Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Born:

January 27, 1756, he was the seventh child of Leopold, a violinist and composer, and Anna Maria. The couple had 7 children but only two survived; the fourth child, Maria Anna Walburga Ignatia, and the seventh child, Wolfgang Amadues.

Birthplace:

Salzburg

Died:

December 5, 1791 in Vienna, after writing "The Magic Flute," Wolfgang became ill. He died in the early morning of December 5 at the age of 35. Some researchers say it was due to kidney failure.

Also Known As:

Mozart is one of the most important classical composers in history. He worked as Kapellmeister for the archbishop of Salzburg. In 1781, he requested release from his duties and started working freelance.

Type of Compositions:

He wrote concertos, operas, oratorios, quartets, symphonies and chamber, vocal and choral music. He wrote over 600 compositions.

Influence:

Mozart's father was a huge influence on the budding musician. At age 3 Wolfgang was already playing the piano and had perfect-pitch. By the age of 5, Mozart already wrote a miniature allegro (K. 1b) and andante (K. 1a). When Wolfgang was 6, Leopold decided to take him and his sister, Maria Anna, who was also a music prodigy, on tour to Europe. The young musicians performed at various locations such as in royal courts where queens, emperors and other prestigious guests were in attendance.

Other Influences:

The Mozarts' popularity grew and soon they were traveling to perform in France, England, and Germany. While traveling, Wolfgang met other composers which would later influence his compositions. He met and became friends with Haydn. At 14 he wrote his first opera called Mitridate re di Ponto which was well-received. By late teens Wolfgang's popularity waned and he was forced to accept jobs that didn't pay well.

Notable Works:

His works include "Commotion Mass," "Sinfonia Concertante" (for violin, viola and orchestra), operas like "Idomeneo," "The Abduction from the Seraglio," "Don Giovanni," The Marriage of Figaro," "Cosi fan tutte" and "The Magic Flute."

Interesting Facts:

Wolfgang's second name was actually Theophilus but he opted to use the Latin translation Amadeus. He married Constanze Weber in July of 1782. He could play the piano, organ and violin.

Mozart was a gifted musician who was capable of hearing complete pieces in his head. His music had simple melodies yet rich orchestration.