Mozart

Sara McNaughtan music 1010

Born January 27, 1756

Died in Vienna December, 5, 1791

Unlike other composers he wrote in all musical

genres of his day and excelled in everyone of
them.

Childhood

Wolfgang came from a family of good standing

Wolfgang and a sister were the only children to

survive out of the seven that were born

He started showing musical promise at the age

of three and small pieces at four

Italian Tour

At this time he was put through a series of tests

at the Accademia Filarmoncia
He was commissioned to write his first opera for
carnival season.

After this tour, his father looked for work in

Vienna, instead Wolfgang returned home.

1774

Mozart was a salaried court Konzertmeister

He was commissioned to write an opera buffa,

La finta giardiniera, it was his first comic opera
since childhood.

After the opera Mozart returned to his home

post and was unproductive.

1777

Started with him leaving Salzburg and and

traveling with his mother

He was 21 and wanted freedom from his parents

He fell in love with Aloysia Weber

He wanted to travel with Aloysia's family but his

father sent him off to Paris

1778

Mozart made it to Paris in late march

He was with his Mother but she became ill

After his mother died he returned back home at

his Fathers request.

1781

Mozart was discharged from the Archbishop

Colloredo
He wanted to marry the third oldest Weber girl,
though he denied the rumors to his father at
first he was later asking for his blessing.

1783

He returned back to Vienna

This is one of his most productive years

1784

He started to have more of a variation and pitch

awareness of what he played
With a group of people he established a new piano
concerto writing form

The piano and violin sonata K454 were produced in

such haste that Mozart could not write fast enough
and played from blank paper

1785

Haydn said to Leopold that his son was the

greatest composer known to man.
Though he was very successful Mozart always
had financial worries

He spent money like he was a nobleman

1787

He returned to Vienna, his Father died the same year

This time includes arguably his best chamber works this

area had an appeal to him.

On his return from This time includes arguably his best

chamber works this area had an appeal to him.

He supplied dance music once offered court post

1788

Mozart was making more money than most musicians but

still had to ask a fellow Freemason for loans
There were letters sent in a series during 1788 Mozart
talked about black thoughts, it has been suggested that he
had cyclothymic personality which is linked to bi-polar
disorder.

He wrote three symphonies in E-flat major

1789

In the early parts of this year Mozart he

accepted an invitation to Berlin

While in Berlin he wrote his next Opera for 1790

That was one of his few works during this year

He tried to recover at the coronation of Leopold

the II, but it was a financial failure

1791

Had promise to be a better year, the music was flowing

again
Mozart's wife gave birth to their sixth child and one of two
to survive

He wrote an Opera that was first indifferent but now a

known works

September of this year he returned home ill

December 1791

Mozart is consumed by his sickness and passes away he

was survived by his wife.
Before he passed away he tried to continue composing but
no great works were created

Listening Guide

The piece I listened to was Violin Concerto no.

1 in B-flat major K.
https://youtu.be/DjFss6yEUVo?t=20

0:00 introduction
0:08 the music begins suddenly very upbeat with
violins there are two and both start out playing
together and then split off

Guide
0:13 the two violins start playing differently one is playing
lower and few notes while one is playing higher and faster.
0:18 The violins both play softer and are playing back
together
0:32 the two violins split again with one playing a few pitches
higher than the accompanying violin that plays a lower octave

Guide
0:38 the two violins start to play together and softer yet again
0:45 the violins repeat the same structure and sound as in the
first thirty seconds of the song until the piece changes from
up beat to slightly sadder
0:57 the piece takes on one violin starting to play a less
happy tune with the one accompany still at a lower and softer
octave