Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is perhaps the most famous classical music composer of all time. Here we explore the factors that made him special.
An Extraordinary Childhood
Mozart was born on 27 January 1756 in Salzburg, Austria. From a very young age, he demonstrated musical promise and was hailed a child prodigy. His father Leopold, a composer and musician, was so delighted with young Wolfgang’s extraordinary musical abilities that he arranged for the Mozart family to embark on a grand musical tour of Europe to showcase his and his sister’s talents. Between 1763 and 1766 the family toured the major courts of Europe, including Paris, London, and Vienna where he met the future Queen of France, Marie Antoinette.
Here is a clip of Mozart’s first catalogued piece, his Minuet in G major KV 1 for keyboard, composed when he was only five years old.
He revolutionised opera
Mozart composed his first opera when he was only 11 years old, but it took him until his move to Vienna in 1781 to make a name for himself in the theatre world. During this time, Mozart wrote some of his most famous and enduring operas including The Magic Flute and the trio of operas that he collaborated with the librettist Lorenzo da Ponte, Don Giovanni, The Marriage of Figaro and Così fan tutte.
Today, Mozart’s operas are celebrated for their musical brilliance, complicated and nuanced characters and his ability to depict the human condition.
Concert Culture
Making a living as a composer in Vienna was difficult and Mozart supplemented his income between opera commissions by performing his own works in concert. He advertised performances of his new symphonies, concertos, sonatas and chamber music in Vienna’s local newspapers, asking his audience to subscribe to a concert series. For a time he earned a good deal of money and adopted a lavish lifestyle in attempt to keep up with Vienna’s elites.
Among his most successful works in concert were his 27 piano concertos. One of the most famous is his Piano Concerto in C Major, No 21 which was first performed in 1785.
Early death and Requiem
In 1791, Mozart’s finances were beginning to recover after a difficult period, and he entered a new productive phase, completing two operas and starting work on his Requiem. However, this newfound period of creativity was not to last, and Mozart became fatally ill soon after The Magic Flute’s first performance in September.
Mozart is said to have become haunted by the idea that he was actually writing the Requiem for himself. He died on 5 December 1791 and the Requiem was later completed by his pupil Franz Süssmayer. Who knows what else Mozart might have achieved had he not died at the age of 35?
If this has increased your appetite for a bit of Mozart, don’t miss our brand-new production of Così fan tutte, opening in Cardiff on Saturday 24 February before embarking on a tour of Wales and England and Mozart’s Requiem, performed by WNO Chorus and Orchestra, as part of our Cardiff Classical Concert, Peace and Passion on Sunday 21 April.
