Birth

 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in 1756 in Salzburg, Austria to Leopold (a musician) and Anna Marie (a domestic engineer).  Until he was 3, Mozart was an ordinary child.  However, not long after that he started to show great musical talent, such as composing his first piece of music at age 5!  In fact, he was considered a child prodigy and was playing music for kings, queens, princes, and other royalty all over Europe from the age of 6.  One of his greatest "tricks" was that he could listen to music just once and then go away and write it down without any mistakes!  Below is a manuscript of some music Mozart composed during his childhood.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During His Lifetime

 

Mozart wrote 600 pieces of music during his very short life.  It is reported that he composed all the time...while riding in a carriage, while eating etc.  Early in his career, Mozart was employed as a court musician by the ruler of Salzburg; however, he wasn't very satisfied with his job because of the low pay.  He tried to leave this employment for several years and was finally granted permission to quit (Mozart was dismissed literally "with a kick in the arse", administered by the court's steward). Mozart settled in Vienna as a freelance performer and composer and remained there for the rest of his life.

 

 

Several things happened during Mozart's lifetime that you might have heard about before today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Death

 

Mozart died in 1791 at the age of 35 in Vienna, Austria.  Although he wrote a lot of music during his lifetime, he did not make very much money and died very poor.  Mozart was interred in a common grave, in accordance with contemporary Viennese custom.  A common grave refers to neither a communal grave nor a pauper's grave, but to an individual grave for a member of the common people.  Mozart's modest funeral did not reflect his standing with the public as a composer as memorial services and concerts in Vienna and Prague after his death were well-attended.

 

 

 

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Type of Music

 

Mozart was a composer during the Classic Period.  He composed music in almost every type of style: symphonies, operas, concertos for piano and violin, music for string quartet and string quintet, music for solo piano, etc.  Below is a YouTube video that describes Mozart's life and music in more detail.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most Famous Music

 

Mozart's most famous pieces of music are Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Requiem, Rondo alla Turca, and Piano Concerto No. 16 in C Major. 

 

 

 

 

Music in Pop Culture

 

Mozart's music has been used many, many times in popular culture.  Click Mozart's pop art portrait to see video examples.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Listening

 

The videos below are great examples of Mozart's most famous music: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Requiem, Rondo alla Turca, and Piano Concerto No. 16 in C Major.