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| '''Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart''' ({{IPA2|ˈvɔlfgaŋ amaˈdeus ˈmoːtsart}}, ]d '''Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart''') (], ] – ], ]) was a prolific and influential ] of the ]. His output of over 600 ] includes works widely acknowledged as pinnacles of ], ], ], ], ]tic, and ] ]. Mozart is among the most enduringly popular of ] composers and many of his works are part of the standard concert repertoire. | |||
| ==Biography== | |||
| ===Family and early years=== | |||
| ] | |||
| Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born to ] and ] in ] 9 in the city of ], the capital of the sovereign ], in what is now Austria, then part of the ]. His only sibling who survived past birth was an older sister: ], nicknamed Nannerl. Mozart was ] the day after his birth at ]. The baptismal record gives his name in Latinized form as ''Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart''. Mozart generally called himself "Wolfgang Amadé Mozart"<ref>Deutsch (1965), cited below</ref>as an adult, but there were many variants; see ]. | |||
| Mozart's father Leopold Mozart (1719–1787) was one of Europe's leading musical teachers. His influential textbook ''Versuch einer gründlichen Violinschule'', was published in 1756, the year of Mozart's birth (English, as "A Treatise on the Fundamental Principles of Violin Playing", transl. E.Knocker; Oxford-New York, 1948). He was deputy '']'' to the court orchestra of the Archbishop of Salzburg, and a prolific and successful composer of instrumental music. Leopold gave up composing when his son's outstanding musical talents became evident.{{Fact|date=September 2007}} They first came to light when Wolfgang was about three years old, and Leopold, proud of Wolfgang's achievements, gave him intensive musical training, including instruction in ], ], and ]. Leopold was Wolfgang's only teacher in his earliest years. A note by Leopold in Nannerl's music book – the '']'' – records that little Wolfgang had learned several of the pieces at the age of four. Mozart's first compositions, a small ] and ], were written in 1761, when he was five years old.<ref>Cliff Eisen, Stanley Sadie, '(Johann Chrysostom) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart', ed. L. Macy (Accessed ])</ref> | |||
| ===1762–1773: Years of travel=== | |||
| ]; painted in 1763 on commission from Leopold]] | |||
| During Mozart's formative years, his family made several European journeys in which the children were exhibited as child prodigies. These began with an exhibition in 1762 at the Court of the ] of ] in ], then in the same year at the Imperial Court in ] and ]. A long concert tour spanning three and a half years followed, taking the family to the courts of ], ], ], ],<ref>The Mozarts first lodged in Cecil Court off Tottenham Court Road, then in Frith Street in Soho, and later in Ebury Street, where a blue plaque commemorates their stay. See .</ref> ], again to Paris, and back home via ], ], and Munich. During this trip Mozart met a great number of musicians and acquainted himself with the works of other composers. A particularly important influence was ], who met Mozart in London in 1764–65. Bach's work is often taken to be an inspiration for Mozart's music. The family again went to Vienna in late 1767 and remained there until December 1768. On this trip Mozart contracted smallpox, and his healing was believed by Leopold as proof of God's plans concerning the child.{{Fact|date=September 2007}} | |||
| After one year in Salzburg, three trips to ] followed, this time with just Leopold, leaving Wolfgang's mother and sister at home. These took place from December 1769 to March 1771, from August to December 1771, and from October 1772 to March 1773. The first trip resembled the earlier journeys, with the purpose of displaying the now-teenaged Mozart's abilities as a performer and as a rapidly maturing composer. Mozart met ] in ], and was accepted as a member of the famous '']''. In Rome he heard ]'s '']'' once in performance in the ] then wrote it out in its entirety from memory, only returning to correct minor errors; thus producing the first illegal copy of this closely-guarded property of the Vatican. | |||
| In Milan Mozart wrote an opera '']'' (1770), performed with success. This lead to further opera commissions, and Wolfgang and Leopold returned twice from Salzburg to Milan for the composition and premieres of '']'' (1771) and '']'' (1772). | |||
| Toward the end of the final Italian journey Mozart wrote the first of his works that is still widely performed today, the solo ] "]", ] 165. | |||
| ===1773-1777: the Salzburg court=== | |||
| Following his final return with his father from Italy (] ]), Mozart was employed as a court musician by the ruler of Salzburg ]. Mozart was a "favorite son" in Salzburg, where he had a great number of friends and admirers,<ref>Solomon 1995, 106</ref> and he had the opportunity to compose in a great number of genres, including symphonies, sonatas, string quartets, serenades, and the occasional opera. Some of the works he produced during this early period are very widely performed today. For instance, during the period between April and December of 1775, Mozart developed an enthusiasm for violin concertos, producing a series of five (the only ones he ever wrote), steadily increasing in their musical sophistication. The last three (], ], ]) are now staples of the repertoire. The E flat piano concerto ] (1777), with its surprising interruption of the orchestra by the soloist at the start, is considered by critics to be a breakthrough work.<ref>Solomon (1995, 103) calls it "epochal"; Rosen (1997) calls it "perhaps the first unequivocal masterpiece classical style."</ref> | |||
| Nevertheless, Mozart gradually grew more discontented with Salzburg and made increasingly strenuous efforts to find a position elsewhere. The reason seems to be in part his low salary, 150 florins per year (Leopold, the vice-], made 250).<ref>Solomon 1995, 98</ref> In addition, Mozart loved to compose operas, and Salzburg provided at best rare occasions for opera productions. The situation became worse in 1775 when the court theater was closed, and the other theater in Salzburg was largely reserved for visiting troupes.<ref>Solomon 1995, 107</ref> | |||
| Two long job-hunting expeditions interrupted this long Salzburg stay: Wolfgang and Leopold (they were both looking) visited Vienna from ] to ] ] and ] from ] ] to March 1775. Neither visit was successful, though the Munich journey resulted in a popular success with the premiere of Mozart's opera ]<ref>Solomon 1995, 109</ref> | |||
| ] | |||
| ===1777–1778: the Paris journey=== | |||
| On ], ], Mozart began yet another job-hunting tour, this time accompanied by his mother Anna Maria. The visit included ], ], and ].<ref>New Grove, section 3</ref> In Mannheim he became acquainted with members of the Mannheim orchestra, the best in Europe at the time. He also fell in love with ], one of four daughters in a musical family. Mozart moved on to Paris and attempted to build his career there, but was unsuccessful (he did obtain a job offer as organist at Versailles, but it was a job he did not want<ref>Solomon 1995, 149</ref>). The visit to Paris was an especially unhappy one because Mozart's mother took ill and died there, ], ].<ref>New Grove, section 3</ref> On his way back to Salzburg Mozart passed through Munich again, where Aloysia, now employed at the opera there as a singer, indicated she was no longer interested in him.<ref>New Grove, section 3</ref> | |||
| Mozart's discontent with Salzburg continued after his return. | |||
| ] for his gallery. See also: ]]] | |||
| The question arises why Mozart, despite his talent, was unable to find a job on this trip. Maynard Solomon has suggested that the problem lay in conflict with father Leopold, who insisted that Mozart find a high-level position that would support the entire family. Wolfgang favored the alternative strategy of settling in a major city, working as a freelance, and cultivating the aristocracy to the point that he would be favored for an important job; this had worked earlier for other musicians such as ]. The plan Leopold imposed, coupled with Mozart's youth (he was only 21 when he left Salzburg), seems to have had foreordained failure.<ref>Solomon's discussion of the job search appears in Chapter 9 of his 1995 book, entitled "A Fool's Errand".</ref> | |||
| ===1781: the move to Vienna=== | |||
| In January 1781, Mozart's opera '']'', premiered with "considerable success" (New Grove) in ]. The following March, the composer was summoned to ], where his employer, ] of Salzburg, was attending the celebrations for the installation of the Emperor ]. Mozart, who had just experienced success in Munich, was offended when Colloredo treated him as a mere servant, and particularly when the Archbishop forbade him to perform before the Emperor at Countess Thun's (for a fee that would have been fully half of his Salzburg salary).<ref>New Grove, section 4</ref> In May the resulting quarrel intensified: Mozart attempted to resign, and was refused. The following month, however, the delayed permission was granted, but a grossly insulting way: Mozart was dismissed literally "with a kick in the arse", administered by the Archbishop's steward, Count Arco.<ref>Wolfgang, in a letter to his father Leopold from June 9, 1781. In the original: "bey der Thüre durch einen Tritt im Arsch hinaus werfen".</ref> In the meantime, Mozart had been noticing opportunities to earn a good living in Vienna, and he chose to stay there and develop his own freelance career.<ref>Source for all material in this paragraph: ], section 4</ref> | |||
| In fact, Mozart's Vienna career began very well. He performed often as a pianist, notably in a competition before the Emperor with ], ] ],<ref>New Grove, section 4</ref> and according to the ], he soon "had established himself as the finest keyboard player in Vienna."<ref>New Grove, section 4</ref> Mozart also prospered as a composer: during 1781–1782 he wrote the opera '']'' ("The Abduction from the Seraglio"), which premiered ], ] and achieved a huge success. The work was soon being performed "throughout German-speaking Europe",<ref>New Grove, section 4. For a listing see the index entry for this opera in Deutsch 1965.</ref> and fully established Mozart's reputation as a composer. | |||
| ] | |||
| Near the height of his quarrels with Archbishop Colloredo, Mozart moved in (] or ], ]) with the Weber family, who had moved to Vienna from Mannheim. The father, Fridolin, had died, and the Webers were now taking in lodgers to make ends meet.<ref>Solomon 1995, 253</ref> Aloysia, who had earlier rejected Mozart's suit, was now married to the actor ], and Mozart's interest shifted to the third daughter, ]. The couple were married, with father Leopold's "grudging consent" (New Grove), on ], 1782. They had six children, of whom only two survived infancy: ] (1784–1858) and ] (1791–1844; later a minor composer himself). | |||
| During 1782–1783, Mozart became closely acquainted with the work of ] and ] as a result of the influence of ], who owned many manuscripts of works by the ] masters. Mozart's study of these works led first to a number of works imitating Baroque style and later had a powerful influence on his own personal musical language, for example the ] passages in '']'' ("The Magic Flute"), and in the finale of ]. | |||
| In 1783, Wolfgang and Constanze visited Wolfgang's family in Salzburg, but the visit was not a success, as Leopold and Nannerl were, at best, only polite to Constanze. However, the visit sparked the composition of one of Mozart's great liturgical pieces, the ], which, though not completed, was premiered in Salzburg. Constanze sang in the premiere.<ref>Solomon 1995, 270</ref> | |||
| At some (unknown) time following his move to Vienna, Mozart met ] and the two composers became friends; see ]. When Haydn visited Vienna, they sometimes played together in an impromptu ]. Mozart's ] (K. 387, K. 421, K. 428, K. 458, K. 464, and K. 465) date from 1782–85, and are often judged to be his response to Haydn's ] set from 1781. Haydn was soon in awe of Mozart, and when he first heard the last three of Mozart's series he told the visiting Leopold, "Before God and as an honest man I tell you that your son is the greatest composer known to me either in person or by name: He has taste, and, furthermore, the most profound knowledge of composition."<ref>Letter from Leopold Mozart to his daughter Maria Anna from February 16, 1785. In the original: "Ich sage ihnen vor gott, als ein ehrlicher Mann, ihr Sohn ist der größte Componist, den ich von Person und den Nahmen nach kenne: er hat Geschmack, und über das die größte Compositionswissenschaft."</ref> | |||
| During the years 1782–1785, Mozart put on a series of concerts in which he appeared as soloist in his own ]. He wrote three or four concertos for each concert season, and since space in the theaters was scarce, he booked unconventional venues: a large room in the Trattnerhof, an apartment building; and the ballroom of the Mehlgrube, a restaurant.<ref>Solomon 1995, 293</ref> The concerts were very popular, and the works Mozart composed for them are considered among his finest. Solomon writes that during this period Mozart created "a harmonious connection between an eager composer-performer and a delighted audience, which was given the opportunity of witnessing the transformation and perfection of a major musical genre."<ref>Solomon 1995, 293</ref> | |||
| With the substantial money Mozart earned in his concerts and elsewhere, his family adopted a rather plush lifestyle. They moved to an expensive apartment, with a rent of 460 florins.<ref>846 Schulerstrasse. In comparison, father Leopold was paying a rent of 90 florins in Salzburg (Solomon 1995, 298).</ref> Mozart also bought a fine ] from ] for about 900 florins, and a ] table for about 300.<ref>For these purchases, see Solomon 1995, 298</ref> The Mozarts also sent their son Karl Thomas to an expensive boarding school<ref>Solomon 1995, 430, 578</ref> and kept servants. These choices inhibited saving, and were the partial cause of a stressful financial situation for the Mozart family a few years later.<ref>See Solomon 1995, Chap. 27. Solomon also addresses the view given by earlier biographers that Mozart was a "soft touch," foolishly lending money to unreliable friends. There some documentary evidence for Mozart making loans (Solomon, 431) but in Solomon's view the effect of Mozart's lending on his finances has been exaggerated.</ref> | |||
| ===1786–1787: Return to opera=== | |||
| Despite the great success of '']'', Mozart did little writing of operas during the years that followed it, producing only two unfinished works and the one-act '']''. He focused instead on his career as a piano soloist and writer of concertos. However, around the end of 1785, Mozart reshifted his focus again: he ceased to write piano concertos on a regular basis,<ref>A (doubtful) theory is that Mozart had suffered a hand injury; for weighing of the evidence, see Solomon (1995, xxx)</ref> and began his famous operatic collaboration with the librettist ]. 1786 saw the Vienna premiere of '']'', which was quite successful in Vienna and even more so in a Prague production later the same year. The Prague success led to a commission for a second Mozart-Da Ponte opera, '']'', which premiered 1787 to acclaim in Prague and was also produced, with some success, in Vienna in 1788. Both operas are considered among Mozart's most important works and are mainstays of the operatic repertoire today; their musical complexity caused difficulty for both listeners and performers alike at their premieres. | |||
| In December 1787 Mozart finally obtained a steady post under aristocratic patronage. Emperor ] appointed him as his "chamber composer", a post vacated the previous month when ] died. It was not a full-time job, however. It paid only 800 florins per year, and merely required Mozart to compose dances for the annual balls in the ]. Mozart complained to Constanze that the pay was "too much for what I do, too little for what I could do."<ref>Solomon 1995, 424</ref> However, even this much proved important to Mozart later on when hard times arrived. Court records show that Joseph's intent was explicitly to help make sure that Mozart, whom he esteemed, did not leave Vienna to seek better prospects elsewhere.<ref>Source for this paragraph: Solomon 1995, 423-424</ref> | |||
| ===1788–1790=== | |||
| ], made by Doris Stock during Mozart's visit to Dresden, April 1789]] | |||
| Toward the end of the decade, Mozart's career declined. | |||
| Around 1786 he had ceased to appear frequently in public concerts, and his income dropped.<ref>For the drop in concert activity, see New Grove, section 6; for income estimates see the Appendix to Solomon 1995.</ref> This was in general a difficult time for musicians in Vienna, since between 1788 and 1791 Austria was at war (see ]), and both the general level of prosperity and the ability of the aristocracy to support music had declined.<ref>Solomon 1995</ref> | |||
| By mid 1788, Mozart and his family moved from central Vienna to cheaper lodgings in the suburb of ].<ref>New Grove, section 6</ref> Mozart began to borrow money, most often from his friend and fellow Mason ]; "a dismal series of begging letters" (New Grove) survives. Maynard Solomon and others have suggested the Mozart suffered from depression at this time, and it seems his output rate sank somewhat (see ]). The major works of the period include the last three symphonies (1788: ], ], ]; it is not certain whether these were performed in Mozart's lifetime), and the last of the three Da Ponte operas, ], premiered 1790. | |||
| During this time Mozart made long journeys hoping to improve his fortunes: a visit in spring of 1789 to ], ], and ] (see ]), and a 1790 visit to ], ], and other German cities. The trips produced only isolated success and did not solve Mozart's financial problems. | |||
| ===1791=== | |||
| Mozart's last year was, until his final illness struck, one of great productivity and (in the view of biographer ]) personal recovery.<ref>All information in this paragraph is from Solomon 1995, Chap. 30)</ref> During this time Mozart wrote a great deal of music, including some of the works for which he is most admired today: the opera ], the final piano concerto (]), the ] K. 622, the last in his great series of string quintets (]), the revised version of his ], the motet ] K. 618, and the unfinished ]. | |||
| Mozart's financial situation, which in 1790 was the source of extreme anxiety to him, also began to improve. Although the evidence is uncertain<ref>Solomon 1995, 477</ref> it appears that admiring wealthy patrons in Hungary and in Amsterdam pledged annuities to Mozart, in return for the occasional composition. Mozart also probably made considerable money from the sale of dance music that wrote for his job as Imperial chamber composer.<ref>Solomon 1995, 477</ref> He ceased to borrow large sums from Puchberg and made a start on paying off his debts.<ref>Solomon 1995, 477</ref> | |||
| Lastly, Mozart experienced great satisfaction in the public success of some his works, notably ''The Magic Flute'' (performed many times even during the short period between its premiere and Mozart's death)<ref>Solomon 1995, 487</ref> and the Little Masonic Cantata K. 623, premiered ], ].<ref>Solomon 1995, 490</ref> | |||
| ===Final illness and death=== | |||
| {{main|Death of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart}} | |||
| ] | |||
| Mozart fell ill while in Prague, for the ] premiere of his opera ], written in 1791 on commission for the coronation festivities of the Emperor.<ref>Solomon 1995, 485</ref> He was able to continue his professional functions for some time, for instance conducting the premiere of ] on ]. The illness intensified on ], at which point Mozart became bedridden, suffering from swelling, pain, and vomiting. | |||
| Mozart was tended in his final illness by Constanze, her mother ], her youngest sister ], and the family doctor, ]. There is evidence that he was mentally occupied with the task of finishing his ] (see ]). However, the evidence that he actually dictated passages to ] is very slim.<ref>See Solomon 1995, 493, 588 fn. 43</ref> | |||
| Mozart died at 1 in the morning on December 5. His burial arrangements were exceedingly simple: Mozart's body was sewn in a linen sack, and transferred from a reusable coffin to a common grave with five or six other bodies. No friends or family were present to witness the burial.<ref>Solomon 1995, 496</ref> These procedures reflected common practice at the time, traceable to a decree of ] from 1784 governing funeral arrangements; see ].<ref>Solomon 1995, 496</ref> Maynard Solomon suggests that the simple funeral may have reflected Mozart's own wishes.<ref>Solomon's extensive discussion of the puzzles raised by Mozart's funeral appear in Chapter 31 of Solomon 1995.</ref> | |||
| The cause of Mozart's death cannot be determined with certainty. His death record listed "hitziges Frieselfieber" ("severe miliary <!--this is not a typo-->fever," referring to a rash that looks like millet seeds), a description that does not suffice to identify the cause as it would be diagnosed in modern medicine. Dozens of theories have been proposed, including ], ], ], and a rare kidney ailment. The practice of ] medical patients, common at that time, is also cited as a contributing cause. However, the most widely accepted version is that he died of acute ]; he had had three or even four known attacks of it since his childhood, and this particular disease has a tendency to recur, leaving increasingly serious consequences each time, such as rampant infection and heart valve damage.<ref>Solomon 1995, 491</ref> | |||
| Mozart's extremely spare funeral did not reflect his standing with the public as a composer: memorial services and concerts in Vienna and Prague were well attended.<ref>Niemetschek 1798, 46-47</ref> Indeed, during the period following his death, Mozart's musical reputation rose substantially; Solomon describes an "unprecedented wave of enthusiasm"<ref>Solomon 1995, 499</ref> for his work. Biographies were written (initially by ], ], and ]), and publishers vied to produce complete editions of his works.<ref>Solomon 1995, 499</ref> | |||
| ===Portrait=== | |||
| ] | |||
| Mozart's physical appearance was described by tenor ], in his ''Reminiscences'': "a remarkable small man, very thin and pale, with a profusion of fine, fair hair of which he was rather vain." His early biographer ] wrote, "there was nothing special about physique ... He was small and his countenance, except for his large intense eyes, gave no signs of his genius." His facial complexion was pitted, a reminder of his childhood case of smallpox. He loved elegant clothing: Kelly remembered him at a rehearsal: he "was on the stage with his crimson ] and gold-laced ], giving the time of the music to the orchestra." Of his voice Constanze later wrote that it "was a tenor, rather soft in speaking and delicate in singing, but when anything excited him, or it became necessary to exert it, it was both powerful and energetic".<ref>All quotations and other material in this paragraph from Solomon 1995, 308</ref> | |||
| Mozart worked very hard, a great deal of the time, and finished works where necessary at a tremendous pace. When composing he often made sketches and drafts, though (unlike Beethoven's sketches) these are mostly not preserved, Constanze having destroyed them after his death.<ref>Solomon 1995, 310</ref> | |||
| Mozart also enjoyed ] and liked dancing. He kept pets (a canary, a starling and a dog), and kept a horse for recreational riding.<ref>Solomon 1995, 319</ref> | |||
| Mozart lived at the center of Viennese musical life, and knew a great number of people, including not just his fellow musicians, but also theatrical performers, fellow transplanted Salzburgers, and many aristocrats, including a fairly close acquaintance with the Emperor, ]. Mozart had a considerable number of friends, of whom Solomon estimates the three closest were ], Count ], and ]; others included the singers ] and ], Haydn (mentioned above), and the horn player ] (with whom Mozart carried on a curious kind of friendly mockery, Leutgeb being always the butt of Mozart's practical jokes).<ref>On Mozart's friendships see Solomon 1995, ch. 20)</ref> | |||
| Particularly in his youth, Mozart had a striking fondness for scatological and sexual humor, which is preserved in his many surviving letters, notably those written to his cousin ] around 1777–1778, but also in his correspondence with his sister Nannerl.<ref>Here is an example, from a letter to Anna Maria Thekla, inviting her to visit (23 December 1778): "Come for a bit or else I'll shit. If you do, this high and mighty person will think you very kind, will give you a smack behind, will kiss your hands, my dear, shoot off a gun in the rear, embrace you warmly, mind, and wash your front and behind, pay you all his debts to the uttermost groat, and shoot off one with a rousing note, perhaps even let something drop from his boat." The example is taken from Solomon 1995, 169, who surmises a love interest between the two cousins.</ref> Mozart even wrote scatological music, the ] "]" ("Lick me in the arse") K. 231. | |||
| Mozart was influenced by the ideas of the eighteenth-century ] as an adult, and became a ] in 1785.<ref>Davenport ((1932), p. 178: "...and idealism itself never touched him until he became a Freemason. After 1785, when he joined the order, he threw himself into its fervid mystic love for mankind, but withheld the same feeling from individuals."</ref> His lodge was specifically Catholic, rather than deistic, and he worked fervently and successfully to convert his father before the latter's death in 1787.{{Fact|date=August 2007}} '']'', his penultimate opera, includes Masonic themes and allegory. | |||
| ==Works, musical style, and innovations== | |||
| {{seealso|1=List of compositions by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart}} | |||
| ===Style=== | |||
| ] | |||
| Mozart's music, like ]'s, stands as an archetypal example of the Classical style. His works spanned the period during which that style transformed from one exemplified by the '']'' to one that began to incorporate some of the ] complexities of the late ], complexities against which the ''galant'' style had been a reaction. Mozart's own stylistic development closely paralleled the development of the classical style as a whole. In addition, he was a versatile composer and wrote in almost every major genre, including ], ], the solo ], chamber music including ] and ], and the piano ]. While none of these genres were new, the ] was almost single-handedly developed and popularized by Mozart. He also wrote a great deal of religious music, including ]; and he composed many dances, ], ]s, and other forms of light entertainment. | |||
| The central traits of the classical style can all be identified in Mozart's music. Clarity, balance, and transparency are hallmarks, though a simplistic notion of the delicacy of his music obscures for us the exceptional and even demonic power of some of his finest masterpieces, such as the ] in C minor, K. 491, the ] in G minor, K. 550, and the opera '']''. ] has written (1997): "It is only through recognizing the violence and sensuality at the center of Mozart's work that we can make a start towards a comprehension of his structures and an insight into his magnificence. In a paradoxical way, ] of the G minor Symphony can help us to see Mozart's daemon more steadily. In all of Mozart's supreme expressions of suffering and terror, there is something shockingly voluptuous." Especially during his last decade, Mozart explored ] to a degree rare at the time. The slow introduction to the ], a work that Haydn greatly admired even as it perplexed him,{{Fact|date=August 2007}} rapidly explodes a shallow understanding of Mozart's style as light and pleasant. | |||
| From his earliest years Mozart had a gift for imitating the music he heard; since he traveled widely, he acquired a rare collection of experiences from which to create his unique compositional language. When he went to London as a child, he met ] and heard his music; when he went to Paris, Mannheim, and Vienna, he heard the work of composers active there, as well as the spectacular Mannheim orchestra; when he went to Italy, he encountered the ] and ], both of which were to be hugely influential on his development. Both in London and Italy, the galant style was all the rage: simple, light music, with a mania for ], an emphasis on tonic, dominant, and subdominant to the exclusion of other chords, symmetrical phrases, and clearly articulated structures.{{Fact|date=September 2007}} This style, out of which the classical style evolved, was a reaction against the complexity of late ]. Some of Mozart's early symphonies are ]s, with three movements running into each other; many are "homotonal" (each movement in the same key, with the slow movement in the parallel minor). Others mimic the works of J.C. Bach, and others show the simple ] commonly being written by composers in Vienna. One of the most recognizable features of Mozart's works is a sequence of harmonies or ] that usually leads to a ] in the dominant or tonic key. This sequence is essentially borrowed from Baroque music, especially J. S. Bach. But Mozart shifted the sequence so that the cadence ended on the stronger half, i.e., the first beat of the bar. Mozart's understanding of modes such as Phrygian is evident in such passages.{{Fact|date=September 2007}} | |||
| <!-- Unsourced image removed: ] --> | |||
| As Mozart matured, he began to incorporate some more features of Baroque styles into his music. For example, the ] K. 201 uses a contrapuntal main theme in its first movement, and experimentation with irregular phrase lengths. Some of his quartets from 1773 have fugal finales, probably influenced by Haydn, who included three such finales in his recently published Opus 20 set. The influence of the '']'' ("Storm and Stress") period in music, with its brief foreshadowing of the Romantic era to come, is evident in some of the music of both composers at that time. Mozart's ] is another excellent example of this style. | |||
| Over the course of his working life, Mozart switched his focus from instrumental music to operas, and back again. He wrote operas in each of the styles current in Europe: ], such as '']'', '']'', or '']''; '']'', such as '']''; and '']'', of which '']'' is probably the most famous example by any composer. In his later operas, he developed the use of subtle changes in instrumentation, orchestration, and tone colour to express or highlight psychological or emotional states and dramatic shifts. Here his advances in opera and instrumental composing interacted. His increasingly sophisticated use of the orchestra in the symphonies and concerti served as a resource in his operatic orchestration, and his developing subtlety in using the orchestra to psychological effect in his operas was reflected in his later non-operatic compositions.<ref>]: ''Mozart: His Character, His Work'', translated by Mendel & Broder, Panther books, 1946. ISBN 5860327702</ref> | |||
| ===Influence=== | |||
| Mozart's most famous pupil was probably ], a transitional figure between Classical and Romantic eras whom the Mozarts took into their Vienna home for two years as a child during his studies.<ref>Solomon 1995, 574</ref> | |||
| Of the great composers whom Mozart influenced by his example, the clearest instance would probably be considered ], who became closely acquainted with Mozart's work as a teenager (he played Mozart's operas in the court orchestra in ]), and traveled to Vienna in 1787 in hopes of studying with Mozart.<ref>Beethoven's hopes were not fulfilled. He stayed in Vienna only two weeks, perhaps because his mother's illness forced him to return home; see ]. The ] (article "Beethoven") says of Beethoven's visit "there seems little doubt that he met Mozart and perhaps had a few lessons from him". Solomon (1995, 395) suggests to the contrary that Beethoven may have returned home "in despondency" because Mozart rejected him as a pupil.</ref> The influence of Mozart's work on Beethoven's compositions can sometimes even be seen in direct models for specific works. ] has suggested Mozart's C minor piano concerto ] as a model for Beethoven's ] in the same key,<ref>Rosen 1997, 390, 450</ref>, the Quintet for Piano and Winds ] for Beethoven's comparable work | |||
| ],<ref>Rosen 1997, 381</ref> and the A major String Quartet ] for Beethoven's A major quartet ].<ref>Rosen 1997, 381</ref> The role played by Mozart's ] in the composition of Beethoven's ] can be documented from Beethoven's sketchbooks; see ]. | |||
| Many composers since Mozart's time have expressed profound appreciation of Mozart. ] averred, "He is the only musician who had as much knowledge as genius, and as much genius as knowledge."{{Fact|date=August 2007}} ]'s admiration for Mozart is also quite clear. A plausible story – not corroborated – regards one of Beethoven's students who looked through a pile of music in Beethoven's apartment. When the student pulled out Mozart's A major Quartet, K. 464, Beethoven exclaimed "Ah, that piece. That's Mozart saying 'here's what I could do, if only you had ears to hear!' "; and another plausible – if unconfirmed – story concerns Beethoven at a concert with his sometime-student ]. As they listened to Mozart's ], the orchestra reached the quite unusual coda of the last movement, and Beethoven whispered to Ries: "We will never think of anything like that!" | |||
| A number of composers have paid homage to Mozart by writing sets of ] on his themes: for example, the two sets of variations for cello and piano by Beethoven on themes from Mozart's '']'', Chopin's variations for solo piano on "La ci darem la mano" from ], or ]'s ''Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Mozart'', based on the theme in the opening movement of Mozart's ] K. 331 (itself a set of variations on that theme)<ref>''Penguin Guide to Classical Compact Discs''</ref> | |||
| Beethoven wrote cadenzas to several of Mozart's piano concertos, most notably the ] K. 466. A famous story asserts that, after the only meeting between the two composers, Mozart noted that Beethoven would "give the world something to talk about."{{Fact|date=August 2007}} However, it is not certain that the two ever met.{{Fact|date=August 2007}} ] wrote his ''Mozartiana'' in praise of Mozart; and ] final word was alleged to have been simply "Mozart".{{Fact|date=September 2007}} | |||
| Mozart has remained an influence in popular contemporary music in varying genres ranging from ] to modern ]. | |||
| ===Köchel catalogue=== | |||
| {{main|Köchel catalogue}} | |||
| For purposes of careful identification of any work by Mozart, the ''Köchel catalogue number'' is used. This is a unique number assigned (on a chronological basis) to every known work by Mozart. The first edition of the Köchel catalogue was completed in 1862 by ]. It has repeatedly been updated since then, as scholarly research improves our knowledge of the dates and authenticity of individual works. | |||
| ==Mozart in fiction== | |||
| Authors of fictional works have found Mozart's life a compelling source of raw material. An especially popular case is the supposed rivalry between Mozart and ], particularly the idea that it was poison received from the latter that caused Mozart's death; this is the subject of ]'s play '']'' and ] opera '']''. The idea receives no support at all from modern scholars.<ref>See for example Solomon 1995, 587. The ''Norton/Grove Concise Encyclopedia of Music'' (ed. Stanley Sadie, 1988) states flatly, "He was not poisoned."</ref> | |||
| Modern audiences have been gripped by the account of Mozart's life given in ]'s play '']'', as well as the luxuriantly produced Hollywood ] based on the play. Shaffer seems to have been especially taken by the contrast between Mozart's enjoyment of vulgarity (noted above) and the sublime character of his music. The scene in Shaffer's work in which Mozart dictates music to Salieri on his deathbed is entirely an author's fancy; for the question of whether Mozart did any dictation on his deathbed at all see ]. | |||
| ==Media== | |||
| {{multi-listen start}} | |||
| <div style="width:500px; height:255px; overflow:auto; border:thin grey solid; padding:5px;"> | |||
| '''<span style="font-size:130%"> Orchestral </span>''' | |||
| {{multi-listen item|filename=Mozart - Bassoon Concerto in Bb major - Allegro.ogg|title=K191|description=], 1st movement, Allegro|format=]}} | |||
| {{multi-listen item|filename=Mozart - Bassoon Concerto in Bb major - Andante ma adagio.ogg|title=K191|description=], 2nd movement, Andante ma adagio|format=]}} | |||
| {{multi-listen item|filename=Mozart - Bassoon Concerto in Bb major - Rondo Tempo di Menuetto.ogg|title=K191|description=], 3rd movement|format=]}} | |||
| {{multi-listen item|filename=Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Symphony 40 g-moll - 1. Molto allegro.ogg|title=K550|description=Mozart's ], 1st movement|format=]}} | |||
| {{multi-listen item|filename=Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Symphony 40 g-moll - 2. Andante.ogg|title=K550|description=Mozart's ], 2nd movement|format=]}} | |||
| {{multi-listen item|filename=Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Symphony 40 g-moll - 3. Menuetto, Allegretto-Trio.ogg|title=K550|description=Mozart's ], 3rd movement|format=]}} | |||
| {{multi-listen item|filename=Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Symphony 40 g-moll - 4. Allegro assai.ogg|title=K550|description=Mozart's ], 4th movement|format=]}} | |||
| {{multi-listen item|filename=Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Don Giovanni - Overtüre.ogg|title=K527|description=Overture to Don Giovanni|format=]}} | |||
| {{multi-listen item|filename=Mozart_Eine_kleine_Nachtmusik_KV525_Satz_4_Rondo.ogg|title=K525|description=], 4th movement|format=]}} | |||
| {{multi-listen item|filename= | |||
| Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Sinfonia Concertante für Violine, Viola und Orchester - 1. Allegro mæstoso.ogg|title=K364, 1st movement|description=]|format=]}} | |||
| {{multi-listen item|filename=Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Sinfonia Concertante für Violine, Viola und Orchester - 2. Andante.ogg|title=K364, 2nd movement|description=]|format=]}} | |||
| {{multi-listen item|filename=Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Sinfonia Concertante für Violine, Viola und Orchester - 3. Presto.ogg|title=K364, 3rd movement|description=]|format=]}} | |||
| {{multi-listen item|filename=Mozart - Concerto in D for Flute K.314.ladybyron.ogg|title=K314|description=Concerto in D for Flute|format=]}} | |||
| {{multi-listen item|filename=Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Klarinettenkonzert A-Dur - 1. Allegro.ogg|title=K622|description=Clarinet Concerto in A major, 1st movement|format=]}} | |||
| {{multi-listen item|filename=Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Klarinettenkonzert A-Dur - 2. Adagio.ogg|title=K622|description=Clarinet Concerto in A major, 2nd movement|format=]}} | |||
| {{multi-listen item|filename=Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Klarinettenkonzert A-Dur - 3. Rondo (Allegro).ogg|title=K622|description=Clarinet Concerto in A major, 3rd movement|format=]}} | |||
| '''<span style="font-size:130%"> Vocal </span>''' | |||
| {{multi-listen item|filename=Mozart - vesperae de dominica. 1. dixit dominus.ogg|title=K321, 1st movement|description=Vesperae de dominica - dixit dominus|format=]}} | |||
| {{multi-listen item|filename=Mozart - vesperae de dominica. 2. confitebor.ogg|title=K321, 2nd movement|description=Vesperae de dominica - confitebor|format=]}} | |||
| {{multi-listen item|filename=Mozart - vesperae de dominica. 3. beatus vir.ogg|title=K321, 3rd movement|description=Vesperae de dominica - beatus vir|format=]}} | |||
| {{multi-listen item|filename=Mozart - vesperae de dominica. 4. laudate pueri.ogg|title=K321, 4th movement|description=Vesperae de dominica - laudate pueri|format=]}} | |||
| {{multi-listen item|filename=Mozart - vesperae de dominica. 5. laudate dominum.ogg|title=K321, 5th movement|description=Vesperae de dominica - laudate dominum|format=]}} | |||
| {{multi-listen item|filename=Mozart - vesperae de dominica. 6. magnificat.ogg|title=K321, 6th movement|description=Vesperae de dominica - magnificat|format=]}} | |||
| '''<span style="font-size:130%"> Piano </span>''' | |||
| {{multi-listen item|filename=Rondo Alla Turka.ogg|title=Rondo Alla Turca from K331|description=Piano Sonata No. 11 in A major, 3rd movement|format=]}} | |||
| {{multi-listen item|filename=K545 allegro.ogg|title=K545, movement 1|title=K545|description=Piano Sonata in C major, 1st movement|format=]}} | |||
| {{multi-listen item|filename=K545 andante.ogg|title=K545, movement 2|title=K545|description=Piano Sonata in C major, 2nd movement|format=]}} | |||
| {{multi-listen item|filename=K545 rondo.ogg|title=K545, movement 3|title=K545|description=Piano Sonata in C major, 3rd movement|format=]}} | |||
| {{multi-listen item|filename=Mozart - KV 570.ogg|title=K378/K317d|description=Piano/Violin Sonata in B Flat (arranged for flute)|format=]}} <!--The filename is incorrect, this is accually Mozarts 10th Piano/Violin sonata (KV. 378 in the early KV revision). The violin part has been arranged for flutes.--> | |||
| {{multi-listen item|filename=Mozart_-_Piano_Concerto_No.20_in_D_minor_K.466_Mvt._1.ogg|title=K466|description=Piano Concerto No.20 in D minor, 1st movement|format=]}} | |||
| </div></ul> | |||
| <li> | |||
| :''Problems playing the files? See ].'' | |||
| </li></div> | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ], a confectionery named in his honor. | |||
| * ], a disputed theory that certain kinds of music enhance performance on certain mental tasks; the researchers who coined the term used a piece by Mozart in their first study. | |||
| * ] | |||
| * Complete works editions | |||
| ** ] | |||
| ** ] | |||
| ==References== | |||
| {{reflist|2}} | |||
| ==Further reading== | |||
| * Braunbehrens, Volkmar (1986) <cite>Mozart in Vienna: 1781-1791</cite>, Timothy Bell Trans, HarperPerennial. ISBN 0-06-0974052 | |||
| * ] (1932) <cite>Mozart</cite>, The Chautauqua Press. | |||
| * ] (1965) <cite>Mozart: A Documentary Biography</cite>, Eric Blom et al. Trans, Stanford University Press. | |||
| * Deutsch, Wilhelm Otto (2005) | |||
| * ] and Simon P. Keefe, eds. (2006) <cite>The Cambridge Mozart Encyclopedia</cite>, Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-85659-0 | |||
| * Greither, Aloys (1962) <cite>Wolfgang Amadé Mozart</cite>, Rowohlt Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH. | |||
| * Gutman, Robert W. (2001) <cite>Mozart: A Cultural Biography</cite>, Random, 2001 ISBN 0-15-100482-X | |||
| * Jick, Hershel (1997) <cite>A Listener's Guide to Mozart's Music</cite>, Vantage, ISBN 0-533-12308-9 | |||
| * Melograni, Piero (2006) <cite>Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: A Biography</cite>, The University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-51956-2. Read | |||
| * Mila, Massimo (1979) <cite>Lettura delle Nozze di Figaro</cite>, Einaudi. ISBN 88-06-18937-9 | |||
| * ] (1798) ''Leben des K. K. Kapellmeisters Wolfgang Gottlieb Mozart'' ("The life of the royal and imperial ] Wolfgang Gottlieb (=]) Mozart"), 1956 English translation by Helen Mautner, published under the title ''Life of Mozart''. London: Leonard Hyman. One of the first Mozart biographies, prepared in consultation with Mozart's widow ]. | |||
| * Robbins, Gregory Allen. | |||
| * Rayner, Mark (2005) <cite>The Amadeus Net</cite>, ENC, 2005 ISBN 0-9752540-1-4 | |||
| * ] (1988) <cite>1791: Mozart's Last Year</cite>, Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0-500-28107-6 | |||
| * Rosen, Charles (1997) ''The Classical Style: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven''. New York: Norton. | |||
| * Rushton, Julian: ''Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus'' in 'The ]', ed. Stanley Sadie (London, 1992) ISBN 0-333-73432-7 | |||
| * ], ed. (2000) <cite>Mozart and his Operas</cite>, St. Martin's. ISBN 0-312-24410-X | |||
| * ](1995) <cite>Mozart: A life</cite>, Harper Perennial. ISBN 0-06-092692-9 | |||
| * Till, Nicholas (1992) <cite>Mozart and the Enlightenment<cite>, Faber, Norton. ISBN 0-571-16169-3 | |||
| ==External links== | |||
| {{wikiquote}}{{Commons|Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart}} | |||
| *{{dmoz|Arts/Music/Composition/Composers/M/Mozart,_Johann_Chrysostom_Wolfgang_Amadeus/}} | |||
| * {{IMSLP|id=Mozart%2C_Wolfgang_Amadeus|cname=Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart}} | |||
| * {{ChoralWiki}} | |||
| *{{gutenberg author|name=Mozart|id=Wolfgang_Amadeus_Mozart}} | |||
| *{{IckingArchive|idx=Mozart|name=Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart}} | |||
| * | |||
| * - Go to "Turning the Pages" | |||
| * , from NPR | |||
| * , from the ] at the ] Library. | |||
| {{Persondata | |||
| |NAME=Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | |||
| |ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Mozart, Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus (full name) | |||
| |SHORT DESCRIPTION=] | |||
| |DATE OF BIRTH=], 1756 | |||
| |PLACE OF BIRTH=], ] | |||
| |DATE OF DEATH=], 1791 | |||
| |PLACE OF DEATH=], ] | |||
| }} | |||
| {{DEFAULTSORT:Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus}} | |||
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