Mozart's childhood: how genius was formed. Mozart - life and works Mozart's life and career in brief

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in 1756, died in 1791. During his short life, he wrote over 600 works, including over 50 symphonies. Contemporaries recalled that the young composer began writing music at the age of 5-6 and continued to do so until his last days. So, a few interesting facts from the life of a genius.

1. At birth, the future composer received the magnificent name Johann Chrysostomus Wolfgang Theophilus (Gottlieb / Amadeus) Mozart. The name "Amadeus", glorified by the film of the same name, means "beloved by God."

2. Mozart's parents had seven children, but two survived - Wolfgang and his sister Maria Anna. She also studied music, like her brother, and played the harpsichord beautifully. Father even believed that their talents were equal, but Maria did not compose her own music.

3. Sometimes you can hear that the father of the future composer - Leopold Mozart - was a domestic tyrant. However, the son loved him very much, obeyed, and the father, in turn, gave the children an excellent education (both studied only at home). Young Mozart always devoted himself to his studies without a trace, he could even abandon music if he began to study, for example, mathematics.

4. In 1762, Leopold Mozart set out with his children on a trip to Europe, wishing to introduce young virtuosos to the courts. In the end, there were several travels, the skill of the Mozarts delighted the listeners, and gradually Wolfgang began to write his own music. And a case pushed to independent creativity: on the way, Leopold fell ill, and Wolfgang was asked to play less so as not to bother his father. So he willingly began to compose.

5. The archbishop of Salzburg himself ordered the music to the young composer, and by the age of 17 four operas had been released from the composer's pen! And that's not counting other works.

6. Thanks to the work of Pushkin "Mozart and Salieri", we know about the alleged confrontation between these two composers. In reality, their conflicts were only musical. For example, Mozart claimed to be the music teacher of Princess Elizabeth of Württemberg. But Salieri was taken to this place, because for a long time Mozart was considered only a virtuoso performer.

7. When Mozart decided to marry, his father did not approve of his choice. The road to marriage with Constance Weber was a long one for Mozart, and at some point he promised to write a Mass if the marriage still succeeds. Constance eventually became his wife, he began to write the Mass, but never ... finished.

8. Mozart was very fond of the genre of opera, but German opera was in decline and did not enjoy great popularity. To make his music sound on stage, Mozart wrote arias for the works of other composers. For example, he wrote inserted arias for operas by the Italian composer Pasquale Anfossi.

9. With the production of Mozart's opera The Marriage of Figaro, his next conflict with Salieri was connected. The composers wrote operas at the same time, and the intrigue remained at court for a long time: whose work would be played first in the theater. Mozart “won”, but few performances took place, and Figaro was filmed. He resumed the production after the death of Mozart Salieri.

10. The opera "Don Giovanni", the most important in the work of Mozart, failed in his native Vienna. And, despite the success of the first production in Prague, the work was not understood by the public. While working on the opera, Mozart's father died, and he very hard experienced this event: Leopold supported the composer a lot throughout his life.

11. Mysteries are shrouded in the history of the creation of "Requiem" - the last work on which Mozart worked until his death. Allegedly, some mysterious stranger, almost Salieri himself, ordered the requiem. Most likely, it was Count Franz von Walsegg-Stuppach, who loved to play music and bought the rights to their works from composers. With a Requiem, he wanted to honor the memory of his wife.

12. Mozart died after a serious illness, suffered greatly, and in recent days, every touch hurt him. Modern researchers cannot establish what caused the composer's death: too much information "overlapped" each other. However, his funeral did not go at all as shown in the movie "Amadeus". Indeed, no monument was erected at the site of the composer's grave, but this was a common practice for those days. Considering that by the end of his life Mozart became impoverished, the modest burial was understandable. The place of his burial was later established, thanks to the memoirs of contemporaries, and today there is a sculpture "Weeping Angel" installed there.

13. The Mozarts had six children, but only two survived. His son Karl became a pianist, but rather quickly abandoned his musical career. Son Franz was also a pianist, teacher, wrote music. He received an excellent musical education, and one of his teachers was ... Antonio Salieri.

A musical genius that can be compared to Mozart in history is incredibly difficult to find, and there is no doubt that he is one of the greatest musicians on planet Earth. Interesting facts about Mozart are of interest to many people, because he is a world-class man.

1. Mozart began showing his phenomenal musical talents at the age of three.

2. Mozart wrote his first work at the age of six.

3. Mozart was terrified of the sound of the trumpet.

4. The Mozart family had seven children, and only two survived.

5. Wolfgang Amadeus played with Bach's son at the age of eight.

6. Mozart was awarded the Order of the Knight of the Golden Spur from the hands of the Pope.

7. Mozart's wife was named Constance.

8. Mozart's son, Franz Xaver Mozart, had a chance to live in Lviv for about 30 years.

9. For one fee after the performances of Mozart, you could feed a family of five for a month.

10. Wolfgang Amadeus was very fond of playing billiards and did not spare money on it.

11.Google has developed a separate logo in honor of Mozart's 250th anniversary.

12. It was believed that Mozart was poisoned by the composer Antonio Salieri.

13. 200 years after the death of Mozart, the court found Antonio Salieri not guilty of the death of the great creator.

14. Mozart was considered a child prodigy.

15.In London, little Mozart was a subject for scientific research.

16. Even at a young age, Mozart knew how to play the clavier blindfolded.

17. Once in Frankfurt a young man ran up to Mozart and expressed his delight at the composer's music. This youth was Johann Wolfgang Goethe.

18. Mozart had a phenomenal memory.

19.Mozart's father was involved in his musical education.

20. Mozart and his wife lived richly and did not deny themselves anything.

21. Mozart was born in Salzburg into a musical family.

22. The works of Mozart were first published in Paris.

23. For some time, the great composer lived in Italy, where his operas were first staged.

24. By the age of seventeen, Mozart's track record numbered about forty works.

25. In 1779, Mozart served as court organist.

26. Unfortunately, the composer did not manage to finish some of the operas.

27. Mozart was fluent in the art of improvisation.

28 Wolfgang Amadeus was the youngest member of the Bologna Philharmonic Academy.

29. Mozart's father was a composer and violinist.

30. Mozart was baptized in Salzburg's Cathedral of St. Rupert.

31 In 1784, the composer became a Freemason.

32. Throughout his life, the greatest composer managed to write about 800 works.

33. In the spring of 1791, Mozart gave his last public concert.

34. Mozart had six children, four of whom died in infancy.

35. Mozart's biography was written by the new husband of the composer's wife.

36. In 1842, the first monument was erected in honor of Mozart.

37.The most famous monument to the great composer was built in Seville from bronze.

38. A university was founded in Salzburg in honor of Mozart.

39 There are Mozart museums in Salzburg: namely, in the house where he was born, and in the apartment where he lived later.

40. Mozart was a gambling man.

41. The composer was not a greedy person, and always gave money to beggars.

42. Mozart was one step away from coming to Russia, but he has never been here.

43. There are several reasons for the death of the composer, but no one knows the true one.

44.The Estates Theater in Prague is the only place that remained in its original form, in which Mozart performed.

45. Mozart was very fond of gesturing with his hands and stamping his foot.

46. ​​Mozart's contemporaries said that he could very accurately characterize people.

47 Wolfgang Amadeus loved humor and was an ironic person.

48. Mozart was a good dancer, and he was especially good at dancing the minuet.

49. The great composer was good with animals, and he especially loved birds - canaries and starlings.

50. On a coin equivalent to two shillings there is an image of Mozart.

51. Mozart was depicted on postage stamps of the USSR and Moldova.

52.The composer has become the hero of many books and films.

53. Mozart's music combines different national cultures.

54 Wolfgang Amadeus was buried like a poor man - in a common grave.

55. Mozart is buried in Vienna at the cemetery of St. Mark.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (German Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart). Born on January 27, 1756 in Salzburg - died on December 5, 1791 in Vienna. Baptized as Johann Chrysostomus Wolfgang Theophilus Mozart. Austrian composer and virtuoso performer.

Mozart showed his phenomenal abilities at the age of four. He is one of the most popular classical composers, who deeply influenced the further Western musical culture. According to contemporaries, Mozart had a phenomenal ear for music, memory and the ability to improvise.

The uniqueness of Mozart lies in the fact that he worked in all musical forms of his time and composed more than 600 works, many of which are recognized as the pinnacle of symphonic, concert, chamber, opera and choral music.

Along with Beethoven, he belongs to the most significant representatives of the Vienna Classical School. The circumstances of Mozart's ambiguous life, as well as his early death, have been the subject of much speculation and controversy, which have become the basis of numerous myths.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on January 27, 1756 in Salzburg, then the capital of the Archbishopric of Salzburg, at a house at 9 Getreidegasse.

His father Leopold Mozart was a violinist and composer in the court chapel of the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg, Count Sigismund von Strattenbach.

Mother - Anna Maria Mozart (née Perthl), daughter of the commissioner-trustee of the almshouse in St. Gilgen.

Both were considered the most beautiful married couple in Salzburg, and the surviving portraits confirm this. Of the seven children from the Mozart marriage, only two survived: daughter Maria Anna, whose friends and relatives called Nannerl, and son Wolfgang. His birth nearly cost his mother her life. Only after some time was she able to get rid of the weakness that inspired fear for her life.

On the second day after his birth, Wolfgang was baptized in the Salzburg Cathedral of St. Rupert. A baptismal entry gives his name in Latin as Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus (Gottlieb) Mozart. In these names, the first two words are the name of St. John Chrysostom, which is not used in everyday life, and the fourth during Mozart's life varied: lat. Amadeus, it. Gottlieb, Italian. Amadeo, which means "beloved of God." Mozart himself preferred to be called Wolfgang.

The musical abilities of both children showed up at a very early age.

At the age of seven, Nannerl began to receive harpsichord lessons from her father. These lessons had a tremendous impact on little Wolfgang, who was only about three years old: he sat down at the instrument and could entertain himself for a long time by selecting consonances. In addition, he memorized individual passages of pieces of music that he heard, and could play them on the harpsichord. This made a big impression on his father, Leopold.

At the age of 4, his father began to learn small pieces and minuets with him on the harpsichord. Almost immediately, Wolfgang learned to play them well. Soon, he had a desire for independent creativity: at the age of five, he composed small plays, which his father wrote down on paper. Wolfgang's earliest compositions were Andante in C major and Allegro in C major for clavier, which were composed between the end of January and April 1761.

In January 1762, Leopold made his first test concert trip to Munich with his children, leaving his wife at home. Wolfgang was only six years old at the time of the trip. It is only known about this trip that it lasted three weeks, and the children performed in front of the Elector of Bavaria Maximilian III.

On October 13, 1763, the Mozarts traveled to Schönbrunn, where the summer residence of the imperial court was then.

The Empress arranged for Mozart to be warm and polite. At the concert, which lasted several hours, Wolfgang flawlessly played a wide variety of music: from his own improvisations to works given to him by the court composer of Maria Theresa, Georg Wagenzeil.

Emperor Franz I, wanting to see firsthand the talent of the child, asked him to demonstrate all kinds of performing tricks when playing: from playing with one finger to playing on a keyboard covered with a cloth. Wolfgang easily coped with such tests, in addition, together with his sister, he played a variety of plays in four hands.

The Empress was fascinated by the play of the little virtuoso. After the game was over, she sat Wolfgang on her lap and even allowed herself to be kissed on the cheek. At the end of the audience, the Mozarts were offered refreshments and the opportunity to inspect the palace.

There is a famous historical anecdote associated with this concert: allegedly, when Wolfgang was playing with the children of Maria Theresa, the little archduchess, he slipped on the rubbed floor and fell. Archduchess Marie Antoinette, future Queen of France, helped him up. Wolfgang seemed to jump up to her and said: "You are nice, I want to marry you when I grow up." Mozarts have been to Schönbrunn twice. So that the children could appear there in more beautiful clothes than the one they had, the Empress presented the Mozarts with two costumes - for Wolfgang and his sister Nannerl.

The arrival of the little virtuoso made a real sensation, thanks to which the Mozarts received daily invitations to receptions at the houses of the nobility and aristocracy. Leopold did not want to refuse the invitations of these high-ranking persons, since he saw in them the potential patrons of his son. The performances, which sometimes lasted for several hours, greatly exhausted Wolfgang.

On November 18, 1763, the Mozarts arrived in Paris. The fame of children-virtuosos quickly spread, and, thanks to this, the desire of noble people to listen to Wolfgang's play was great.

Paris made a great impression on the Mozarts. In January, Wolfgang wrote his first four sonatas for harpsichord and violin, which Leopold sent to print. He believed that the sonatas would make a great sensation: on the title page it was indicated that these were the works of a seven-year-old child.

The concerts given by the Mozarts caused great excitement. Thanks to a letter of recommendation received in Frankfurt, Leopold and his family were taken under the auspices of a German encyclopedist and diplomat, Friedrich Melchior von Grimm, who had great connections. It was thanks to the efforts of Grimm that the Mozarts were invited to perform at the king's court in Versailles.

On December 24, Christmas Eve, they arrived at the palace and spent two weeks there giving concerts in front of the king and the marquise. On New Year's Eve, the Mozarts were even allowed to attend a solemn feast, which was considered a special honor - they had to stand at the table, next to the king and queen.

In Paris, Wolfgang and Nannerl reached amazing heights in performing skills - Nannerl was equal to the leading Parisian virtuosos, and Wolfgang, in addition to his phenomenal abilities as a pianist, violinist and organist, amazed the audience with the art of impromptu accompaniment to vocal aria, improvisation and sight-playing. In April, after two big concerts, Leopold decided to continue his journey and visit London. Due to the fact that the Mozarts gave many concerts in Paris, they made good money, in addition, they were presented with various precious gifts - enamel snuff boxes, watches, jewelry and other trinkets.

On April 10, 1764, the Mozart family left Paris, and through the Pas-de-Calais went to Dover on a ship specially hired by them. They arrived in London on April 23rd and stayed there for fifteen months.

A stay in England further influenced Wolfgang's musical education: he met with outstanding London composers - Johann Christian Bach, the youngest son of the great Johann Sebastian Bach, and Karl Friedrich Abel.

Johann Christian Bach became friends with Wolfgang despite the great age difference, and began to give him lessons that had a huge influence on the latter: Wolfgang's style became freer and more elegant. He showed sincere affection for Wolfgang, spending whole hours with him at the instrument, and playing with him in four hands. Here, in London, Wolfgang met the famous Italian opera singer-castrato Giovanni Manzuoli, who even began to give the boy singing lessons. Already on April 27, the Mozarts managed to perform at the court of King George III, where the whole family was warmly received by the monarch. At another performance on 19 May, Wolfgang wowed the audience with sight-seeing plays by J. H. Bach, G. K. Wagenzeil, C. F. Abel and G. F. Handel.

Soon after his return from England, Wolfgang, already as a composer, was attracted to composing music: on the anniversary of the adoption by the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg S. von Strattenbach of the dignity, Wolfgang composed laudatory music ("A Berenice ... Sol nascente", also known as "Licenza" ) in honor of their master. The performance, timed directly to the celebration, took place on December 21, 1766. In addition, various marches, minuets, divertissements, trios, fanfares for trumpets and timpani, and other "works of chance" were also composed for the needs of the court at different times.

In the fall of 1767, the marriage of the daughter of the Empress Maria Theresa, the young Archduchess Maria Joseph, with the King of Naples Ferdinand, was to take place. This event was the reason for the next tour of the Mozarts to Vienna.

Leopold hoped that the valiant guests gathered in the capital would be able to appreciate the game of his prodigy children. However, upon arrival in Vienna, Mozart was not immediately lucky: the Archduchess fell ill with smallpox and died on October 16. Due to the confusion and confusion that reigned in court circles, there was not a single opportunity to speak. The Mozarts dreamed of leaving the epidemic-stricken city, but they were held back by the hope that, despite the mourning, they would be invited to the court. In the end, protecting the children from illness, Leopold and his family fled to Olomouc, but first Wolfgang and then Nannerl managed to get infected and became so seriously ill that Wolfgang lost his sight for nine days. Returning to Vienna on January 10, 1768, when the children recovered, the Mozarts, without expecting it, received an invitation from the Empress to the court.

Mozart spent 1770-1774 in Italy. In 1770, in Bologna, he met the composer Josef Myslivechek, extremely popular at that time in Italy; the influence of the "Divine Bohemian" was so great that later, due to the similarity of style, some of his works were attributed to Mozart, including the oratorio "Abraham and Isaac".

In 1771, in Milan, again with the opposition of theatrical impresario, Mozart's opera Mithridates, King of Pontus was staged, which was received with great enthusiasm by the public. His second opera, Lucius Sulla, was given the same success. For Salzburg, Mozart wrote The Dream of Scipio on the occasion of the election of a new archbishop, for Munich - the opera La bella finta Giardiniera, 2 masses, an offerories.

When Mozart was 17 years old, among his works there were already 4 operas, several spiritual works, 13 symphonies, 24 sonatas, not to mention the mass of smaller compositions.

In 1775-1780, despite worries about material support, a fruitless trip to Munich, Mannheim and Paris, the loss of his mother, Mozart wrote, among other things, 6 clavier sonatas, a concerto for flute and harp, a large symphony No. 31 in D-dur, nicknamed Parisian, several spiritual choirs, 12 ballet numbers.

In 1779, Mozart was appointed court organist in Salzburg (collaborated with Michael Haydn).

On January 26, 1781, the opera Idomeneo was staged in Munich with great success, marking a definite turn in the work of Mozart. In this opera, traces of the old Italian opera seria are still visible (a large number of coloratura arias, the part of Idamante, written for castrato), but a new trend is felt in the recitatives, and especially in the choirs. A big step forward is also seen in instrumentation. During his stay in Munich, Mozart wrote the Misericordias Domini offerorium for the Munich Chapel, one of the finest examples of church music from the late 18th century.

At the end of July 1781, Mozart began writing the opera Die Entführung aus dem Serail (The Abduction from the Seraglio), which premiered on July 16, 1782.

The opera was enthusiastically received in Vienna, and soon became widespread throughout Germany. However, despite the success of the opera, Mozart's prestige as a composer in Vienna was rather low. The Viennese knew almost nothing of his writings. Even the success of the opera Idomeneo did not spread beyond Munich.

In an effort to get a position at the court, Mozart hoped with the help of the former patron of Salzburg - the younger brother of the emperor, Archduke Maximilian, to become a music teacher to Princess Elizabeth of Württemberg, whose education was taken over by Joseph II. The Archduke warmly recommended Mozart to the princess, but the emperor appointed Antonio Salieri to this post as the best teacher of singing.

"For him, no one exists except Salieri!" - Mozart wrote disappointedly to his father on December 15, 1781.

Meanwhile, it was quite natural that the emperor preferred Salieri, whom he valued primarily as a vocal composer.

On December 15, 1781, Mozart wrote a letter to his father in which he confessed his love for Constance Weber and announced that he was going to marry her. However, Leopold knew more than was written in the letter, namely that Wolfgang had to give a written commitment to marry Constance within three years, otherwise he would pay 300 florins annually in her favor.

The main role in the story with the written commitment was played by the guardian of Constance and her sisters - Johann Torvart, a court official who enjoyed authority with Count Rosenberg. Torvart asked his mother to forbid Mozart to communicate with Constance until "this matter is not completed in writing."

Due to a highly developed sense of honor, Mozart could not leave his beloved and signed a statement. However, later, when the guardian left, Constance demanded a commitment from her mother, and said: “Dear Mozart! I do not need any written commitment from you, I already believe your words, ”she tore up the statement. This act of Constance made her even more dear to Mozart. Despite such an alleged nobility of Constance, researchers have no doubt that all these marital debates, including the termination of the contract, are nothing more than a performance well played by the Weberians, the purpose of which was, as it were, to organize the rapprochement of Mozart with Constance.

Despite numerous letters from his son, Leopold was adamant. In addition, he, not without reason, believed that Frau Weber was playing an "ugly game" with his son - she wanted to use Wolfgang as a wallet, because just at that time great prospects opened up before him: he wrote "The Abduction from the Seraglio", spent many concerts by subscription and now and then received orders for various compositions from the Viennese nobility. In great confusion, Wolfgang appealed to his sister for help, trusting her good old friendship. At Wolfgang's request, Constance wrote letters to his sister and sent various gifts.

Despite the fact that Maria Anna friendlyly accepted these gifts, the father persisted. Without hopes for a secure future, the wedding seemed impossible to him.

Meanwhile, gossip became more and more intolerable: on July 27, 1782, Mozart, in complete despair, wrote to his father that most people took him for already married and that Frau Weber was extremely outraged by this and tortured him and Constance to death.

The patroness of Mozart, Baroness von Waldstedten, came to the aid of Mozart and his beloved. She invited Constance to move into her apartment in Leopoldstadt (house no. 360), to which Constance willingly agreed. Because of this, Frau Weber was now angry and intended to eventually bring her daughter back to her home by force. To preserve the honor of Constance, Mozart had to marry her sooner. In the same letter, he most persistently begged his father for permission to marry, repeating his request a few days later. However, the desired agreement was again not followed. At this time, Mozart vowed to write Mass if he successfully marries Constance.

Finally, on August 4, 1782, the betrothal took place in Vienna's St. Stephen's Cathedral, which was attended only by Frau Weber with her youngest daughter Sophie, Herr von Torvart as guardian and witness of both, Herr von Zetto, the bride's witness, and Franz Xaver Gilovsky as a witness Mozart. The wedding feast was hosted by the Baroness, and a serenade was played for thirteen instruments. Only a day later the long-awaited consent of the father came.

During the marriage, a married couple of Mozarts had 6 children, of which only two survived:

Raimund Leopold (June 17 - August 19, 1783)
Karl Thomas (September 21, 1784 - October 31, 1858)
Johann Thomas Leopold (October 18 - November 15, 1786)
Theresia Constance Adelaide Frederick Marianne (December 27, 1787 - June 29, 1788)
Anna Maria (died shortly after birth, December 25, 1789)
Franz Xaver Wolfgang (July 26, 1791 - July 29, 1844).

At the zenith of his fame, Mozart receives huge fees for his academies and the publication of his works, he teaches many students.

In September 1784, the composer's family settled in a luxurious apartment at 846 Grosse Schulerstrasse (now Domgasse 5) with an annual rent of 460 florins. At this time, Mozart wrote the best of his works. The income allowed Mozart to keep a servant at home: a hairdresser, a maid and a cook, he buys a piano from the Viennese master Anton Walter for 900 florins and a billiard table for 300 florins.

In 1783, Mozart met the famous composer Joseph Haydn, and soon a cordial friendship was struck between them. Mozart even dedicates his collection of 6 quartets, written in 1783-1785, to Haydn. These quartets, so bold and new for their time, caused confusion and controversy among Viennese amateurs, but Haydn, realizing the genius of the quartets, accepted the gift with the greatest respect. Other things also belong to this period. an important event in the life of Mozart: on December 14, 1784, he joined the Masonic lodge "To Charity".

Mozart received an order from the emperor for a new opera. For help in writing the libretto, Mozart turned to a familiar librettist, court poet Lorenzo da Ponte, whom he met at his apartment with Baron Wetzlar back in 1783. As material for the libretto, Mozart suggested Pierre Beaumarchais's comedy "Le Mariage de Figaro" (French "The Marriage of Figaro"). Despite the fact that Joseph II banned the production of comedy at the National Theater, Mozart and da Ponte still got down to work, and, thanks to the lack of new operas, won the position. Mozart and da Ponte called their opera "Le nozze di Figaro" (Italian: "Figaro's wedding").

Thanks to the success of Le Nozze di Figaro, Mozart considered da Ponte the ideal librettist. As a plot for the libretto, da Ponte suggested the play "Don Juan", and Mozart liked it. On April 7, 1787, the young Beethoven arrives in Vienna. According to a widespread opinion, Mozart, after listening to Beethoven's improvisations, allegedly exclaimed: “He will make everyone talk about himself!”, And even took Beethoven to his disciple. However, there is no direct evidence of this. One way or another, Beethoven, having received a letter about the serious illness of his mother, was forced to return to Bonn, having spent only two weeks in Vienna.

In the midst of work on the opera, on May 28, 1787, Leopold Mozart, the father of Wolfgang Amadeus, dies. This event darkened him so much that some musicologists associate the gloom of the music from Don Giovanni with the shock that Mozart experienced. The premiere of the opera Don Giovanni took place on October 29, 1787 at the Estates Theater in Prague. The success of the premiere was brilliant, the opera, in the words of Mozart himself, was "the loudest success."

The production of Don Giovanni in Vienna, which Mozart and da Ponte dreamed of, was hampered by the ever-increasing success of Salieri's new opera Aksur, King of Hormuz, which premiered on January 8, 1788. Finally, thanks to the instructions of Emperor Joseph II, who was interested in the Prague success of Don Giovanni, the opera was performed on May 7, 1788 at the Burgtheater. The Vienna premiere failed: the audience, since the days of Figaro, has generally cooled to the work of Mozart, could not get used to such a new and unusual work, and on the whole remained indifferent. Mozart received 50 ducats from the emperor for Don Giovanni, and, according to J. Rice, during 1782-1792 this was the only time that the composer received payment for an opera ordered outside Vienna.

Since 1787, the number of Mozart's "academies" sharply decreased, and in 1788 they stopped altogether - he could not collect a sufficient number of subscribers. Don Juan failed on the Viennese stage and brought almost nothing. Because of this, Mozart's financial situation deteriorated sharply. Obviously, already at this time he began to accumulate debts, aggravated by the cost of treating his wife, who was ill due to frequent childbirth.

In June 1788, Mozart settled in a house at 135 Waringergasse "At the Three Stars" in the Vienna suburb of Alsergrund. The new move was another testament to the dire financial problems: the rent for a house in the suburbs was much lower than in the city. Mozart's daughter Theresia dies shortly after the move. From this time began a series of numerous heartbreaking letters from Mozart with requests for financial assistance to his friend and brother in the Masonic Lodge, the wealthy Viennese merchant Michael Puchberg.

Despite such a deplorable situation, during the summer of 1788, Mozart wrote three, now the most famous, symphonies: No. 39 in E flat major (K.543), No. 40 in G minor (K.550) and No. 41 in C major ("Jupiter", K.551). The reasons that prompted Mozart to write these symphonies are unknown.

In February 1790, Emperor Joseph II died. With the accession to the throne of Leopold II, Mozart initially pinned great hopes, but the new emperor was not a particular lover of music, and the musicians did not have access to him.

In May 1790, Mozart wrote to his son, Archduke Franz, hoping to prove himself: “The thirst for glory, love of activity and confidence in my knowledge make me dare to ask for the place of second conductor, especially since the very skillful conductor Salieri never practiced church style , I have perfectly mastered this style from my youth ”. However, Mozart's request was ignored, which greatly disappointed him. Mozart was ignored and during a visit to Vienna on September 14, 1790, King Ferdinand and Queen Carolina of Naples - a concert was given under the direction of Salieri, in which the Stadler brothers and Joseph Haydn took part; Mozart was never invited to play in front of the king, which offended him.

From January 1791, an unprecedented upsurge was outlined in Mozart's work, which was the end of the creative decline of 1790: Mozart composed the only concert for piano and orchestra in the past three years (No. 27 in B-flat major, K.595), which dates back to 5 January, and numerous dances written by Mozart on duty as a court musician. On April 12 he wrote his last quintet No. 6, in E flat major (K.614). In April he prepared the second edition of his Symphony No. 40 in G minor (K.550), adding clarinets to the score. Later, on April 16 and 17, this symphony was performed at charity concerts conducted by Antonio Salieri. After an unsuccessful attempt to be appointed to the post of second conductor - deputy of Salieri, Mozart took a step in a different direction: in early May 1791, he sent a petition to the Vienna city magistrate asking him to appoint him to the unpaid position of assistant conductor of St. Stephen's Cathedral. The request was granted, and Mozart received this position. She granted him the right to become a Kapellmeister after the death of the seriously ill Leopold Hoffmann. Hoffmann, however, outlived Mozart.

In March 1791, Mozart's old acquaintance from the Salzburger, theater actor and impresario Emanuel Schikaneder, who was then director of the Auf der Wieden theater, asked him to save his theater from decline and write for him a German "opera for the people" on a fairy tale plot.

Presented in September 1791 in Prague, on the occasion of the coronation of Leopold II by the Bohemian king, the opera Titus' Mercy was received coldly. On the other hand, The Magic Flute, staged in the same month in Vienna in a suburban theater, had such a success as Mozart had not known in the Austrian capital for many years. In the vast and varied activities of Mozart, this fairy-tale opera occupies a special place.

Mozart, like most of his contemporaries, also paid a lot of attention to sacred music, but he left few great examples in this area: apart from Misericordias Domini - Ave verum corpus (KV 618, 1791), written in a completely uncharacteristic Mozart's style, and the majestically woeful Requiem (KV 626), on which Mozart worked in the last months of his life.

The history of writing "Requiem" is interesting. In July 1791, a mysterious stranger in gray visited Mozart and ordered him a Requiem (funeral mass for the dead). As the composer's biographers have established, this was a messenger from Count Franz von Walsegg-Stuppach, an amateur music player who loved to perform other people's works in his palace with his chapel, buying authorship from composers; with a requiem, he wanted to honor the memory of his late wife. The unfinished Requiem, stunning in its mournful lyricism and tragic expressiveness, was completed by his student Franz Xaver Süsmaier, who had previously taken part in the composition of the opera Titus's Mercy.

In connection with the premiere of the opera Titus' Mercy, Mozart arrived in Prague already ill, and since then his condition has worsened. Even during the completion of The Magic Flute, Mozart began to faint, he was greatly discouraged. As soon as The Magic Flute was performed, Mozart enthusiastically began work on the Requiem. This work interested him so much that he even intended not to accept more students until the Requiem was completed. On his return from Baden, Constance did everything to keep him from work; in the end, she took the score of the Requiem from her husband and called the best doctor in Vienna, Dr. Nikolaus Closs.

Indeed, thanks to this, Mozart's condition improved so much that on November 15 he was able to complete his Masonic cantata and conduct it. He told Constance to return the Requiem to him and worked on it further. However, the improvement did not last long: on November 20, Mozart went to bed. He developed weakness, his arms and legs were swollen to such an extent that he could not walk, followed by sudden bouts of vomiting. In addition, his hearing sharpened, and he ordered the cage with his beloved canary to be removed from the room - he could not bear her singing.

On November 28, Mozart's condition deteriorated so much that Closs invited Dr. M. von Sallab, then the chief physician of the Vienna Main Hospital, to the consultation. During the two weeks Mozart spent in bed, he was looked after by his sister-in-law Sophie Weber (later Heibl), who left behind numerous memories of Mozart's life and death. She noticed that every day Mozart was gradually weakening, moreover, his condition was aggravated by unnecessary bloodletting, which were the most common means of medicine at that time, and were also used by doctors Kloss and Sallaba.

Kloss and Sallaba diagnosed Mozart with "acute millet fever" (this diagnosis was indicated on the death certificate).

According to modern researchers, it is no longer possible to establish more precisely the causes of the composer's death. W. Stafford compares the history of Mozart's illness to an inverted pyramid: tons of secondary literature are piled on a very small amount of documentary evidence. At the same time, the volume of reliable information over the past hundred years has not increased, but has decreased: over the years, scientists have become more and more critical of the testimonies of Constance, Sophie and other eyewitnesses, revealing many contradictions in their testimony.

On December 4, Mozart's condition became critical. He became so sensitive to touch that he could hardly bear his nightgown. A stench emanated from the body of Mozart, still alive, which made it difficult to be in the same room with him. Many years later, Mozart's eldest son Karl, who at that time was seven, recalled how he, standing in the corner of the room, looked in horror at the swollen body of his father lying in bed. According to Sophie's testimony, Mozart felt the approach of death and even asked Constance to inform I. Albrechtsberger about his death before others knew about it, so that he could take his place in St. Stephen's Cathedral: he always considered Albrechtsberger a born organist and believed that the position of assistant Kapellmeister by right should be his. On the same evening, the priest of the Church of St. Peter was invited to the patient's bed.

Late in the evening they sent for a doctor, Kloss ordered to apply a cold compress on the head. This affected the dying Mozart so that he lost consciousness. From that moment on, Mozart lay in a bed, rambling randomly. At about midnight, he got up on the bed and stared motionlessly into space, then leaned against the wall and dozed off. After midnight, five minutes to one o'clock, that is, on December 5, death occurred.

Already at night, Baron van Swieten appeared in Mozart's house, and, trying to console the widow, ordered her to move to friends for several days. At the same time, he gave her urgent advice to arrange the burial as simple as possible: indeed, the last debt to the deceased was given in the third class, which cost 8 florins 36 kreutzers and another 3 florins for a hearse. Soon after van Swieten, Count Deim arrived and removed the death mask from Mozart. Diner was summoned early in the morning to dress the master. The people from the funeral fraternity, covering the body with a black cloth, carried it on a stretcher to the workroom and put it next to the piano. During the day, many of Mozart's friends came there, wishing to express their condolences and see the composer again.

The controversy surrounding the circumstances of Mozart's death continues to this day., despite the fact that more than 220 years have passed since the death of the composer. A huge number of versions and legends are associated with his death, among which the legend about the poisoning of Mozart by the then famous composer Antonio Salieri was especially widespread, thanks to the "little tragedy" of Alexander Pushkin. Scientists studying the death of Mozart are divided into two camps: supporters of violent and natural death. However, the vast majority of scientists believe that Mozart died naturally, and any versions of poisoning, especially the version of Salieri's poisoning, are unprovable or simply erroneous.

On December 6, 1791, at about 3 pm, Mozart's body was brought to St. Stephen's Cathedral. Here, in the Cross Chapel, adjacent to the north side of the cathedral, a modest religious ceremony was held, which was attended by friends of Mozart van Swieten, Salieri, Albrechtsberger, Susmeier, Diner, Rosner, cellist Orsler and others. The hearse went to St. Mark's cemetery, in accordance with the prescriptions of that time, after six o'clock in the evening, that is, already in the dark, without an accompanying person. The date of Mozart's burial is controversial: sources indicate December 6, when the coffin with his body was sent to the cemetery, but the regulations forbade burying the dead earlier than 48 hours after death.

Contrary to popular belief, Mozart was not buried in a linen sack in a mass grave with the poor, as was shown in the movie "Amadeus". His funeral was held in the third category, which provided for burial in a coffin, but in a common grave along with 5-6 other coffins. There was nothing unusual about Mozart's funeral at that time. This was not a beggar's funeral. Only very rich people and representatives of the nobility could be buried in a separate grave with a tombstone or monument. Beethoven's impressive (albeit second-class) funeral in 1827 took place in a different era and, moreover, reflected the dramatically increased social status of musicians.

For the Viennese, Mozart's death passed almost imperceptibly, but in Prague, with a large crowd of people (about 4,000 people), in memory of Mozart, 9 days after his death, 120 musicians performed with special additions the “Requiem” by Antonio Rosetti, written back in 1776.

The exact burial place of Mozart is not known for certain: in his time, the graves remained unmarked, tombstones were allowed to be placed not at the burial site itself, but at the wall of the cemetery. For many years in a row, the wife of his friend Johann Georg Albrechtsberger visited the grave of Mozart, who took her son with her. He accurately remembered the burial place of the composer and, when, on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of Mozart's death, they began to search for his burial, he was able to show him. A simple tailor planted a willow on the grave, and then, in 1859, a monument was erected there according to the design of von Gasser, the famous Weeping Angel.

In connection with the centenary of the composer's death, the monument was moved to the "musical corner" of Vienna's Central Cemetery, which again posed the danger of losing the real grave. Then the overseer of the cemetery of St. Mark Alexander Kruger erected a small monument from various remains of former gravestones. Currently, the Weeping Angel has returned to its original location.

The works of the musical genius of the Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart were able to make Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky plunge into his sensual world so much that they caused awe and tears of delight. The renowned composer considered Mozart's music to be almost perfect, able to discover and show him what music really is.

The childhood of the composer

Amadeus was born in early 1756; on January 27, a son was born to the family of Leopold Mozart, who later glorified the family and left an indelible mark on the history of music, being a real talent and genius.

The boy's father, a violinist and teacher, who, among other things, played the organ, was able to notice in time the perfect hearing of his son and develop his abilities to perfection. Of Wolfgang's six brothers and sisters, only his older sister was able to survive. It was with her that at first Leopold began to study music with children, teaching the girl to play the clavier. Being with them all the time, little Mozart occupied himself with the selection of the melodies he had heard. Drawing attention to this, the father considered the unique gift of his child. The first classes of father and son began to take place in the form of a game.

Further development was not long in coming:

• at the age of four, the boy independently begins to write a concert for the harpsichord;
• at the age of five, the young musician is fluent in the composition of small pieces;
• and by the age of six he is capable of performing well complex compositions.

A father who supports his music lessons, wishing a better life for his son, organizes a tour with the boy's performances in the hope of his further prosperous and interesting life.

The young musician possessed a unique musical memory that allowed him to accurately record any piece he heard. It is generally accepted that already at the age of six, the composer wrote his first work.

Tour with a concert program

Taking both children with them on the tour, the family visits many European cities, including the capital of Austria. Among those who listened to the performances of the young musician were residents of the capitals of France and England, as well as many other cities of old Europe. The listeners, delighted with the virtuoso playing of the harpsichord, were also amazed at his mastery of the violin as well as the organ. Lengthy performances lasted five hours, which caused fatigue. However, the father did not stop his son's training and continued to study with him.

At the age of ten, Mozart and his family returned to their native Salzburg, but did not stay there for long. The young genius became full-fledged rivals to the musicians of the city, which could not have a positive effect on their attitude towards the boy. By the decision of the father, already together, they go to Italy, where Leopold hopes to receive true recognition and an assessment of his son's genius.

Italy and Mozart

A four-year stay in Italy had a good impact on improving the talent of a hardworking musician. Classes with masters who met the boy in a new country gave tangible results. It was in this country that several of the composer's operas were staged. The young performer becomes the first member of the Bologna Academy of such a young age. The father hoped for the further good fate of his son. However, the Italian elite did not abandon their suspicion about the young genius and it was not possible to find a job in the new country.

Salzburg again

Upon returning to their homeland, the family did not feel the delight of the inhabitants. The heir to the deceased count was a cruel man who did not hesitate to humiliate Mozart and oppress him in every possible way. Without giving his permission for Wolfgang to participate in concerts, he forced the young musician to write only church music and some entertainment works. Using his long-awaited vacation for a trip to Paris, Mozart does not get the impressions he expected to find - the composer's mother is dying of hardships and hardships in life.

The musician barely endured the next couple of years when he returned to his homeland. At the same time, the triumph of his opera, staged in Munich, makes the young man abandon his dependent position and leave for Vienna. This city is becoming the last refuge of the great musician.

Mozart and Vienna

In the Austrian capital, the musician marries his girlfriend without obtaining the consent of her parents. At first, life in a new city is very difficult for Mozart. However, after the success of the next work, the composer's circle of acquaintances and connections expanded significantly. And then the long-awaited success came again. The brilliant composer did not manage to finish his last work... He was able to finish writing a student of Mozart, having resorted to the musician's drafts left after his death.

Last years

Wolfgang's death occurred for an unknown reason, even the version of possible poisoning is used. The tomb of the creator has not been found, it is only known that it was a general burial due to the sheer poverty of his relatives.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart(full name - Johannes Chrysostome Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)- one of the greatest composers of all times and peoples. In early childhood, Mozart showed virtuosity in playing the harpsichord, and by the age of 6 he played like no other adult of that time.

short biography

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is born January 27, 1756 in Salzburg (Austria). His father - Leopold Mozart, violinist and composer in the court chapel of the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg, Count Sigismund von Strattenbach. His mother - Anna Maria Mozart (Perthl), daughter of the Commissioner-Trustee of the Almshouse in St. Gilgen.

Of the seven children from the marriage of the Mozarts, only two survived: a daughter Maria Anna whom friends and relatives called Nannerl, and son Wolfgang Amadeus... His birth nearly cost his mother her life. Only after some time was she able to get rid of the weakness that inspired fear for her life.

Early childhood

The musical abilities of both children showed up at a very early age. At the age of seven, Nannerl began to receive harpsichord lessons from her father. These lessons had a huge impact on little Wolfgang, who was about three years old: he sat down at the instrument and could entertain himself for a long time with the selection of consonances.

In addition, he memorized certain passages of pieces of music,
which he heard and could play them on the harpsichord.

At the age of 4, my father began to learn small pieces and minuets with Amadeus Mozart on the harpsichord. Almost immediately, Wolfgang learned to play them well. Soon he had a desire for independent creativity: already at the age of five he composed small plays which the father wrote down on paper.

Mozart's first successes

The very first works of Wolfgang were "Andante in C major" and "Allegro in C major" for clavier, which were composed between the end January and April 1761.

The father was the best teacher and educator for his son: he gave his children an excellent education at home. They never went to school in their lives. The boy was always so devoted to what he was forced to learn that he forgot about everything, even about music. For example, when I was learning to count, the chairs, walls and even the floor were covered with numbers written in chalk.

Conquest of Europe

In 1762 Leopold Mozart decided to amaze Europe with his gifted children and went with them on an artistic journey: first to Munich and Vienna, then to other cities in Germany. Little Mozart, who barely turned 6 years, stood on stage in a shiny jacket, sweating under a powdered wig.

When he sat down to the harpsichord, he was almost invisible. But how he played! Experienced in music Germans, Austrians, French, Czechs, English were heard. They did not believe that a small child is capable of playing so masterly, and even composing music.

In January, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote his first four sonatas for harpsichord and violin, which Leopold sent to print. He believed that the sonatas would make a great sensation: the title page indicated that these were the works of a seven-year-old child.

In four years, while traveling around Europe, Wolfgang Amadeus turned from an ordinary child into ten year old composer that shocked friends and neighbors of the Mozarts when they returned to their native Salzburg.

Life in italy

Mozart spent 1770-1774 in Italy. In 1770 in Bologna, he met with an extremely popular composer in Italy at that time Josef Myslivechek... The influence of the "Divine Bohemian" was so great that later, due to the similarity of style, some of his works were attributed to Mozart, including an oratorio "Abraham and Isaac".

In 1771 in Milan, again with the opposition of theatrical impresario, Mozart's opera was staged "Mithridates, king of Pontus", which was received with great enthusiasm by the public. His second opera was given the same success. "Lucius Sulla" written in 1772.

Moving to Vienna

Having already returned to his native Salzburg as an adult, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart could not get along with the despotic archbishop, who saw in him only a servant and tried in every possible way to humiliate him.

In 1781 Unable to withstand the oppression, Mozart went to Vienna, where he began to give concerts. He composed a lot during this period, wrote a comic opera "Abduction from the Seraglio" on the Turkish theme, since in Vienna in the 18th century everything Turkish and especially music was in vogue.

It was the happiest period in Mozart's life: he fell in love with Constance Weber and was going to marry her, and his music was saturated with a feeling of love.

"The Wedding of Figaro"

After 4 years he created an opera "The Wedding of Figaro" based on the play by Beaumarchais, which was considered revolutionary and was banned in France for a long time. Emperor Joseph was convinced that all dangerous passages were removed from the production, that Mozart's music was very funny.

As contemporaries wrote, the theater was packed to capacity during the performance of The Wedding of Figaro. The success was extraordinary, the music conquered everyone. The audience greeted Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The next day, all of Vienna sang his melodies.

"Don Juan"

This success contributed to the fact that the composer was invited to Prague. There he presented his new opera - "Don Juan", which premiered in 1787. She was also highly regarded, later admired. Charles Gounod, Ludwig van Beethoven, Richard Wagner.

Return to Vienna

After his triumph in Prague, Mozart returned to Vienna. But there they reacted to him without the same interest. The Abduction from the Seraglio was filmed long ago, and no other operas have been staged. And by this time the composer wrote 15 more symphony concerts, composed three symphonies which are considered the greatest today. The financial situation became more and more difficult day by day, he had to give music lessons.

The lack of serious orders depressed Wolfgang Amadeus, he felt that his strength was at the limit. In recent years, he created another opera - an unusual fairy tale "Magical flute" which had a religious connotation. It was later identified as Masonic. The opera was very well received by the audience.

The last period of life

As soon as The Magic Flute was performed, Mozart enthusiastically took up the work on Requiem ordered by a mysterious stranger in all black. This work interested him so much that he even intended not to accept more students until the Requiem was completed.

but December 6, 1791 at the age of 35, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died of an illness. The exact and reliable diagnosis is currently unknown. The controversy surrounding the circumstances of Mozart's death does not subside to this day, despite the fact that almost 225 years have passed since the composer's death.

Work on unfinished "Requiem", stunning with his mournful lyricism and tragic expressiveness, finished his student Franz Xaver Susmeier, who previously took part in the composition of the opera "Mercy of Titus".