Mozart: The Classical Music Genius

Get to know Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the 18th-century musical genius who composed some of the most memorable classical pieces ever written.

Early Life

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on January 27, 1756, in Salzburg, Austria. His father, Leopold, was a successful composer and violinist. Mozart was the eldest of seven children, five of whom died in infancy. At the age of three, Mozart began to study music with his father. He quickly began to compose his own music and by the age of five, he had already written his first opera.

Born in Salzburg, Austria

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on January 27, 1756, in Salzburg, Austria. His father, Leopold Mozart, was a well-known composer, conductor and teacher of musical theory. His mother, Anna Maria Pertl Mozart, was the daughter of a prosperous merchant. Wolfgang and his older sister Maria Anna were both musically talented. By the age of five, Wolfgang had composed several short pieces of music and could play the violin and keyboard proficiently. When he was six years old, he began touring Europe with his sister as a child prodigy musician. The two Mozart siblings performed for royalty and were warmly received wherever they went.

Family of musicians

Mozart’s father, Leopold, was an accomplished violinist and composer who recognized his son’s musical talents early on. At the age of three, young Wolfgang began performing in public and by the age of five he had already composed his first works. His father served as his first music teacher, instilling in him a strong work ethic and a love for music.

The Mozart family spent several years travelling throughout Europe, giving performances in some of the most prestigious venues of the time. This exposure to different styles of music helped to shape Wolfgang’s unique compositional voice. In 1769, at the age of 14, Mozart was recruited by the Archbishop of Salzburg to serve as a court musician. This marked the beginning of a period of great creativity for the young composer, during which he produced some of his most well-known works.

The Mozart Effect

Improved brain function

Music has been shown to benefit the brain in a number of ways. The so-called “Mozart Effect” refers to the finding that listening to classical music can actually improve brain function. This was first demonstrated in a 1993 study, in which college students who listened to Mozart showed improved spatial-temporal reasoning on a standardized test (Foerster & Thomson, 1993).

Since then, research has found that the Mozart Effect is temporary and only occurs in certain tasks involving spatial-temporal reasoning (Deutsch, Henthorn, & Zygon, 1999). However, other research has found that listening to music can benefit the brain in other ways. For example, music has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety, improve mood, boost cognitive performance and memory, and even increase pain tolerance (Chanda & Levitin, 2013; Klatte et al., 2016; Rajagopal & Mishra, 2015; Sloboda et al., 1991).

So if you’re looking for a way to boost your brainpower, don’t forget about the power of music!

Increased intelligence

The Mozart effect is the finding that classical music, particularly pieces composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, can positively impact a person’s intelligence. While the effect is temporary and lasts only about 10-15 minutes, it has been shown to be beneficial in both children and adults.

There are a number of theories as to why the Mozart effect occurs, but the most likely explanation is that it simply relaxes and rejuvenates the mind, allowing it to function at a higher level. This theory is supported by the fact that the Mozart effect has also been found with other forms of relaxing music, such as nature sounds.

So if you’re looking for a quick mental boost, put on some classical music and enjoy!

Mozart’s Music

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed more than 600 works, many of which are widely recognized as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music.

Symphonies

Mozart composed his first symphony when he was just eight years old. By the time of his death at the age of 35, he had written 41 symphonies. Mozart’sSymfonies Nos. 40 and 41 are widely regarded as two of the greatest pieces of classical music ever written.

Operas

Mozart is well-known for his operas, which are some of the most beloved pieces in the classical repertoire. Many of his operas are still performed today, more than 200 years after they were written. Mozart’s operas include:

-The Marriage of Figaro
-Don Giovanni
-Così fan tutte
-The Magic Flute

Concertos

Mozart wrote more than 50 concertos for various instruments. The concertos for violin, keyboard, and flute are particularly celebrated. Mozart’s five violin concertos are his most important works in the genre. They were composed in Salzburg in 1775, when Mozart was just 19 years old. All five were published together in 1781, along with three of his previous works for violin and orchestra.

Later Life

Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was one of the most influential, popular and prolific composers of the classical era. He composed over 600 works, including some of the most famous and well-known pieces of classical music. Mozart’s later life was marked by personal tragedy and financial difficulties.

Marriage

On August 4, 1782, Mozart married Constanze Weber, aged twenty-four. His father’s initial disapproval of the match seems to have abated somewhat by the time it took place. Mozart and Constanze had six children together, of whom only two survived infancy: Karl Thomas (1784–1858), known as “Tom”, and Franz Xaver Wolfgang (1791–1844), known as “Wolfie”.

Mozart moved about constantly in search of work, giving piano and violin lessons, playing before aristocrats in their private homes and in public concerts, traveling to other cities to audition for positions as opera composer and orchestra leader.

Death

On December 5, 1791, Mozart expressed to his wife a premonition that he would not live much longer. Nevertheless, he composed two more operas: La clemenza di Tito (The Clemency of Titus) and Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute). He also continued to perform as a soloist in Vienna.

Mozart seems to have had a very high opinion of Die Zauberflöte; he once called it “my best opera”, and groups of friends would gather in his bedroom to sing and play scenes from it. On one occasion Mozart even conducted part of the second act. However, La clemenza di Tito was not as successful; even Mozart said that “neither the public nor the Prince paid any attention” to it.

In the early hours of December 4, 1791—just a few months after finishing The Magic Flute—a seriously ill Mozart was tended by several nurses, including Suzannah Weber (the sister of Aloysia Lange), whileConstanze remained at home with their two young children. He asked repeatedly for Constanze, but his condition worsened and shewas not permitted to see him. His last words were reportedly “I am not well”, followed by the question “Didn’t I ask you for something?”, though there are doubts about their authenticity.

Legacy

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a prolific and influential composer of the classical era. Born in Salzburg, Mozart showed prodigious ability from his earliest childhood. Already competent on keyboard and violin, he composed from the age of five and performed before European royalty. At 17, he was engaged as a court musician in Salzburg, but grew restless and traveled in search of a better position.

Influence on other composers

Precisely how much Mozart influenced other composers is difficult to determine, given that in many cases the evidence is anecdotal, or arises from family tradition rather than documentary fact. Nevertheless, there are numerous examples which bear witness to his impact. The French opera composer Hector Berlioz (1803–69) wrote in his Mémoires:

I am convinced that if I had not known anything about Mozart I would not have been a musician. It was hearing his works performed that first made me feel the passionate need to study music and become a composer myself.

Even more telling is the confession of Berlioz’s English contemporary Sir Edward Elgar (1857–1934), who wrote in 1910:

As for Mozart’s music – well, it is like the sunlight to me; I can quaff it by the healthy pint!… Let us drink to the Immortal Memory of Mozart! And so – 3 cheers for Mozart!!!