Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Essay examples

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

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in 1756, in Salzburg, Austria. Mozart quickly became “the most extraordinarily gifted child in the history of music” (Forney 169). Around the age of 3 Mozart became interested in playing the keyboard, “he could also recall prominent passages from the pieces that he heard” (Abert 19). At only reaching the age of four, Mozart’s father had already begun to teach him a number of minutes and other pieces on the keyboard, and not long before he was able to play them with total accuracy and in perfect time. “Soon he was moved to write music of his own and was still only four when he wrote his first short pieces, which he played to his father and which the latter duly notated” (Abert 19). Not only did Mozart begin to compose before he was five but by the age of thirteen, he had already written everything from sonatas to several operas. Leopold was the father of Mozart, which instantly gave him a strong foundation when it came to the musical background. Leopold Mozart was a well-respected court composer-violinist, he dedicated his life and energy to support his son’s talent. Not only was Mozart influenced by his father but also by Johann Christian Bach. At this time Mozart traveled to the courts of Paris, London, The Hague, and Zurich performing with all the other child prodigies, this is how Mozart met Bach following one of their performances. They quickly became friends and Mozart considered Bach as an instrumental influence in his work. During

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

On July 31st, 2015, at Lincoln Center: Avery Fisher Hall, the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra: Mozart and Brahms took place. The performers for that evening were Jeremy Denk, the pianist and Louis Langrée as the conductor. The performances that were played that night were Chaconne in D minor for piano left hand by composer Johann Sebastian Bach and Johannes Brahms, Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K.466 by composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Symphony No. 4 in E minor by composer Johannes Brahms. The symphony was excellent in my opinion. The first performance, Chaconne in D minor for piano left hand wasn’t my favorite one but the last two were spectacular. It was the first time I’ve been to a classical music concert and it was a different

In 1769, father and son traveled to Italy and toured for more than a year in Rome, Milan, Florence, Naples, and Bologna. While in Italy, Mozart completed another opera, Mitridate, re di Ponto, received a papal audience, passed admission tests to the Accademia Filarmonica, and performed many concerts. Mozart then returned to Salzburg, but traveled to Italy for two shorter journeys in October 1771 and October 1772 through March 1773. During this time he completed two more operas, Ascanio in Alba (1771) and Lucio Silla (1772), eight symphonies, four divertimentos, and several other works.

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.

The year is 1788 as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart began to work on his last three symphonies during a time of strife for musicians as the Austro-Turkish War continues to war on in Austria. Tired from moving his family from central Vienna to the suburbs of Alsergrund all while in debt to his ears as he continued to borrow money from friends including a fellow mason, Michael Puchberg, Mozart finished his final symphony on August 10, 1788. This piece, nicknamed the “Jupiter Symphony,” coined by impresario Johann Peter Saloman, was Mozart’s longest symphony with a total of four movements, a typical symphonic form during the Classical era. The Jupiter Symphony totals to about forty five minutes of music ending

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.

Although Leopold was known for his children, Mozart's father was actually very musical himself. He was the fourth chair violinist in the musical establishment of Count Leopold Anton von Firmian, the ruling Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg. He also taught and composed violin and piano. Leopold was born November 14, 1719, and died May 28, 1787, at the age of 68.

Wolfgang Mozart had amazing career filled with a ton of music. After returning from Italy, Mozart learned of his first job opportunity as an assistant concertmaster. This allowed him to make a small salary. During this time, Mozart worked with several different musical genres. He composed symphonies, string quartets, sonatas and serenades and a few operas. After a time of being an assistant concert master, he wanted to find a new job. In August 1777, Mozart set out on a trip to find more prosperous employment. His mother, Anna Maria went with Wolfgang to Mannheim, Paris, and Munich. There were several job options that looked good to him, but none of them ended up working out. Mozart soon started to run out of money and decided to try to sell many valuable personal items to pay for all of the traveling and living expenses. The lowest point of the trip, and quite possibly a turning point in his career was when his mother fell ill and died on July 3, 1778. When his farther heard of the news, he was able to get a better job as a court organist for Wolfgang at the place he had been working. Wolfgang then returned home to Salzburg. In 1781, Mozart fell in love with Fridolin Weber’s daughter, Constanze. He knew his father would disapprove of the

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

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).

The name of the composition was A Minuet and Trio in G Major. It was one of the many compositions Mozart performed while he and his sister traveled around Europe and were portrayed as child prodigies from when Mozart was as little as six years old to when he was thirteen. WHen Mozart was thirteen, it seemed as though his sister’s musical career would be over because she was reaching the age when women at that time were supposed to get married and couldn’t show any musical talents in public. Nannerl’s music career may have been over, but Mozart’s career was only beginning. He continued traveling around Europe for four more years until he was seventeen. His last trip in Europe was a trip to Italy where he wrote many compositions including an opera called Mitridate re di Ponto for the Court of Milan, Ascanio in Alba (1771) and Lucio Silla

Like Mozart, Haydn's talent was also recognized at a young age. According to Schneider, Haydn's cousin who served as a schoolmaster quickly recognized his musical ability and offered to take him to school to further develop his musical skills. After years of hardship and challenges that were thrown at him in life, Haydn's persistence paid off when, according to Schneider, his musical talent became noticed and he was offered the position of Music Director for Count Morzin. This eventually led to being offered and accepting employment with Prince Paul Anton Esterhazy where he became the Vice-Kapellmeister and later Kapellmeister. The Esterhazys, were a family of extremely wealthy Hungarian princes that Haydn would serve for the next thirty-five years. While serving this noble family, Haydn composed eleven operas, sixty symphonies, five masses, thirty sonatas, one concerto, and hundreds of shorter pieces. He later enjoyed more success and praise for what is now known as his London symphonies.

In 1769 he became the leading violin player of an Archbishop and was invested by the Pope in Rome. Working in Salzburg he however visited Europe more to