Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Bio and Chronology

The son of a violinist and composer for the Archbishop of Salzburg, Mozart demonstrated extraordinary musical talent from the age of two. Most of Mozart's childhood was spent on European tours with his father. Mozart was a virtuoso on the piano, harpsichord, clavichord and violin. The child gave performances for emperors and the aristocracy, and he was fawned over and adored by all who met him. Mozart was already composing minuets and short pieces by the age of six. Through the different composers and musical styles he encountered while touring, Mozart grew to love the Italian opera. He composed his first opera, Lucia Silla, for a carnival in Milan as a teenager. The production was a great success.

By 1772, a new Archbishop, Prince Archbishop Colloredo, had taken the throne in Salzburg. Mozart's father resumed his post as a court musician, hoping his son would join him. However, Mozart decided to return to Paris, accompanied by his mother. The trip was a disaster, marking a turning point in Mozart's career. The Parisian aristocracy, which loved and feted him as a prodigy, had become indifferent. He taught lessons to get by in Paris and wrote Symphony No. 31 and a ballet score, Les Petits riens. Tragically, his mother fell ill and died in Paris. Mozart returned to work with his father at the court and was then dispatched to the Prince Archbishop's secondary residence in Vienna. This did not work out and Mozart was dismissed.

Mozart remained in Vienna, and in 1782 he married Constanze Weber. Much has been written about "feather-headed Constanze" but it must have been a happy marriage. She would keep Mozart awake by telling him funny stories as he finished his compositions to meet deadlines, and Constanze was supportive of his endeavors. They had two surviving children. Much has also been written about their wretched living conditions and the financial problems resulting from free-lancing. However, Mozart's family lived in beautifully appointed apartments and suburban houses. His income had reached $80,000 or 6000 florins in 1791, which was greater than a court appointment.

Author Peter Gammond described the uniqueness of Mozart: "Other composers have shared some of Mozart's gifts but none has been blessed with them all. He had the most astonishingly accurate ear, a phenomenal memory, innate style and judgement, all served by a matchless melodic invention, harmonic ingenuity, complete command of technicalities of counterpoint and extraordinary virtuosity. Music simply flowed from him and, once committed to paper, it was rare for him to make more than a few corrections (unlike Beethoven). Essentially, Mozart saw himself as a composer of operas and as a concert pianist. The outcome [being] half a dozen of the world's greatest operas and twenty-seven piano concertos."

Mozart's best friend and father both died in 1787, and Mozart was greatly affected by this loss. He composed the Rondo in A minor at this time. This is a deeply moving, reflective piece for piano (see MyBand). At the time of his own death in 1791, Mozart realized that his opera, The Magic Flute, had been well received. The opera contains wonderful arias and duets, spectacular sets and fast-paced, though meandering plots.

Critics often had mixed reactions about The Magic Flute through the centuries, but the opera has definitely withstood the test of time. The English critic Leigh Hunt (1784-1859) wrote he "did not participate in the objections made to the nature of the story, which because it is a fairy tale is thought to be frivolous... Alas, how frivolous are the most grave realities of life!" The critic elaborated, "There are two worlds: the world we can measure with line and rule and the world that we feel with our hearts and imagination."

Mozart and Hunt apparently shared the same life view. Mozart concentrated intensely on his writing, sometimes composing a second movement while orchestrating the first. He said, "I pay no attention whatever to anybody's praise or blame. I simply follow my own feelings."

Suggested listening: Choose from 600 compositions, 16 masses, 20 operas, 60 symphonies, concertos for piano and other instruments, chamber music and piano sonatas! The Magic Flute, Don Giovanni!

1756 Born Salzburg, Austria, Jan. 27.
1762 Performed for Vienna Court
1763 European tour incl. London and Paris
1770 First of three visits to Italy
1777 Mannheim and Paris
1781 Moved to Vienna
1782 Married Constanze Weber
1784 Birth of Karl-Thomas; successful concerts
1785 String quartets dedicated to Haydn
1786 Marriage of Figaro; Prague Symphony No. 38
1787 Don Giovanni; Mozart's father and best friend died
1788 Composed three symphonies, No. 39-41
1789 Successful revival, Figaro; Tour of Prague, Dresden, Berlin, Frankfurt
1790 Cosi fan tutte
1791 The Magic Flute
1791 Died while composing Requiem, Dec. 5th