A short biography of Mozart. Mozart's works: list

Mozart, Johann Chrysostomus Wolfgang Gottlieb, abbreviated as Wolfgang Amadeus, is one of the world's most brilliant classical composers. He was born on January 27, 1756 in Salzburg. His unparalleled rapid musical development during his childhood was under the guidance of his father, with whom Mozart made his first concert tour of Europe in 1762. He visited Vienna, Munich, Paris, Amsterdam and London, and all these cities expressed delight and amazement before the six-year-old virtuoso. Shortly thereafter, Mozart's first compositions (2 sonatas for violin and piano) were printed. Their author was not yet 8 years old - an unprecedented fact in the history of art. At the age of 11, Mozart finished his first opera (Apollo and Hyacinth). This was followed (in 1768) by the second opera Bastien et Bastienne, whose performance took place in Vienna in the home of the wealthy Mesmer family with great success, under the direction of the author himself. In the same year, Mozart conducted his Mass, written for the consecration of the newly opened orphanage in Vienna.

Young man Mozart. Portrait of the 1770s

At the age of 14, Mozart had already officially held the position of Kapellmeister in Salzburg. Between 1768 and 1770 he traveled to Italy where he studied music under Martini. In 1770, his opera Mithridates was staged in Milan, which had such a tremendous success that it withstood more than twenty performances in a row. The Academy of Music of Bologna has elected Mozart as its full member; the Philharmonic Academy in Verona presented him with the diploma of Kapellmeister and its honorary member. In 1772, the opera The Dream of Scipio, written for Salzburg, was completed; in 1773 - the opera Lucius Sulla, written for Milan. In 1774 they wrote: for Salzburg - the opera "The Shepherd King", and for Munich - the opera "The Imaginary Gardener". Thus, at the age of 18, Mozart was a member of various music academies, the author of seven operas and many compositions of various forms and for various instruments.

Mozart. The best works

By this time, his genius had fully matured, and his creative powers had reached a high degree; at the same time, he began to take a different path from the path of strict adherence to the then forms and principles. This turning point was especially noticeable in 1781, when the opera Idomeneo was completed, the first in a series of great operas by Mozart of the new formation. In the same year, Mozart's opera The Abduction from the Seraglio was staged in Vienna. In 1786, the opera "Theater Director" was given in Vienna; followed by The Marriage of Figaro, with a plot borrowed from the comedy Beaumarchais. In 1787 Don Juan was given in Prague; in 1790 the opera "Everybody Do This" was completed. After her (1791), on the occasion of the coronation of the emperor in Vienna, the opera "Mercy of Titus" and in the same year the opera "The Magic Flute".

On December 5, 1791, Mozart died before reaching the age of thirty-six. Just before his death, he was appointed to the post of assistant conductor of the Church of St. Stephen in Vienna, which strengthened his financial position, which throughout his life, despite universal worship, was not extremely brilliant. Mozart was buried in Vienna. The last work of his famous "Requiem", written by order of Count Walsegg, finished after his death, according to the available draft material, by his student Süsmeier. There was a legend about the poisoning of Mozart by his longtime rival, the composer Salieri which served as the theme

Of all the representatives of the Vienna Classical School, Mozart is the most unique. His talent manifested itself in early childhood and developed until an unexpected death. The Austrian composer has created over 600 works, played brilliantly, worked in various musical forms. His ability to play from the age of four and his early death have become the subject of much controversy and overgrown with myths. Mozart's biography, a summary of the life and work of which is divided into sections, is presented in the article.

early years

He was born on January 27, 1756 in the family of the violinist and composer Leopold Mozart. His hometown was Salzburg, where his parents were considered the most beautiful married couple. Mother, Anna Maria Mozart, gave birth to seven children, of which two survived - daughter Maria Anna and Wolfgang.

The boy showed a talent for music from the age of three. He loved to play the harpsichord and could select consonances for a long time. The father began to study with the boy at the age of four, since he had a pronounced ability to memorize the melodies he heard and reproduce them on the harpsichord. This is how Mozart's musical biography began, which is difficult to write about briefly, it is so eventful.

By the age of five, Mozart could compose small pieces. The father wrote them down on paper, putting the date of creation in the margins. Besides the harpsichord, Wolfgang learned to play the violin. The only instrument that terrified the young musician was the trumpet. He could not listen to her sound without the accompaniment of other instruments.

It was not only Wolfgang who played masterfully in the Mozart family. His sister was equally talented. They gave the first concerts together and delighted the audience. In Vienna, they were introduced to Empress Maria Theresa, who listened to their concert for several hours.

With his father, they traveled around Europe, giving concerts to noble dignitaries. They only returned home for a short time.

Vienna period

After a misunderstanding with his employer, the Archbishop of Salzburg, Amadeus Mozart, whose brief biography is presented in this article, decides to change his life and goes to Vienna. He arrived in the city on March 16, 1781. The timing was poorly chosen to start his career in Vienna. Most of the aristocrats left the city for the summer, and there were practically no concerts.

Mozart hoped to become the teacher of Princess Elizabeth, whose education was attended by Joseph II. But all attempts ended in failure. Instead, Joseph II chose Salieri and Zummer. However, Wolfgang had enough female students, albeit less distinguished ones. One of them was Teresa von Trattner, who is considered his lover. The composer dedicated a sonata in C minor and a fantasy in C minor to her.

After much anticipation and obstacles, Mozart married Constance Weber. They had six children, but only two of them survived. It was the connection with Constance that spoiled the musician's relationship with his father, whom he loved from birth. Mozart's biography, summarized, is impossible without a version of his death.

Last year of life

In 1791, Mozart was ordered to "Requiem", which he did not have a chance to complete. This was done by his student Franz Xaver Süsmeier. In November, the composer became very ill, he could not walk, he needed the help of doctors.

They ascertained that he had an acute millet fever. Many inhabitants of Vienna died from it at that time. The disease was complicated by a general weakening of the body.

By December 4, the composer's condition became critical. Mozart died on December 5. The biography (short) of the composer, who left many wonderful works to descendants, ends here.

The funeral took place on December 6, 1791 in the presence of only close friends. Then his body was taken to the cemetery for burial. Where it is located is unknown, but presumably on that place over time a monument "Weeping Angel" was erected.

The legend of the poisoning of Mozart

Many works describe the myth of Wolfgang's poisoning by his friend and famous composer Salieri. Some musicologists still support this version of death. However, there is no conclusive evidence. At the end of the last century, in the Palace of Justice (Milan), Antonio Salieri was acquitted on charges of the murder of Wolfgang Mozart.

Mozart's biography: briefly about creativity

Mozart's creations combine strict and clear forms with deep emotionality. His works are poetic and carry a subtle grace, while they are not devoid of masculinity, drama, and contrast.

He is known for his reformatory approach to opera. It is their novelty that captivates both the opera and the biography of Mozart, a summary of which begins at the age of three. There are no clearly expressed negative or positive characters in his works. Their characters are multifaceted. The most famous operas:

• "Don Juan";
• "The Wedding of Figaro";
• "Magical flute".

In symphonic music, Mozart (his biography, short but informative, probably allowed you to learn a lot about this composer) distinguished himself by the presence of melodiousness in opera arias and the dramatic nature of conflicts. Symphonies numbered 39, 40, 41 are considered popular.

Based on Kechel's thematic catalog, Mozart created:

• spiritual creations - 68;
• string quartets - 32;
• sonatas (variations) for harpsichord and violin - 45;
• theatrical works - 23;
• sonatas for harpsichord - 22;
• symphonies - 50;
• concerts - 55.

Mozart's hobbies

Most of all, the composer loved to be in a cheerful company. He gladly attended balls, masquerades, and hosted receptions. He often danced at balls.

Like his other peers, Wolfgang Mozart, whose brief biography we have described, played billiards well. At home he had his own table, which was a special luxury at that time. He often played with friends and wife.

As pets, he liked canaries and starlings, which he willingly kept with him. In addition, he had dogs and even horses. On the recommendation of a physician, he did early horseback riding every day.

Mozart's biography briefly told about the fate of a genius who did not live long, but made an invaluable contribution to the musical art of the whole world.

Wolfgang Amadeus John Chrysostom Theophile Mozart was born on January 27, 1756 in Austria, in the city of Salzburg on the banks of the Salzach River. In the 18th century, the city was considered the center of musical life. Little Mozart early got acquainted with the music that sounded in the residence of the archbishop, with home concerts of well-to-do townspeople and with the world of folk music.

Wolfgang's father, Leopold Mozart, was one of the most educated and outstanding educators of his era and became his son's first teacher. At the age of 4, the boy already plays the piano perfectly and begins to compose music. According to one record of that time, he mastered playing the violin in just a few days and soon impressed his family and his father's friends with the manuscript of a “piano concerto”.
At the age of six, he performed for the first time in front of the general public, and after a short time, together with his sister Anna, also an outstanding performer, he went on a concert tour to Munich, Augsburg, Mannheim, Brussels, Vienna, Paris, and then his family went to London, where time was the greatest masters of the opera scene.
In 1763, Mozart's works (sonatas for piano and violin) were first published in Paris.
The history of music testifies to a number of wonderful performances with which Mozart amazed his listeners. The boy was only 10 years old when he took part in the composition of a collective oratorio. He was held captive for a whole week, opening a locked door only to pass food or music paper to him. Mozart stood the test brilliantly, and soon after the oratorio, performed with great success, amazed the audience with the opera Apolloni Hyacinth, and then with two more operas The Imaginary Simpleton and Bastien and Bastienne.
In 1769, Mozart went on a tour of Italy. The great Italian musicians at first distrust and even suspect the legends surrounding the name of Mozart. But his genius talent conquers them too. Vitalia Mozart is studying with the famous composer and teacher J.B. Martini, gives concerts, writes the opera "Mithridates - King of Pontus", which is a great success.
At the age of 14, he became a member of the renowned Academy of Bologna and the Academy of Philharmonics in Verona. Mozart reaches the pinnacle of fame in Rome. Having listened to Allegri's "Miserere" Cathedral only once in St. Peter's Cathedral, he writes it down on paper from memory. Memories of the trip to Italy are the operas Mithridates, King of Pontus (1770), Lucio Silla (1772), the theatrical serenade Ascanio in Alba.
After a trip to Italy, Mozart created quartets for string instruments, symphonic works, piano sonatas and works for a variety of instrument combinations, the operas The Imaginary Gardener (1775), The Shepherd King.
The young composer, who until now knew only the brilliant side of life, now knows its inside out. The new prince-archbishop Jerome Coloredo dislikes music, dislikes Mozart, and more and more often makes him understand that Mozartlis is a servant who is entitled to no more respect than any cook or lake. Leaving Salzburg and the court service, he settled in Mannheim. Here he met the Weber family and made several loyal and reliable friends among art lovers.
But heavy material worries, humiliation and expectations in the hallways, entreaties and searches for patronage force the young composer to return to Salzburg. At the request of Leopold Mozart, the archbishop accepts his former musician back, but gives a strict instruction: his servants and lackeys (of course, Mozart) are prohibited from public speaking. However, in 1781, Mozart managed to get a leave of absence to stage the new opera Idomeneo in Munich. After a successful premiere, deciding not to return to Salzburg anymore, Mozart submits his letter of resignation and receives in return cursing and insults. The cup of patience is overflowing; the composer finally broke with the dependent position of a court musician and settled in Vienna, where he lived the last 10 years of his life.
However, Mozart faces new difficulties. Aristocratic circles are turning away from the former prodigy, and those who until recently paid him with gold and applause now consider the musician's creations to be overly heavy, confused and abstract. Meanwhile, Mozart creates masterpieces. In 1782 his first mature opera, The Abduction from the Seraglio, was performed; in the summer of the same year he will marry Constance Weber.
A new creative stage in the life of Mozart is associated with his friendship with Joseph Haydn (1732-1809). Under Haydn's influence, Mozart's music takes on new wings. The first wonderful Mozart quartets are born. But besides the brilliance, which has already become a proverb, in his works, more and more often a more tragic, more serious beginning is manifested, characteristic of a person who sees life in all its fullness.
The composer is moving further and further away from the requirements of general taste, which are set before the humble composers of music by the salons of noblemen and philanthropists. During this period, the opera The Marriage of Figaro (1786) appears. Mozart is being ousted from the opera stage. Compared to the light writings of Salieri and Paesiello, Mozart's works seem heavy and problematic.
Disasters and hardships more and more often look into the composer's house, young spouses do not know how to economically manage their household. In these difficult conditions, the opera Don Juan (1787) was born, which brought world success to the author. While writing the last pages of the score, Mozart receives the news of his father's death. Now the composer is truly alone; he can no longer hope that his father's advice, clever writing, and perhaps direct intervention will help him in difficult times.
After the premiere of Don Juan in Prague, the imperial court is forced to make some concessions. Mozart is offered the seat of court musician belonging to the recently deceased Gluck (1714-1787); however, this honorary appointment brings the composer a little joy. The Viennese court regards Mozart as an ordinary composer of dance music and orders him minuets, landlers, country dances for court balls.
The last years of Mozart's life include 3 symphonies (E-flat major, G minor and C major), the operas "Everybody Do It" (1790), "Titus's Mercy" (1791), "The Magic Flute" (1791).
Death found Mozart on December 5, 1791 in Vienna while working on the "Requiem". The history of the creation of this work is told by all biographers of the composer. An elderly stranger came to Mozart, decently dressed and pleasant. He ordered a Requiem for his friend and paid a generous advance. The gloomy tone and mystery with which the order was made gave rise to the suspicious composer's thought that he was writing this Requiem for himself.
"Requiem" was completed by the composer's student and friend F. Süsmeier.
Mozart was buried in a common grave for the poor. His wife was at home sick on the day of the funeral; friends of the composer, who went out to pursue his last journey, were forced to return home halfway due to the terrible weather. It so happened that no one knows exactly where the great composer found the eternal rest ...
Mozart's creative heritage consists of more than 600 works

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus - an outstanding Austrian composer; musician virtuoso; violinist, organist and harpsichordist. According to the testimony of his contemporaries, he had perfect hearing, memory and the ability to improvise. Mozart was a talented composer and conductor. He belongs to the Vienna Classical School of Music, and his collection of musical works includes more than 600 opuses. The future composer was born on January 27, 1756 in Salzburg into a family of hereditary musicians. From childhood he studied organ, violin and harpsichord.

In 1762, his father took him and his sister Maria Anna with him on an artistic journey. They visited Vienna, Paris, London, Munich and many other cities. It is believed that in the same year the six-year-old Mozart wrote his first work. The music of the little genius could not leave the audience indifferent. Already in 1763, his first sonatas were published. Mozart was only 13 years old when he was seriously carried away by the works of such outstanding masters as Handel, Durante, Stradella. The period of his stay in Italy, from 1770 to 1774, turned out to be especially fruitful.

There he met the popular at that time master J. Myslivechek, who had a great influence on his work. In polyphony, he was improved by the composer D.B. Martini. In Milan, one after another, his operas were staged. At the age of 14, he was already awarded the papal order. In 1778 his mother died. It was not the easiest period in the musician's life. It was characterized by material hardships and fruitless travel. Despite this, Mozart wrote the "Paris" symphony, 6 clavier sonatas, 12 ballet numbers, a concerto for flute and harp.

In 1779, in collaboration with Haydn, he was appointed court organist. An important milestone in his life was the opera Idomeneo, which was a huge success. At the age of 27, he married Constance Weber. At that time, he already lived in Vienna and was quite popular in musical circles. He held public concerts, staged operas, and worked on new compositions. The opera Le Nozze di Figaro, which premiered in May 1786, was a huge success. A year later, in collaboration with L. da Ponte, he created another "loud" opera - "Don Juan".

Some of the composer's operas remained unfinished, as he died at an early age. In the last years of his life, he wrote plays to order, taught music and replaced L. Hoffmann as conductor. Mozart died in December 1791 at the age of 35 for a reason that still remains unclear and causes heated debate. There is a myth that he was poisoned by A. Salieri, but there is no evidence of this.

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 a 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 with 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 was in vogue, and especially music.

This 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 oppressed 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".