Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Research Paper

Morgan Logan
Denise Snider
Mus. 153 Sect. 2
11/13/14
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was noted to be a remarkable musician and composer. He was the son of Leopold and Anna Maria Mozart, born in Salzburg, Austria in 1756. He was born into a musical family so in his early upbringing he was influenced by music. His father was a successful composer and violinist, and devoted his time into Wolfgang and his sister Nannerl’s musical future. He began teaching Nannerl music and Wolfgang was present and listened with a careful ear. In his early years of life it was evident that he possessed an extraordinary musical talent.
At a very young age, Wolfgang composed music and mastered the keyboard. As he grew older he became a proficient
violinist, harpsichord player, and was writing operas and symphonies. His father took both children on a musical tour across Europe in 1762, which made their talents well known. Moreover, Wolfgang was surprising everybody, “The performances of the apple-cheeked boy, so pretty in his lilac coat, so lively in his intelligence, and yet so unaffected in his manner, enchanted in turn the courts” (Biancolli 12). Throughout a couple of years they visited the Imperial Court at Vienna, Munich, Paris and London and were a huge hit. The Baron Friedrich Melchior von Grim states, “He is one of the most enchanting children one could ever hope to meet: whatever he says, whatever he does, brims over with the greatest vitality and spirt, combined with the innocent charm and sweetness of his tender years.” (Siepmann 8). Wolfgang matured very quickly as a young artist and was a child prodigy of his time. As they traveled, people loved young Wolfgang. While he was in London he met J.C. Bach, who influenced this young composer with his unique musical style, so that is when he wrote his first symphonies. Upon returning to Salzburg, they were the most famous family in Europe. In 1769, Wolfgang was now in his teen years and had ten symphonies, two operas, eighteen sonatas for piano and violin, three masses, several religious choral works, and four piano concertos (Siepmann 27).
At the age of eight Wolfgang composed his first symphony and around eleven he composed multiple symphonies that he accomplished on his Italian journey. “Wolfgang was soon taken seriously as a composer in Salzburg, and received a number of commissions including a funeral cantata (Grabmusik), a German sacred drama (Die Schuldigkeit des ersten Gebots) and a Latin opera (Apollo et Hyacinthus), all in 1767” (Oxford). He was quite a success and was continuing to produce music. It is remarkable that anyone at that age could provide such quality in all of his pieces. At age fifteen he composed a successful opera in Milan, Mitridate, Re di Ponto. He had many famous works for example “Throughout the 1770s, nevertheless, dramatic works took second place to liturgical demands, including mass settings of increasing intensity, litanies, vespers, and a series of church sonatas.” (Oxford).
He later decided to move to Vienna and realized that it was going to be more difficult than he thought.
An example of this is “He organized concerts, created piano concerts for his own virtuoso performances, and composed symphonies, chamber music, and other works” (Kelly 118). He had to do all that he could to financially support himself. He fell in love with Constanze Weber, but his father disapproved. There are multiple letters written to his father begging for his approval. “My dearest, most beloved father, I beseech you again, I implore you, by all you hold dearest in the world, please grant us your consent to our marriage” (Siepmann 111). During this time his new opera, The Abduction from the Seraglio, had great success following his marriage with Constanze. While in Vienna, Wolfgang wrote many operas including Don Giovanni and The Marriage of Figaro. Joseph Hayden was a close friend of Wolfgang and they influenced each other’s work. Wolfgang worked closely with Lorenzo Da Ponte, an excellent opera librettist. Don Giovanni was an opera that had music by Wolfgang and Italian libretto by Ponte. This opera has both comic and dramatic
elements.
His health began to decrease dramatically and in 1791 he got very ill and died at the age of thirty five.
The letters that Wolfgang and his family wrote gives the world great treasures. This autobiographical evidence provides more information than any other composer. He held magnificent concerts, and showed his mastery of musical ability. By the age of eighteen Wolfgang accomplished more musical pieces and talented works than people have in their entire lifetime. He was one of the most influential composers of the 18th century and had an everlasting impression. Wolfgang was a versatile composer and wrote in almost every major genre. His traveling provided him with musical education, while meeting numerous musicians on the road which was very influential. He composed over 600 works and one of the most popular classical
composers.

Bibliography
Biancolli, Louis. The Mozart Handbook. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1954.
Kelly, Thomas. Music Then and Now. New York and London: W.W. Norton & Company, 2013.
Rushton, Julian. "Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus." The Oxford Companion to Music. Oxford University Press, 2007. Web. 10 Nov. 2014.
Siepmann, Jeremy. Mozart: His Life and Music. Naperville, Illinois: Sourcebooks MediaFusion, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc., 2006.