Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on January 27 1756 in Salzbury, Austria. His father Leopold Mozart was a successful composer, violinist and assistant concert master at the Salzbury court. His mother Anna Maria Pertl was born into middle class. Her family was local community leaders. He had a sister named Maria Anna Mozart. Her nick name was Nannerl. She was 4 years older than Wolfgang. At the age of 3 Wolfgang mimic his sister playing the piano. He showed that he understood cords, tonality and tempo. That when his father began tutoring him. At the age of 5 Wolfgang demonstrated outstanding playing on the clarinet and violin. In 1762 at the age of 6 Wolfgang and his sister started touring throughout Europe from Paris to London. On his tours he got to meet many other accomplished and hear there music. In London he meets Johann Christian Back who was a strong influenced on Wolfgang.
The trips that him and his sister took were long and sometimes in bad weather. They sometime had to wait to get paid and it prolong there tour. The age of 13 Wolfgang and his father set out to Italy. In Rome he heard Gregorio Allegns Miserere. After that he rewrote the song from memory and fixed the errors. He also wrote a new opera, Mitridate, Re di Ponto. He wrote two more operas, Ascanio in Alda 1771 and Lucio Silla 1772. In March 1773 that was the last time Wolfgang and his father travel to Italy, that when he became an assistant concertmaster. Before the age of 21 he developed a passion for violin concertos. In 1776 his passion turned to piano concertos. That went him culminating number 9 in E flat major. In 1777 he turns 21 that when he felt like he wants more from life. So Wolfgang and his mother set out for a better opportunity. Him and his mother travel to Mannheim, Paris, and Munich. Where he got several employment positions that seamed promising, but all fell though. He began running short with money so he had to pawn several valuable personal items to pay for traveling and food. During his trip with his mother, she got sick and died July 3 1778. Back home in 1779 he wrote a series of church music, one being Coronation Mass. In March 1781 he was asked by Archbishop von Colloredo of Vienna for Joseph the 2nd of Austrian throne, while he took the job, he was treated like a servant. After getting out of that job with the Archbishop’s. He decided to stay in Vienna and work as a freelance performer and composer. Where he live with his friend an at the home of Fridolin Weber. Wolfgang found work in Vienna. His work ranged from teaching, writing music and playing in concerts. He also being writing an opera call die Entfuhruing aus dem Serail (The Abduction from the seraglio).
In 1781 he fell in love with Fridolin Weber’s daughter Constaze. They were married on August 4 1782. Constaze and Wolfgang had 6 children, but only 2 kids’s survived infancy. There names are Karl Thomas and Franz Xaver. Wolfgang followed the music of Johannes Sebastian Bach and George Frederic Handel. Which influenced his own music such as Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute), and symphony number 41? Along that time Wolfgang and Joseph Hergdn meet and became good friends. When they got together they performed impromptu concerts with string quartets. Wolfgang wrote 6 quartet dedicated to Haydn between 1782 and 1783. In 1783 Wolfgang’s music started to take off. He and his wife started living the lavish lifestyle. With his new wealth he had servants, exclusive apartment building in Vienna and expensive boarding school for the kids. In 1784 Wolfgang wrote a Mass in C minor, and only two were completed “Kyrie” and “Gloria”. In the same year Wolfgang became a freemason and also did charitable work. Between the years of 1782 and 1785 he divided his time from self-produced concerts and writing music. He was writing three to four piano concertos a season. Where he would perform in large rooms in apartment buildings and ballrooms in expensive restaurants. Because it was hard to book theater space in Vienna. Wolfgang also started keeping a catalog of his own music. Wolfgang had a biographer Maynard Solomon who said “given the opportunity of witnessing the transformation and perfection of a major musical genre”. In the mid 1780s Wolfgang and his wife fell into hard times, trying to live the extravagant lifestyle. His success as a pianist and composer was not taking care of the lifestyle they became a custom too. He felt the only way to make money was through court appointment. But that wouldn’t be easy.
The court was favoring Italian composers like Kapellmeister Antonio Salieri. And Wolfgang and Antonio didn’t get along. Rumor also spread that Antonio had poisoned Wolfgang. That rumor was made famous in the 20th century. The only thing them two had in common is they always competed for the same job. But they also collaborate on a cantata for voice and piano called Per La Recuoerate Salute Di Ophelia. In the end of 1787 Wolfgang got to work with a Venetian composer and poet by the name of Lorenzo Da Ponta. Together they composed the opera The Marriage of Figaro. That was very successful in 1786 and also received in Prague. They also wrote together the opera Don Giovanna in 1787 which got them a high rating in Prague. In December 1787 Wolfgang was appointed to Chamber composer by emperor Joseph 2. With little pay Wolfgang only did dance and annual balls. In the end of the 1780s he moved his family from central Vienna to the suburs of Alsergrud. To reduce the cost of living. During this time he wrote his last three symphonies “De Ponte Operas”, “Cosi fan Tuttle” and “Black Thought”. From 1790 to 1791 in his middle 30’s Wolfgang went through some personal healing and during this time he wrote “The Magic Flute” the final piano concerto in B flat, an the Clarinet concerto in A minor and the unfinished Requiem. From September 1791 to December 1791 he became very sick and unable to perform his music. He sister came to his bed side to take care of him when he became bedridden in November. December 5 1791 he died. They said he died from severe military fever on his officially postmortem diagnosis. Wolfgang Mozart is still known today for his accomplishment. For being one of the greatest composers.
