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Mozart Requiem Research Paper

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Mozart’s Requiem is one of his most well-known pieces, both for its beauty and for the fact that it was his final piece. There are many stories and myths surrounding this piece, its composition, and its effect of the man. It might also be considered a forgery, since Mozart didn’t actually write the majority of the piece. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, (baptized name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Gottlieb Mozart) was born January 27, 1756 in Salzburg, Austria. (Gay) He was the final child of seven born to Leopold Mozart, a notable composer and violinist, and his wife Anna Marie and the only male to survive. He had an older sister named Marie Anna (called Nannerl) who was the only other surviving child. (Gay) He showed an aptitude for music …show more content…

He stayed at this position until 1777 when he resigned and left to try and secure better employment elsewhere. (Gay) He first went to Mannheim where he made the acquaintance of the Weber family and promptly fell in love with one of the daughters, Aloysia. (Solomon) His father was concerned that should Mozart marry, he would lose his influence and hold on Mozart and his finances. (Solomon) He ordered Mozart to Paris to earn money for the family. He travelled to Paris accompanied by his mother and tried to woo his way into employment at one of the courts there. (Gay) Unfortunately the stress of travelling was hard on his mother who was not in the best of health and on July 3, 1778 she died in Paris. (Gay) Not only did Mozart blame himself for her death but letters between the two would indicate that his father partially blamed him as well. (Gay) In January of 1779 Mozart returned to Salzburg and again took up employment with the Archbishop, this time as concertmaster and court organist. Mozart hated this employment. He wanted to be out of Salzburg feeling that the city was too small and uncivilized to suit his “worldly” tastes and talents. (Solomon) He took extended absences from his employer which angered the Archbishop. (Gay) He was eventually fired, in a spectacular way, receiving a literal kick out of the door (and in the rump) by the Archbishop’s steward Count Arco in 1781.Now freed from the constraints placed upon him by the Archbishop’s employment Mozart moved to Vienna.

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