Title: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Author: Barbara Krafft

Year: 1819

“Music is my life and my life is music. Anyone who does not understand this is not worthy of God.”

– Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Mozart Biography

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756–5 December 1791) was one of the most influential, popular and prolific composers of the classical period.

Mozart was born in Salzburg to a musical family. From an early age, the young Mozart showed all the signs of a prodigious musical talent. By the age of five, he could read and write music, and he would entertain people with his talents on the keyboard. By the age of six, he was writing his first compositions. Mozart was generally considered to be a rare musical genius, although he was also diligent in studying other great composers such as Haydn and Bach. During his childhood, he would frequently tour various palaces around Europe playing for distinguished guests.

He created twenty-four operas including such famous works as “The Magic Flute”, “Don Giovanni” and “The Marriage of Figaro”, seventeen masses and over fifty symphonies. Mozart’s work, however, extended to all styles and types of music. He knew how to blend traditional and contemporary elements to create his own distinctive style, which is characterized by thematic and tonal variety, melded with a high degree of formal discipline. Mozart’s compositions live from their melodic, rhythmic and dynamic contrasts.

In 1791, on the 5th of December, Mozart died at the age of 35. However, the cause of his death still remains vague and researchers have listed at least 118 probable causes of his death. Legacy Though Mozart lived only for 35 years, Mozart’s legacy is unparalleled. With almost 600 musical pieces, Mozart’s influence reigns supreme in all the genres of music ranging from symphonies, concertos, operas, chamber music to piano solo. He is undoubtedly one of the greatest musicians ever, if not the greatest.

Source: biographyonline.net