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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart’s Family. Born into a musical family Father, Leopold, was a distinguished violinist and composer. He held the position of deputy music director at the court of Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg in Austria and authored an important book on violin playing
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Mozart’s Family • Born into a musical family • Father, Leopold, was a distinguished violinist and composer. • He held the position of deputy music director at the court of Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg in Austria and authored an important book on violin playing • Sister was also a talented musician, but was it was unaccepted for women to pursue a life in music • Father devoted his life to promoting young Wolfgang’s talent
Mozart’s Early Life • Born in 1756, at age four, he was already displaying his musical talent • At age 6, he had started to compose and performed well on harpsichord. • For the next 10 years, his father took him on tour to various courts and towns around Europe. Mozart played for nobleman, princes, and the Empress of Austria, Maria Theresa • Wherever Mozart went, he picked up the musical style of the region and the prominent local composers • At age 8, Mozart already had music published • At 10, he was composing symphonies • At 14, he produced a full-length opera • At 17, when he returned to Salzburg, he was a mature artist
Finding Mozart a job after his tour • Not easy • Archbishop of Salzburg agreed to hire Mozart, even though he did not think highly of the family because of Leopold Mozart’s many leaves of absence • Mozart was hired in a junior position • After a few years Mozart traveled again to find another position
Job searching again • Mozart leaves to find a job with his mother because his father could not take any more leaves of absence • He went to Munich, Mannheim and Paris, but had no luck • The employers thought that he was “overqualified” • On the trip, his mother dies • Upon returning to Salzburg, Mozart is given a promotion • In 1780, Mozart accompanied the Archbishop to Vienna • While on the trip, Mozart had to live in servants quarters and was not allowed to play for the aristocrats, even though he was invited • He felt this was unfair and quit his position with the Archbishop of Salzburg
Freelance Period • Mozart first supported himself by giving piano lessons while composing several piano sonatas and concertos • In 1782, he composed a German comic opera: The Abduction from the Seraglio • Also in 1782, he married his land-lady’s daughter, a young soprano named Constanze Weber; his father disapproved of this union
Great Fame • For the next few years, Mozart was successful • He composed a set of string quartets that were designed to emulate those of Haydn, to whom they are dedicated • The two composers met on a few occasions at string quartet parties; Haydn played violin and Mozart played the viola. • In these years, Mozart won great fame and made quite a lot of money (It was the height of his career) • Between 1784 and 1786, he composed 12 piano concertos and appear5ed before the Viennese public as both a pianist and a composer.
Mozart’s Fame declines • Viennese always looking for the new sensation and the city was undergoing a recession • From the late 1780’s, Mozart requested loans from friends • Despite his despise of authority, he made attempts to secure a position at the Viennese court. • In the summer of 1788, he composed 3 symphonies in a span of about 8 weeks, (no. 39, 40, and 41) These concluded his work in this genre. • He next turned towards opera writing. In the last five years of his life, he composed 5 operas (The Marriage of Figaro 1786, Don Giovanni 1787 and The Magic Flute 1791) • In November of 1791, while working on a Requiem Mass, (Mass for the Dead) Mozart became ill. • On December 5, at age 35, Mozart dies
Mozart’s Music • Accessible and profound. It appeals to experts and amateurs • He composed more than 800 compositions including: Operas, symphonies, string quartets and quintets, sonatas, and concertos for violin, flute, oboe, clarinet bassoon and horn • He composed more than 20 piano concertos
Composed music that was unconventional • Used counterpoint to intensify his music in places where counterpoint was not usual • Uses chromaticism • Often passes in minor mode • He uses the same instruments, forms and genres, but Mozart is so well-known because his music speaks deeply to more people, covers a wider range of feeling and resonates with more human significance than that of almost any other composer.
