Amadeus Mozart Research Paper

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a prolific European Composer during the 18th century where he made a lasting change on the musical world through his numerous compositions and excellence in his capabilities of playing many instruments perfectly. Mozart was born on January 27th, 1756, in Salzburg Austria. His father was Leopold Mozart who was a violinist, a minor composer, and Vice-Kapellmeister at the court of the Archbishop of Salzburg. His mother was Maria Anna Pertl. By the time Mozart was around four his father gave his sister music lessons, but without anyone knowing Mozart would absorb what they were talking about, and he started to awaken his gift. He started memorizing and playing songs just by hearing them and reciting them after. Mozart was four years old when he composed his first concerto for the clavier. On January 24, 1761, three days before his birthday, he learned a scherzo by Georg Christoph Wagenseil between nine and nine thirty at night an unusual time for a small child to be practicing in an age of no electric lights as Jeremy Siepmann says in Mozart His Life and His Music (5).

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart had a short but meaningful life and left his mark on the musical world forever. Mozart was a musical prodigy all of his life starting to learn the keyboard at age three with his sister at the age of seven. By the age of six Mozart could play multiple instruments for the public. Mozart’s talents in music reach further than playing instruments; he once listened to a piece played only a single time in concert and wrote the entire score from memory with only a few minor errors. With all of this talent crammed into just one person, one would think that he would be payed quite a lot of money, and live in the lap of luxury, but would be sadly wrong.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, commonly referred to as Mozart was born in Austria during the 18th century. Leopold and Anna Maria Mozart gave birth to Wolfgang Amadeus on January 27th 1756. (“Wolfgang Mozart") Wolfgang was born into a family that was not unfamiliar to the sounds of music. Leopold, Mozart’s father, was musically talented and enjoyed playing the violin and was not shy at introducing his children to music. Both Mozart and his sister Maria Anna began playing instruments. Therefore, from about the age of six years old it was obvious to Mozart’s family and his peers that he was musically gifted with his understanding of the complexities surrounding it ("Wolfgang Mozart").

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart baptized as Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart lived from January 27, 1756 to December 5, 1791. Mozart was a very influential and prolific composer of more than 600 works, including symphonies, concertante, chamber, piano, opera, and choral music. Regarded as a child prodigy, Mozart composed and performed in the European courts from the age of five, and was engaged at the Salzburg court at 17. Mozart’s musical style can be classified as Classical, although he learned from many of his contemporaries throughout his musical career. In order to better understand Mozart’s genius it is best to begin looking at his earliest contributions to the musical world as a child. From there, an exploration of his

This paper discusses Mozart's life, his compositions and his importance to the world and the world of music. It explains how Mozart's music is still some of the most popular classical music played today and his life is still studied because his music is so well known and liked.

     Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is said to be the greatest genius in western music history. Wolfgang Amadeus was born in Salzburg, Austria January 27, 1756 his parents were Leopold Mozart and Anna Maria Pertl. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s father was a successful composer, violinist, and assistant concertmaster at the Salzburg court. The

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was blessed with the a musical intelligence. This intelligence gave him the ability to perform and compose music. As a child Mozart was a prodigy since childhood. Mozart was composing music as early of the age of 5. His music wasn't pots and pans banging together. Mozart's music was extraordinary, he had composed 600 plus works by his mid 20s. He could feel the rhythm and knew exactly what to do with it. If this kind of intelligence does not fit Mozart, then I have no idea what could.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart lived during a period of great change in philosophy, art, religion and music. This change was brought about by the transition from the baroque period where the Catholic Church encouraged the arts to depict religious themes and the aristocracy ruled over the artists. The populace had very little power or recognition.

Mozart was known for having an ear that would make any musician envious. From a young age he was able to listen to any piece of music and his mind would interpret all of that data with ease. While in Rome, he listened to a performance of Gregorio Allegri’s Miserere only twice at the Sistine Chapel and was able to write it down for memory when he got home (Abert 135).

Mozart was a virtuoso on the piano. A virtuoso refers to someone who is highly skilled on his or her instrument. Mozart played keyboard and violin while his sister only played the keyboard. At the early age of 3, Mozart was showing signs of being musically gifted and began composing shortly after. Both he and his sister received intense musical training which, in turn, allowed Mozart the opportunity to grow as a musician. It became certain that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a child prodigy. This meant that he had a skill that was not learned. He had a natural gift for music. Their father, Leopold began teaching his children music at a young age. Because of this, both children were destined to get far in their musical careers. Over his short life, Mozart wrote several operas. His most famous operas include; The Marriage of Figaro, The Magic Flute and La Clemenza di Tito. Operas and plays that are entirely sung. Each of Mozart’s operas have a story behind it. For example, The Marriage of Figaro is a comedy about a couple trying to get married but, a series of obstacles interferes with it. Because Mozart showed a talent for music at the young age of six, his father took him and his sister to play in from of a court and they caught the attention of important individuals. This resulted in a tour.

Mozart was an extremely childish, immature person; yet one of the most talented musicians of all time.

The period form 1774 to mid 1777 was spent in Salzburg where he worked as a Konzertmeister at the Prince Archbishop’s court. He wrote many of his works during this time. Seeing limited opportunity in Salzburg, he left with his mother to Munich and Mannheim. No post was offered here either. His father then sent him to Paris with minor success only with his Paris Symphony no.31, deftly designed for the local taste. So, Wolfgang returned home alone. His mother had died in Paris. The years 1779-80 were spent in Salzburg playing in a cathedral and at court. He finally landed his big break when he wrote the Opera Idomeneo as a commission for Munich ( “Mozart” Grove ) Though there was conflict between him, his employer, and the Archbishop. So in May 1781 he resigned or was kicked out of his job. Wolfgang continued made a living as part time teacher, composer, and performer for various events. He married Constanze Weber in 1782. Also in 1782 and the following few years, Wolfgang wrote six string quartets all dedicated to the master of the form, Hayden. Hayden once told Mozart’s father that “Mozart was the greatest composer known to me in person or by name; he has taste and, what is more, the greatest knowledge of composition” ( “Mozart” Grove ). He wrote 15 piano concertos before the

I feel that the fourteen members of chamber orchestra and the two vocalists did an outstanding job. This piece was well put together. I loved the harmony that was brought forth between the orchestra and the vocalists. The two vocalists a tenor known as Paul Groves and a soprano known as Anna Larson, did a beautiful job staying in tune. The way that their voices went back and forth in harmony was just beautiful.

Wolfgang was busy during his childhood, playing, and practicing his music; he did not get much of a chance to really experience being a child. His father was constantly pushing him to be better, to play hard, and to make more money. Mozart and his father were evidently close, there are many different views to how Leopold fathered his children; some say he was a money hungry truant, others say he was sweet, sensitive, wanted the best for his children, and that the money didn’t matter. I believe that Leopold want the best for his children, and maybe a little money out of it. Eventually, Mozart wanted to leave his native home of Salzburg, he was most likely tired of his father constantly trying to control his life. Having knowledge of the lack of jobs in Vienna, and disregarding his fathers pleads, Mozart left his home anyways, heading for Vienna with no steady job.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's adult life was musically productive. He lived in Central Europe his entire life. Mozart was