Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg, in 1756.  He began taking piano lessons form his father who was a musician at the age of 4.  At the age of 5 he began to compose.  Mozart learned very quickly and in 1762 his father took him to Munich and Vienna to introduce him to the public.  In Vienna, Mozart played for the Emperor of Austria.  It was at this time that Mozart learned to play the violin without having lessons.  It is also said that he did the same on the organ after someone explained the use of the pedals.

In 1763, the entire family travelled to Paris where he had his first compositions published.  Mozart travelled almost all the time.  Before he was 25 he had visited most of the great cities of Europe.

In 1764, while visiting England, he composed several sonatas for violin and harpsichord and a number of symphonies.  Mozart was only 8!  In 1769, on a visit to Rome, history tells us that Mozart went to hear the Sistine choir sing, and, after returning home he put the entire work on paper form memory.

Mozart's father was in service to the Archbishop of Salzburg most of his life, so Mozart was appointed concert-master to the archbishop for a short time.  He was never able to accept his role as servant very well and was dismissed in 1781.  From then on, he was basically 'on his own'.

He married Constance Weber.  It was during their life together, much of which was spent in poverty, that his three great operas, Don Giovanni, The Magic Flute and the Marriage of Figaro, were written.  The writing of his last work The Requiem (Mass for the Dead) was never finished.  Mozart died in Vienna and was buried in a 'pauper's grave'.

Last updated 21 January 2001