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| WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART |
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART
(1756 - 1791)
MAIN GENRES
Opera
Concerto
Chamber Music
Symphony
Possibly the most naturally gifted person the human race has ever produced. His cruelly short life makes what he accomplished in his 35 years even more astounding. A child protege raised by his father Leopold, Mozart performed for the royal courts of Europe as a violinist and pianist at age six, composed his first symphony at eight, and a full opera at twelve.
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| ARCHBISHOP COLLOREDO |
The Mozart family lived in Salzburg, in the Kingdom of Bavaria (modern Austria). As an employee of the Archbishop of Salzburg, Mozart was treated as a servant and wished to leave.
In 1781, against his father's wishes, Mozart left the employment of the Archbishop and moved to Vienna as a freelance composer.
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| VIENNA CITY CENTER IN 1790 |
Mozart's ten years in Vienna were filled with both success and struggle. During the 1780s, Mozart was at the height of his craft and composed hundreds of works including:
17 Piano Concerti (11-27)
6 Symphonies (35-41)
7 Operas
4 Concerti for Horn
1 Concerto for Clarinet
1 Clarinet Quintet
1 Quintet for Piano and Winds
10 String Quartets (14-23)
1 Great Mass
1 Requiem Mass
Mozart's income began to drop after 1786 due to Austria's war with the Turks and the decline in aristocratic patronage. Mozart and his wife Constanze went into huge debt by 1788 and did not begin to recover until 1791. |
| PORTRAIT OF MOZART |
1791 was a positive year for Mozart and something of a financial comeback. During this time he composed some of his most famous music such as The Magic Flute, the Clarinet Concerto, and the Requiem.
From September to December, Mozart's health declined for reasons that are still unclear despite many theories. He died in December, 1791 at age 35. His wife and two sons lived well into the 19th century and saw Mozart's legacy grow into legend.
WHERE TO START WITH MOZART?
Almost anywhere. Mozart wrote so much music in every genre and all of it is marvelous. For his symphonies, the most performed are Symphony 40 and Symphony 41 (nicknamed "Jupiter"). For the concerti, the Clarinet Concerto and a few of the Piano Concerti (the most popular seem to be Piano Concerto 20, Piano Concerto 21, and Piano Concerto 24).
As for Mozart's operas, I suggest the hilarious Marriage of Figaro or the fantastical Magic Flute. Then perhaps Cosi Fan Tutte. Most DVDs have English subtitles and a printed libretto.
