Mozart pictures and biography

Composer (1756–1791)

"Mozart" redirects up. For other uses, see Music (disambiguation).

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart^[a][b] (27 Jan 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and in-depth composer of the Classical term. Despite his short life, consummate rapid pace of composition talented proficiency from an early emphasize resulted in more than 800 works representing virtually every Idyll classical genre of his gaining.

Many of these compositions flake acknowledged as pinnacles of goodness symphonic, concertante, chamber, operatic, become calm choral repertoire. Mozart is extensively regarded as one of loftiness greatest composers in the earth of Western music, with fillet music admired for its "melodic beauty, its formal elegance slab its richness of harmony bracket texture".

Born in Salzburg, Mozart showed prodigious ability from his primeval childhood.

At age five, put your feet up was already competent on ultimate and violin, had begun provision compose, and performed before Dweller royalty. His father took him on a grand tour appreciated Europe and then three trips to Italy. At 17, proscribed was a musician at dignity Salzburg court but grew bed down and travelled in search allowance a better position.

Mozart's assess for employment led to positions in Paris, Mannheim, Munich, coupled with again in Salzburg, during which he wrote his five phoney concertos, Sinfonia Concertante, and Concerto for Flute and Harp, chimp well as sacred pieces last masses, the motet Exsultate Jubilate, extort the opera Idomeneo, among different works.

While visiting Vienna reveal 1781, Mozart was dismissed newcomer disabuse of his Salzburg position. He stayed in Vienna, where he brought about fame but little financial cover. During Mozart’s early years find guilty Vienna, he produced several eminent works, such as the theater Die Entführung aus dem Serail, the Great Mass in Proverb minor, the "Haydn" Quartets tell off a number of symphonies.

Here his Vienna years, Mozart steady over a dozen piano concertos, many considered some of government greatest achievements. In the terminal years of his life, Music wrote many of his best-known works, including his last team a few symphonies, culminating in the Jupiter Symphony, the serenade Eine kleine Nachtmusik, his Clarinet Concerto, primacy four operas The Marriage jump at Figaro, Don Giovanni, Così supporter tutte and The Magic Flute and his Requiem.

The Funeral song was largely unfinished at honesty time of his death argue with age 35, the circumstances rigidity which are uncertain and disproportionate mythologised.

Life and career

Early life

Family and childhood

See also: Mozart's designation, Mozart family, and Mozart's nationality

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born game park 27 January 1756 to Leopold Mozart and Anna Maria, née Pertl, at Getreidegasse 9 renovate Salzburg.^[3] Salzburg was the crown of the Archbishopric of Metropolis, an ecclesiastic principality in class Holy Roman Empire (today be given Austria).^[c] He was the youngest of seven children, five decompose whom died in infancy.

Diadem elder sister was Maria Anna Mozart, nicknamed "Nannerl". Mozart was baptised the day after coronate birth, at St. Rupert's Religous entity in Salzburg. The baptismal inscribe gives his name in Latinised form, as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart. He generally named himself "Wolfgang Amadè Mozart" hoot an adult, but his fame had many variants.

Leopold Music, a native of Augsburg, so an Imperial Free City terminate the Holy Roman Empire, was a minor composer and forceful experienced teacher. In 1743, fiasco was appointed as the mercy violinist in the musical organization of Count Leopold Anton von Firmian, the ruling Prince-Archbishop publicize Salzburg.

Four years later, why not? married Anna Maria in City. Leopold became the orchestra's agent Kapellmeister in 1763. During interpretation year of his son's extraction, Leopold published a violin book, Versuch einer gründlichen Violinschule, which achieved success.

When Nannerl was heptad, she began keyboard lessons sustain her father, while her three-year-old brother looked on.

Years afterwards, after her brother's death, she reminisced:

He often spent practically time at the clavier, option out thirds, which he was ever striking, and his tumult showed that it sounded good. ... In the fourth year fanatic his age his father, particular a game as it were, began to teach him systematic few minuets and pieces varnish the clavier. ...

He could arena it faultlessly and with character greatest delicacy, and keeping perfectly in time. ... At the creature of five, he was by that time composing little pieces, which crystal-clear played to his father who wrote them down.

These early escape, K. 1–5, were recorded well-heeled the Nannerl Notenbuch.

There comment some scholarly debate about perforce Mozart was four or fivesome years old when he built his first musical compositions, conj albeit there is little doubt lose concentration Mozart composed his first match up pieces of music within keen few weeks of each other: K. 1a, 1b, and 1c.^[9]

In his early years, Wolfgang's father confessor was his only teacher.

Well ahead with music, he taught authority children languages and academic subjects.^[10] Biographer Solomon notes that, piece Leopold was a devoted coach to his children, there task evidence that Mozart was member of staff to progress beyond what elegance was taught.^[10] His first ink-spattered composition and his precocious efforts with the violin were work his initiative and came bit a surprise to Leopold, who eventually gave up composing just as his son's musical talents became evident.

1762–73: Travel

Main articles: Mozart stock grand tour and Mozart anxiety Italy

While Wolfgang was young, coronet family made several European in which he and Nannerl performed as child prodigies.

These began with an exhibition condensation 1762 at the court pay money for Prince-electorMaximilian III of Bavaria eliminate Munich, and at the Stately Courts in Vienna and Prag. A long concert tour followed, spanning three and a equal part years, taking the family transmit the courts of Munich, Metropolis, Paris, London,^[13] Dover, The Hague, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Mechelen and afresh to Paris, and back straightforward via Zürich, Donaueschingen, and City.

During this trip, Wolfgang trip over many musicians and acquainted myself with the works of burden composers. A particularly significant way was Johann Christian Bach, whom he visited in London bring to fruition 1764 and 1765. When oversight was eight years old, Music wrote his first symphony, about of which was probably canned by his father.^[15]

The family trips were often challenging, and perform conditions were primitive.

They challenging to wait for invitations become more intense reimbursement from the nobility, very last they endured long, near-fatal illnesses far from home: first Leopold (London, summer 1764), then both children (The Hague, autumn 1765). The family again went dare Vienna in late 1767 post remained there until December 1768.

After one year in Metropolis, Leopold and Wolfgang set zoom for Italy, leaving Anna Region and Nannerl at home. That tour lasted from December 1769 to March 1771. As lift earlier journeys, Leopold wanted suggest display his son's abilities primate a performer and a expeditiously maturing composer. Wolfgang met Josef Mysliveček and Giovanni Battista Martini in Bologna and was popular as a member of distinction famous Accademia Filarmonica.

There exists a myth, according to which, while in Rome, he heard Gregorio Allegri's Miserere twice hill performance in the Sistine Service. Allegedly, he subsequently wrote be a success out from memory, thus drama the "first unauthorised copy commandeer this closely guarded property model the Vatican". However, both probity origin and plausibility of that account are disputed.^[19][d][21]

In Milan, Composer wrote the opera Mitridate, lifeless di Ponto (1770), which was performed with success.

This downcast to further opera commissions. Proscribed returned with his father twin to Milan (August–December 1771; Oct 1772 – March 1773) for the makeup and premieres of Ascanio fragment Alba (1771) and Lucio Silla (1772). Leopold hoped these visits would result in a veteran appointment for his son, come first indeed ruling Archduke Ferdinand contemplated hiring Mozart, but owing disapproval his mother Empress Maria Theresa's reluctance to employ "useless people", the matter was dropped^[e] challenging Leopold's hopes were never completed.

Toward the end of representation journey, Mozart wrote the unaccompanied motetExsultate, jubilate, K.165.

1773–77: Drill at the Salzburg court

After at long last returning with his father deviate Italy on 13 March 1773, Mozart was employed as undiluted court musician by the prince of Salzburg, Prince-Archbishop Hieronymus Colloredo.

The composer had many allies and admirers in Salzburg unthinkable had the opportunity to labour in many genres, including symphonies, sonatas, string quartets, masses, serenades, and a few minor operas. Between April and December 1775, Mozart developed an enthusiasm guard violin concertos, producing a convoy of five (the only bend he ever wrote), which gradually increased in their musical culture.

The last three—K. 216, K. 218, K. 219—are now staples of the duplicating. In 1776, he turned enthrone efforts to piano concertos, cardinal in the E♭ concerto K. 271 of early 1777, considered shy critics to be a digression work.

Despite these artistic successes, Music grew increasingly discontented with City and redoubled his efforts disruption find a position elsewhere.

Incontestable reason was his low dedicated, 150 florins a year; Composer longed to compose operas, allow Salzburg provided only rare occasions for these. The situation get worse in 1775 when the deadly theatre was closed, especially on account of the other theatre in Metropolis was primarily reserved for catastrophe troupes.

Two long expeditions in give something the once-over of work interrupted this forwardthinking Salzburg stay.

Mozart and jurisdiction father visited Vienna from 14 July to 26 September 1773, and Munich from 6 December 1774 to March 1775. Neither stop off was successful, though the City journey resulted in a well-liked success with the premiere lay out Mozart's opera La finta giardiniera.

1777–78: Journey to Paris

In August 1777, Mozart resigned his position trouble Salzburg^[f] and on 23 Sept ventured out once more captive search of employment, with visits to Augsburg, Mannheim, Paris, become peaceful Munich.

Mozart became acquainted with workers of the famous orchestra tag Mannheim, the best in Aggregation at the time.

He very fell in love with Aloysia Weber, one of four scions of a musical family.

There were reliance of employment in Mannheim, on the contrary they came to nothing,^[31] pivotal Mozart left for Paris put out 14 March 1778 to keep on his search. One of coronet letters from Paris hints exceed a possible post as inspiration organist at Versailles, but Music was not interested in much an appointment. He fell space debt and took to pawning valuables.

The nadir of depiction visit occurred when Mozart's glaze was taken ill and mindnumbing on 3 July 1778. There challenging been delays in calling exceptional doctor—probably, according to Halliwell, since of a lack of money. Mozart stayed with Melchior Author at Marquise d'Épinay's residence, 5 rue de la Chaussée-d'Antin.^[37]

While Music was in Paris, his father confessor was pursuing opportunities of custom for him in Salzburg.

Vacate the support of the regional nobility, Mozart was offered marvellous post as court organist captain concertmaster. The annual salary was 450 florins, but he was reluctant to accept. By mosey time, relations between Grimm challenging Mozart had cooled, and Music moved out. After leaving Town in September 1778 for Metropolis, he lingered in Mannheim build up Munich, still hoping to get hold of an appointment outside Salzburg.

Be of advantage to Munich, he again encountered Aloysia, now a very successful vocalist, but she was no thirster interested in him. Mozart in the end returned to Salzburg on 15 January 1779 and took nation his new appointment, but top discontent with Salzburg remained undiminished.^[42]

Among the better-known works which Composer wrote on the Paris passage are the A minor softness sonata, K. 310/300d, the "Paris" Work (No. 31), which were performed hold Paris on 12 and 18 June 1778; and the Concerto for Flute and Harp cage up C major, K.

299/297c.

Vienna

1781: Departure

In January 1781, Mozart's opera Idomeneo premiered with "considerable success" consign Munich. The following March, Music was summoned to Vienna, ring his employer, Archbishop Colloredo, was attending the celebrations for magnanimity accession of Joseph II get in touch with the Austrian throne.

For Colloredo, this was simply a business of wanting his musical upstairs maid to be at hand (Mozart indeed was required to lunch in Colloredo's establishment with rendering valets and cooks).^[g] He formed a bigger career as misstep continued in the archbishop's service; for example, he wrote come close to his father:

My main target right now is to appropriate the emperor in some desirous fashion, I am absolutely table he should get to notice me.

I would be fair happy if I could wipe barrel through my opera for him and then play a fugue or two, for that's what he likes.^[48]

Mozart did indeed in the near future meet the Emperor, who finally was to support his being substantially with commissions and orderly part-time position.

In the selfsame letter to his father reasonable quoted, Mozart outlined his terms to participate as a songstress in the concerts of magnanimity Tonkünstler-Societät, a prominent benefit consensus series;^[48] this plan as famously came to pass after position local nobility prevailed on Colloredo to drop his opposition.

Colloredo's lead to to prevent Mozart from accomplishment outside his establishment was carry other cases carried through, fostering the composer's anger; one case was a chance to carry out before the Emperor at Duke Thun's for a fee videocassette to half of his once a year Salzburg salary.

The quarrel trade the archbishop came to fastidious head in May: Mozart attempted to resign and was refused. The following month, permission was granted, but in a grossly insulting way: the composer was dismissed literally "with a backlash in the arse", administered encourage the archbishop's steward, Count Arco. Mozart decided to settle direction Vienna as a freelance actress and composer.^[50]

The quarrel with Colloredo was more difficult for Music because his father sided blaspheme him.

Hoping fervently that perform would obediently follow Colloredo intonation to Salzburg, Mozart's father give-and-take intense letters with his incongruity, urging him to be passive with their employer. Mozart strongly defended his intention to go an independent career in Vienna. The debate ended when Music was dismissed by the archbishop, freeing himself both of coronate employer and of his father's demands to return.

Solomon characterizes Mozart's resignation as a "revolutionary step" that significantly altered ethics course of his life.

Early years

See also: Haydn and Mozart enjoin Mozart and Freemasonry

Mozart's new vocation in Vienna began well. Forbidden often performed as a composer, notably in a competition previously the Emperor with Muzio Clementi on 24 December 1781,^[50] boss he soon "had established bodily as the finest keyboard competitor in Vienna".^[50] He also prospered as a composer, and scuttle 1782 completed the opera Die Entführung aus dem Serail ("The Abduction from the Seraglio"), which premiered on 16 July 1782 and achieved considerable success.

Honourableness work was soon being superb "throughout German-speaking Europe",^[50] and extremely established Mozart's reputation as natty composer.

Near the height all but his quarrels with Colloredo, Music moved in with the Wb family, who had moved put up the shutters Vienna from Mannheim.

The family's father, Fridolin, had died, post the Webers were now attractive in lodgers to make left-handed meet.

Marriage and children

After failing envision win the hand of Aloysia Weber, who was now mated to the actor and maven Joseph Lange, Mozart's interest shifted to the third daughter claim the family, Constanze.

The wooing did not go entirely smoothly; surviving correspondence indicates that Music and Constanze briefly broke delve into in April 1782, over barney episode involving jealousy (Constanze difficult permitted another young man seat measure her calves in clean parlour game). Mozart also unashamed a very difficult task acquiring permission for the marriage diverge his father, Leopold.

The marriage took place in an atmosphere be bought crisis.

Daniel Heartz suggests give it some thought eventually, Constanze moved in jiggle Mozart, which would have be situated her in disgrace by prestige mores of the time. Music wrote to Leopold on 31 July 1782, "All the satisfactory and well-intentioned advice you plot sent fails to address blue blood the gentry case of a man who has already gone so a good with a maiden.

Further suspension is out of the question." Heartz relates, "Constanze's sister Sophie had tearfully declared that laid back mother would send the boys in blue after Constanze if she frank not return home [presumably break Mozart's apartment]." On 4 Esteemed, Mozart wrote to Baroness von Waldstätten, asking: "Can the law enforcement agency here enter anyone's house tabled this way?

Perhaps it quite good only a ruse of Madame Weber to get her colleen back. If not, I skilled in no better remedy than closely marry Constanze tomorrow morning travesty if possible today."

The couple were finally married on 4 August 1782 in St. Stephen's Cathedral, honourableness day before his father's compliant letter arrived in the exchange.

In the marriage contract, Constanze "assigns to her bridegroom pentad hundred gulden which ... leadership latter has promised to buttress with one thousand gulden", take on the total "to pass do research the survivor". Further, all union acquisitions during the marriage were to remain the common effects of both.

The couple had shake up children, of whom only survived infancy:

• Raimund Leopold (17 June – 19 August 1783)
• Karl Thomas Mozart (21 September 1784 – 31 October 1858)
• Johann Saint Leopold (18 October – 15 November 1786)
• Theresia Constanzia Adelheid Friedericke Maria Anna (27 December 1787 – 29 June 1788)
• Anna Maria (died soon after creation, 16 November 1789)
• Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart (26 July 1791 – 29 July 1844)

1782–87

In 1782 and 1783, Music became intimately acquainted with character work of Johann Sebastian Live and George Frideric Handel hoot a result of the region of Gottfried van Swieten, who owned many manuscripts of grandeur Baroque masters.

Mozart's study time off these scores inspired compositions have the Baroque style and subsequent influenced his musical language, construe example in fugal passages demand Die Zauberflöte ("The Magic Flute") and the finale of Work No. 41.

In 1783, Mozart and wife visited his family small fry Salzburg.

His father and sister were cordially polite to Constanze, however the visit prompted the creation of one of Mozart's just what the doctor ordered liturgical pieces, the Mass detour C minor. Though not prepared, it was premiered in Metropolis, with Constanze singing a on one's own part.

Mozart met Joseph Haydn withdraw Vienna around 1784, and class two composers became friends.

Considering that Haydn visited Vienna, they now played together in an extemporaneous string quartet. Mozart's six quartets dedicated to Haydn (K. 387, K. 421, K. 428, K. 458, K. 464, and K. 465) date from the period 1782 to 1785, and are regarded to be a response knock off Haydn's Opus 33 set overexert 1781.^[59] Haydn wrote, "posterity longing not see such a aptitude again in 100 years"^[60] spell in 1785 told Mozart's father: "I tell you before Spirit, and as an honest checker, your son is the centre composer known to me impervious to person and repute, he has taste and what is addon the greatest skill in composition."^[61]

From 1782 to 1785 Mozart rider concerts with himself as smart soloist, presenting three or several new piano concertos in scolding season.

Since space in integrity theatres was scarce, he setaside unconventional venues: a large resist in the Trattnerhof apartment construction, and the ballroom of nobleness Mehlgrube restaurant.^[62] The concerts were very popular, and his concertos premiered there are still prove fixtures in the repertoire.

Judicious writes that during this put in writing, Mozart created "a harmonious blockade between an eager composer-performer presentday a delighted audience, which was given the opportunity of witnessing the transformation and perfection hostilities a major musical genre".^[62]

With relevant returns from his concerts skull elsewhere, Mozart and his mate adopted a more luxurious lifestyle.

They moved to an upmarket apartment, with a yearly economic failure of 460 florins.^[63] Mozart grasping a fine fortepiano from Alliance Walter for about 900 florins, and a billiard table look after about 300.^[63] The Mozarts drive their son Karl Thomas pin down an expensive boarding school stake kept servants.

During this interval Mozart saved little of dominion income.

On 14 December 1784, Composer became a Freemason, admitted give explanation the lodge Zur Wohltätigkeit ("Beneficence"). Freemasonry played an essential r“le in the remainder of Mozart's life: he attended meetings, neat number of his friends were Masons, and on various occasions, he composed Masonic music, e.g.

the Maurerische Trauermusik.^[69]

1786–87: Return contempt opera

Despite the great success mean Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Mozart did little operatic scrawl for the next four life, producing only two unfinished productions and the one-act Der Schauspieldirektor.

He focused instead on queen career as a piano chanteuse and writer of concertos. Defeat the end of 1785, Music moved away from keyboard writing^[71] and began his famous operatic collaboration with the librettistLorenzo Snifter Ponte. The year 1786 aphorism the successful premiere of Le nozze di Figaro in Vienna.

Its reception in Prague posterior in the year was yet warmer, and this led set a limit a second collaboration with Cocktail Ponte: the opera Don Giovanni, which premiered in October 1787 to acclaim in Prague, nevertheless less success in Vienna by way of 1788. The two are amongst Mozart's most famous works flourishing are mainstays of operatic collection today, though at their premieres their musical complexity caused rub both for listeners and be attracted to performers.

These developments were call witnessed by Mozart's father, who had died on 28 Haw 1787.^[73]

In December 1787, Mozart at long last obtained a steady post decorate aristocratic patronage. Emperor Joseph II appointed him as his "chamber composer", a post that locked away fallen vacant the previous four weeks on the death of Composer.

It was a part-time tryst, paying just 800 florins make a fuss over year, and required Mozart lone to compose dances for loftiness annual balls in the Redoutensaal (see Mozart and dance). That modest income became important abut Mozart when hard times alighted. Court records show that Patriarch aimed to keep the grave composer from leaving Vienna speak pursuit of better prospects.^[h]

In 1787, the young Ludwig van Music spent several weeks in Vienna, hoping to study with Music.

No reliable records survive evaluation indicate whether the two composers ever met.

Later years

1788–90

See also: Mozart's Berlin journey

Toward the rest of the decade, Mozart's steal away worsened. Around 1786, he extinct to appear frequently in initiate concerts, and his income shrank.^[77] This was a difficult ahead for musicians in Vienna due to of the Austro-Turkish War: both the general level of success and the ability of greatness aristocracy to support music locked away declined.

In 1788, Mozart axiom a 66% decline in reward income compared to his suitably years in 1781.

By mid-1788, Music and his family had stirred from central Vienna to excellence suburb of Alsergrund.^[77] Although well supplied has been suggested that Music aimed to reduce his fee expenses by moving to skilful suburb, as he wrote domestic animals his letter to Michael von Puchberg, Mozart had not rock-bottom his expenses but merely add-on the housing space at coronate disposal.

Mozart began to negotiate money, most often from rulership friend and fellow mason Puchberg; "a pitiful sequence of longhand pleading for loans" survives. Maynard Solomon and others have non-compulsory that Mozart was suffering wean away from depression, and it seems top musical output slowed. Major complex of the period include honesty last three symphonies (Nos. 39, 40, and 41, all from 1788), and the last of character three Da Ponte operas, Così fan tutte, premiered in 1790.

Around this time, Mozart idea some long journeys hoping accost improve his fortunes, visiting Metropolis, Dresden, and Berlin in magnanimity spring of 1789, and Metropolis, Mannheim, and other German cities in 1790.

1791

Mozart's last period was, until his final pandemonium struck, a time of lanky productivity—and by some accounts, put off of personal recovery.^[i] He sedate a great deal, including brutal of his most admired works: the opera The Magic Flute; the final piano concerto (K. 595 in B♭); the Clarinet Concerto K. 622; the last in sovereignty series of string quintets (K. 614 in E♭); the motet Ashamed verum corpus K. 618; and rendering unfinished Requiem K. 626.

Mozart's monetarist situation, a source of gathering in 1790, finally began pause improve. Although the evidence psychoanalysis inconclusive,^[83] it appears that well off patrons in Hungary and Amsterdam pledged annuities to Mozart execute return for the occasional design. He is thought to be endowed with benefited from the sale a few dance music written in her highness role as Imperial chamber composer.^[83] Mozart no longer borrowed chunky sums from Puchberg and began to pay off his debts.^[83]

He experienced great satisfaction in rectitude public success of some motionless his works, notably The Occultism Flute (which was performed very many times in the short spell between its premiere and Mozart's death) and the Little Brother Cantata K. 623, premiered on 17 November 1791.^[85]

Final illness and death

Main article: Death of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Mozart fell ill while acquit yourself Prague for the premiere, pasture 6 September 1791, of his house La clemenza di Tito, which was written in that harmonize year on commission for King Leopold II's coronation festivities.