
Wolfgang
Amadeus Mozart
(Salzburg, 1756 - Vienna, 1791)
Austrian
composer. Mozart lived and died in an epoch in which composers
wrote music for specific occasions, and he would have been astonished
by the devotion that vast numbers of today's musicians and music-lovers
feel for his music. Born in Salzburg, he evidenced prodigious
musical talent at an early age. His father, Leopold, a well-known
violinist, gave Wolfgang and his older sister a thorough musical
training and took them on tours to the courts of Europe. Leopold
hoped that his son would eventually become the Archbishop of
Salzburg's chief musician, but at the age of 25 Wolfgang, who
detested the provincialism of both the prelate and Salzburg
itself, established himself in Vienna as a free-lance musician.
He had already written hundreds of compositions, including several
masterpieces, but during the following decade he produced some
of the most brilliant, psychologically acute and profound pieces
of music ever created: the operas Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage
of Figaro), Don Giovanni, Così fan tutte, and Die Zauberflöte
(The Magic Flute), as well as extraordinary instrumental works
- symphonies, piano concertos (most of them to display his exceptional
keyboard virtuosity), quartets and quintets (he was also an
accomplished violinist), and much else besides. In Vienna he
married Constanze Weber, the younger sister of a singer with
whom he had also been in love; the couple had six children.
Mozart took ill in the autumn of 1791. His death on 5 December,
at the age of 35, has been called the greatest tragedy in the
history of music.
Harvey Sachs
Biographical
notes (c) 1996, reprinted by permission of Deutsche Grammophon
GmbH, Hamburg
A very
small selection of major works:
Orchestral:
41 Symphonies (the best known being the Paris, the Haffner,
the Linz, the Prague, No. 40 and the Jupiter), Divertimenti,
Dances, Serenades (among which Eine kleine Nachtmusik, the Haffner,
the Posthorn, the Serenata notturna), the Sinfonia concertante
in E flat, 2 Flute Concertos, Concerto for Flute and Harp, Clarinet
Concerto, Oboe Concerto, Bassoon Concerto, 4 Horn Concertos,
27 Piano Concertos (among which the Jeunehomme, No. 21 Elvira
Madigan, the Coronation), Concerto for 2 Pianos and Orchestra,
Concerto for 3 Pianos and Orchestra, 5 Violin Concertos.
Chamber:
Serenades (the best known being the Gran partita), Divertimenti,
Duos, Clarinet Quintet, Piano Quintet, 6 String Quintets, 4
Flute Quartets, Oboe Quartet, 2 Piano Quartets, 23 String Quartets,
6 Piano Trios, 36 Sonatas for Piano and Violin,
Instrumental
solo: 18 Piano Sonatas, Duport Variations, Variations on Ah
vous dirai-je, Maman.
Vocal: Concert
Arias, Exsultate jubilate, Lieder
Choral:
Ave verum corpus, 18 Masses (among which the Coronation, the
Great Mass, the Spatzenmesse, the Waisenhausmesse), Requiem.
Stage music
(operas): Bastien und Bastienne, La clemenza di Tito, Così
fan tutte, Don Giovanni, Die Entführung aus dem Serail,
Idomeneo, Mitridate, Le nozze di Figaro, Die Zauberflöte.
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