Mozart: Composer for the Ages
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in 1756 in Salzburg. His full name as recorded on his Baptismal certificate is (in Latin) Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilis Amadeus Mozart. Though seven children were born in the family only Wolfgang and his elder sister survived infancy. Both were instructed in the ways of music by their father. Wolfgang showed early signs of being a prodigy.
His father Leopold was a music teacher and composer and passed on his love of music to his son, encouraging both of his children to perform. Mozart surprised his father at an early age by drafting his own composition, without encouragement (Deutsch, 1965).
Leopold took the children on extensive tours of Europe, having them perform in the Bavarian, Vienna, and Prague Courts. The duo was the equivalent of today's child-stars. Their touring led Mozart to meet important musicians like J.C. Bach. In Rome, Mozart heard Allegri's Miserere and when he went home he wrote the work in compositional form, wholly from memory (Gutman, 2000). His musical genius was beyond a doubt.
In 1770, the boy's first opera was performed. For Mozart, there was no greater joy than writing operas, which were the premiere productions of the times -- like today's Hollywood blockbusters.
Three years later, Mozart obtained a position in the court of Salzburg. The prodigious Mozart went immediately to work, writing a number of violin concertos and piano concertos. However, Mozart looked to return to writing operas and Mozart sought openings on the stage where he might gain the opportunity.
Desiring to be independent of his patron in Salzburg, Mozart fled to Vienna after a search throughout Europe, performing on the piano and writing operas. There he married and fathered six children -- but, as with his own siblings -- only two lived.
In 1784, Mozart met Haydn, who told Leopold that Wolfgang was "the greatest composer known to me by person and repute, he has taste and what is more the greatest skill in composition" (Mozart, Mozart, 1966, p. 1331). At the time, Haydn was considered to be the greatest composer. Mozart gave many concerts and composed his Mass in C minor, while enjoying something of a lavish lifestyle thanks to his new income through performing. At this time,...
Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is one of the most respected and revered composers who ever lived. Although he was a part of what has become known as the Classical era of music, it can be argued that Mozart transcended the aesthetic of his timer period and created works which are timeless. During his unfairly short lifetime, he helped create and popularize various musical forms. He has become an icon of genius
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart does not deserve to be on the list of history's most influential people. Mozart's work clearly shows the influence of his time, including the ideas of the Enlightenment and musical influences of the time. His work is clearly long-lasting in the western world, and the best of his pieces show a profound grasp of melody, and mark him as a major talent. While an immensely talented and
Mozart wrote the work with the help of a friend and fellow composer, Lorenzo da Ponte (real name Emmanuele Conegliano). He and da Ponte wrote the opera very quickly, as one of his biographers notes, "The writing must have been mainly done in six weeks - the figure given in da Ponte's memoirs - starting in mid-October. It seems that rather than compose the work straight through Mozart set
Mozart especially did the trick. Einstein loved Mozart's highly organized, intensely patterned sonatas. He felt, as many before him, that music and the reasoning intellect were linked. Music and his scientific work...were 'born of the same source.'" (Dowd, 2008) a report conducted by the German Ministry of Education in 2007 while failing to uphold music having a long-term influence on intelligence did state findings of a "link between musical
The term, rondeau: andante grazioso, refers to the final movement of a piece of music and andante grazioso means to play gracefully. For Mozart's "Violin Concerto No 4," the violin is accompanied by two oboes, two horns, and a string section. The music was fast in the beginning and tempo would increase when the horns joined in but the violin playing was soft and melodic. Toward the end of the composition
All the while, Leopold continued to promote his son to the Royal Court - which became a successful effort which allowed for a minor stability of income (which was supplemented by private lessons). but, by 1778, Mozart was exceptionally tired of Salzburg and yearned for larger cities and more opportunities. Mozart demonstrated a fickle music taste - writing in highly prolific bursts the same types of music until he became
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