Mozart's Life in 90 Seconds
Hello fellow Mozart fans! As I was going back to look at my Mozart page
I noticed a few things missing, notably, Mozart's life. Sure, other Mozart
pages will offer you Mozart's biography, but I'll deliver it fast and (hopefully)
painlessly. Okay, here we go!
Mozart was born January 27, 1756 in Salzburg, Austria.
He was the Seventh child of Leopold and Anna Maria Mozart,
though only he and his older sister Nannerl would survive past infancy.
At three years old Mozart began to play the harpsichord, by six he was
writing compositions. Leopold decided not to waste Wolfgang's precocious
talents and took him on a tour across Europe with his sister, displaying
their abilities to royal courts and houses. Leopold gained a good deal
of money and also spread Mozart's reputation. These tours continued well
into Mozart's late teenage years. Mozart's touring with his father only
stopped when Wolfgang was fired by the Archbishop of Salzburg.
Mozart was happy to leave the Archbishop, for he confined his genius and kept him demoted (sound familiar to modern workers?). He immediately left with his mother (to babysit him instead of pappa) to find work elsewhere. He traveled from Austria to Italy and finally ended up in France. He received a minor position but hated France. Mozart decided to reluctantly return to Salzburg after his mother died from a fever while in Paris.
After flirting with a first cousin and being attracted to Aloysia Weber,
Mozart opted for Aloysia's sister, Constanza. Temperamentally they were
perfect, both fun-loving and playful, financially, however, they (especially
Mozart) were spendthrifts. After a long wait, with Leopold's blessing not
forthcoming, they decided to marry on August 4, 1782. Around this time
Mozart wrote the score to "The Abduction from the Seralio".
Later he'd also compose "The Marriage of Figaro" and "Don
Giovanni". The Mozarts' money trouble really start to show by
the time of "Cosi fan Tutte" and "La Clemenza di
Tito". His crowning operatic masterpiece, however, was completed in
the year of his death, "The Magic Flute".
"The Requiem" was commissioned the same time as "The
Magic Flute". Mozart was a freelance composer after he was fired by
the Archbishop. Wealthy patrons commissioning symphonies, minuets, and
concertos was a common practice. Because the patron remained anonymous
(so he could plagiarize Mozart's work), Mozart acquired morbid feelings
for "The Requiem" and anticipated his own death. In an attack
of rheumatic fever, Mozart died of heart failure on December 4, 1792.
"The Requiem" was never completed.
Disclaimer: If you used a stopwatch and found out that
you did not go through Mozart's Life in 90 seconds it's not my fault you're
such a pokey reader!
So the synopsis wasn't good enough? You want facts, details, more of
the nitty gritty that teachers love? Then check out my little chronology
table.
1756, Jan. 27: Mozart was Born in Salzburg
1761: First composition
1762: Family travels to Munich and Vienna
1763: Family starts European Tours (lasts for 3 years)
1766: Return to Salzburg
1767: Performance of Mozart's first operas
1776: Composition of Haffner Serenade
1778: Maria Anna Mozart (Mozart's mom) dies
1781: "Idomeneo" premieres. Leaves Archbishop. Moves to
Vienna
1782: "The Abduction from the Seralio" premieres. Marries
Constanze Weber
1786: "The Marriage of Figaro" premieres
1787: The Death of Leopold Mozart (Mozart's dad), "Eine Kleine
Nachtmusik" written.
1788: "Don Giovanni" premieres
1790: "Cosi Fan Tutte" premieres
1791: Writes "La Clemenza di Tito", "The Magic Flute"
and "The Requiem". Dies on December 5.
Info was provided by Mozart: From Child Prodigy to Tragic Hero by Michel Parouty (Harry N. Abrams, Inc. Publishers)