Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: The Prodigy Who Defined Classical Music
Early Life and Prodigy
Born in Salzburg, Austria, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791) displayed extraordinary musical talent from early childhood. By age five, he composed minuets and performed for European royalty. His father, Leopold Mozart, recognized his genius and devoted himself to Wolfgang's musical education, leading the family on extensive tours across Europe where the young prodigy amazed audiences with his virtuosity on keyboard and violin.
Musical Career and Masterpieces
Mozart's prolific career produced over 800 works across every major genre of his time. Notable compositions include operas like 'The Marriage of Figaro' and 'Don Giovanni', symphonies such as the 'Jupiter', piano concertos, chamber music, and sacred works. Despite financial struggles and turbulent relationships with patrons, including Archbishop Colloredo of Salzburg, Mozart's innovative harmonies and emotional depth revolutionized Classical music. His Vienna years (1781–1791) marked his creative peak, though he often lived beyond his means.
Final Years and Premature Death
Mozart's final years were marked by intense productivity alongside declining health and financial distress. In 1791, while working on his opera 'The Magic Flute' and the unfinished 'Requiem', he fell ill with fever and swelling. He died at age 35 on December 5, 1791, and was buried in a common grave—a practice typical for his social standing at the time. The exact cause of death remains debated, with theories ranging from rheumatic fever to streptococcal infection.
The Requiem Mystery
Mozart's 'Requiem in D minor' (K. 626) is shrouded in legend. Commissioned anonymously by Count Franz von Walsegg to memorialize his wife, Mozart became convinced he was writing his own funeral mass. Upon his death, only the 'Introitus' was fully scored. His wife Constanze entrusted completion to Mozart’s students Franz Xaver Süssmayr and Joseph Eybler. Süssmayr’s version—incorporating Mozart’s sketches and his own additions—became the most recognized rendition, though debates about authenticity persist among scholars.
- Mozart's eccentric personality included a fondness for crude humor, documented in playful letters using scatological language—a contrast to his refined music.
- He married Constanze Weber against his father's wishes; their marriage produced six children, though only two survived infancy.
- The 1984 film 'Amadeus' popularized the fictional rivalry with Antonio Salieri, but historians find no evidence Salieri poisoned Mozart.
- Despite dying in poverty, Mozart earned substantial sums during his career—his financial troubles stemmed from extravagant spending and poor money management.
- He was a Freemason, and Masonic symbolism appears in works like 'The Magic Flute'.
