THE MAN BEHIND THE MUSIC Wo l f g a n g A m a d e u s M o z a r t
concertmaster. There, Mozart produced numerous works, including his Coronation Mass (1779) and Idomeneo (1779), an Italian opera that would become his first great operatic triumph. Mozart’s continued success caused him to resent his job as a court organist. He no longer wanted to have to write music as required by the elite. He wanted to have a new life, so, in 1781, he once again left his post at Salzburg.
Born on January 27, 1756 in Salzburg, Austria, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was destined for musical greatness. At the age of three, Mozart was able to pick out tunes on the piano. By five, he was composing music of his own. Mozart’s father, Leopold, recognized his son’s talents and felt that they needed to be shared. Leopold soon decided to leave his position as concertmaster in Salzburg and to take his family on a concert tour of Western Europe. On this tour, Mozart amazed court patrons with his performances at the major musical centers of Europe. He successfully composed not only his first orchestral symphony at age 8, but also his first opera, La finta semplice, by the age of 12. These achievements helped gain him the position of honorary Konzertmeister (or Music Director) at the Salzburg court. In 1777, Mozart left Salzburg in hopes of finding an even better job. He traveled throughout Germany but was unsuccessful in finding a position he liked. The next year, Mozart continued to Paris, where he composed his Symphony No. 31, known today as The Paris Symphony.
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Having still not found a permanent new position, Mozart decided to return to Salzburg, a place he knew he would be welcomed back as court organist and
The year 1782 was fresh start for Mozart. It was that year when he married Constanze Weber and completed the opera The Abduction from the Seraglio, which was an immediate success. This period of time was very productive for Mozart as he met Italian librettist Lorenzo da Ponte. Their partnership produced three of the most beloved operas of Mozart’s career, the first of which, The Marriage of Figaro, premiered in Vienna in 1786. Don Giovanni and Così fan tutte followed soon after in 1787 and 1790. Despite these successes, Mozart and his wife lived well beyond their means and were in constant debt. In 1787, Mozart was appointed to the post of Chamber Music Director; however, the salary did little to lessen the couple’s financial hardships. In 1791, Mozart was commissioned to compose a score to Emanuel Schikaneder’s The Magic Flute, which was inspired by the group they were both members of, the Free Masons. The opera premiered in Vienna to large success. Also in 1791 was the premiere of La clemenza di Tito, which would be the last of Mozart’s 20 operas. In December 5, 1791, Mozart became quite ill and he died at the age of 35. Despite his unquestionable reputation as the greatest musical mind of his time, Mozart was buried with little ceremony in an unmarked grave in Vienna, as was legally required for all those without noble birth.