaining a lodge member for the rest of his life.