Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Musical genius Mozart wrote his name in the history of music, he was a musical maestro created his own unique style of composing music and presenting to the world. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on 27 January 1756 in Salzburg, Austria to Leopold Mozart, a business-minded composer, violinist and an assistant concertmaster at the Salzburg court and Anna Maria Pertl. He was named Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Gottlieb Mozart in honor of his grandfather (maternal) and a Saint Johannes Chrysostomus with whom he shared his birth date.
[youtube="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lC1lRz5Z_s"]
It took all of thirty minutes for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to master his first musical composition.
The work, a scherzo by Georg Christoph Wagenseil, had been copied by his father into Nannerl’s notebook. Below it Leopold jotted: “This piece was learnt by Wolfgangerl on 24 January 1761, 3 days before his 5th birthday, between 9 and 9:30 in the evening.”
Wolfgang’s achievement was followed in rapid succession by others: a minuet and trio “learned within a half an hour” on January 26, a march learned on February 4, another scherzo on February 6. It wasn’t long before the little boy entered a composition of his own into the notebook. At six measures, this andante in C major (K. 1a) is a mere wisp of a work. Other small compositions would follow. Inconsequential as they were, these bits and pieces were tokens of greater things to come.
No doubt, the boy held great promise as a composer. But Leopold, who could clearly see and hear his children’s daily progress as keyboard performers, had more immediate aims. He began to neglect his court career and devote more time to Wolfgang and Nannerl’s musical instruction. Ambitious plans began to take shape in his mind. Partly out of parental pride, partly out of a sense of duty, he determined to take his two musical prodigies on tour to the courts of Europe.
The first trip was a brief one. In January 1762, Leopold and the two children traveled to the nearby Munich court of Maximilian III Joseph, Elector of Bavaria. Very little is known about this trip. Nannerl, as an adult, simply noted that she and her brother had “played before the Elector.” After three weeks, they returned to Salzburg.
Being born and brought up in a family where music was in air, in life and in dreams of everyone, Mozart was naturally attracted towards music. From his childhood, Wolffanfus learned and developed immense interest in music. When he was just 5 years old, Mozart started composing small and beautiful melodious numbers. Looking at his children’s musical talent, Mozart’s father decided to use this opportunity to showcase the talent of his children (Wolfgangus and elder daughter Maria Anna “Nannerl”) in front of the world. At the age of six (in mid 1763), Mozart and his elder sister performed in many concerts in European Courts (In Paris and London); they also gave performances at major cities where they met many music lovers. They also performed in front of the Bavarian elector, royal families and the Austrian empress. Wolfgangus and his sister played piano and violin and were more than successful to tie their audiences to the chairs.
Wolfgangus was very ambitious and wanted to attain a very high position in the world of music, he knew that staying in Salzburg it was never possible to achieve what he wanted; in 1777 Mozart left Salzburg with his mother and set for Munich and Mannheim. There he tried his best to find a good post for himself but was never offered one, he then moved to Paris in search of the same. In Paris, Anna Maria (Wolfgangus’s mother) died and Wolfgangus became very lonely, here also Wolfgangus could not get any suitable post for himself. After Wolfgangus’s all the unsuccessful trials, Leopold called him back to Salzburg, where he managed to arrange a high level post for his son. For next two years, Wolfgangus, worked at Court and played concerts at Courts and Cathedrals. He actively participated in concerts, serenades and also composed music for dramas. He also continued composing and creating symphonies. In 1780 he received the most awaited opportunity to perform in an opera at Munich.
Along with many concerts, operas and music composition for dramas, Mozart also wrote beautiful music compositions, which have become masterpiece of his artwork. Mozart was sent to the court at Vienna where he was not allowed to work for the post he wanted the most, he finally gave up trying to perform at the court in Vienna and got out of the job around 1781. After that period, Mozart received many golden opportunities to make fortune when he created music while he was not at any post. Soon, Mozart started going in public, he played music in public functions, published his work and also started teaching music. Further in 1787, Mozart was offered a minor court post as Kammermusicus, where he wrote dance music for court balls. In year 1782, Mozart married Constanze Weber (younger sister of Aloysia Weber, Mozart’s former lover).
Mozart gained a reasonable popularity by publishing some beautiful sonatas (for violin and piano), music compositions, and by performing in concerts and Operas like ‘Die Entfuhrun aus dem Serail’ (in 1782, which was one of his most successful operas with many songs in it. NOTE: Mozart wrote serious as well as comic operas (he wrote three comic operas in his life)), he also wrote some quartets, which he had dedicated to his Haydn who appreciated Mozart for his knowledge of music and composition talent. Mozart also gained popularity by managing concerts on his own, without any assistance he not only composed music for the concert but he also managed the orchestra. Mozart earned enough to live a comfortable life, but because of his improper management of money and expenses, he was never able to save money for future and always had to borrow from others when was in need of money.
Mozart spent rest of his life in Vienna; during this period he also visited various places such as Salzburg, Berlin etc. to perform in operas, dramas and concerts. Mozart died on 5 December 1791 in Vienna. (There are different stories regarding the death of musical genius, according to one story he died of the feverish illness (Rheumatic Fever) and according to another he died of poisoning).
Mozart composed hundreds of beautiful and unique music works which include over 20 operas, about 14-15 Masses, 30-40 concerts (piano and violin), 50-60 symphonies, and 20 sonatas etc. Even after his death, Mozart remained and will remain one of the most favorite musicians for millions of his fans.
via www.buzzle.com/ and free encyclopedia