Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period, born on January 27, 1756, in Salzburg, which was then part of the Holy Roman Empire and is now in Austria. He passed away on December 5, 1791, in Vienna at the age of 35. Mozart displayed extraordinary musical talent from his earliest childhood, competent on keyboard and violin by the age of five, and began composing music at this young age.
Mozart’s father, Leopold Mozart, recognized his son’s genius and took him on a grand tour of Europe to perform before royalty. At 17, Mozart was employed as a musician at the Salzburg court but soon became restless and traveled in search of a better position, which took him to places like Paris, Mannheim, Munich, and back to Salzburg.
His search for employment eventually led him to Vienna in 1781, where he was dismissed from his Salzburg position. He chose to stay in Vienna, achieving fame but little financial security. During his early years in Vienna, he produced several notable works, including the opera “Die Entführung aus dem Serail,” the “Great Mass in C Minor,” and the “Haydn” Quartets.
Mozart’s compositions encompassed every genre of his time, with more than 800 works that include symphonies, concertante, chamber, operatic, and choral music. His music is admired for its melodic beauty, formal elegance, and rich harmony and texture. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition resulted in many compositions that are acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, operatic, and choral repertoire.
Mozart is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers in the history of Western music. With Haydn and Beethoven, he brought to its height the achievement of the Viennese Classical school. His universal appeal lies in his taste, command of form, and range of expression, which have made him seem the most universal of all composers.
