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Brief Autobiography of Mozart. Brief biography of Mozart. Speaking during Lent

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus (1756-1791), Austrian composer.

Born January 27, 1756 in Salzburg. The first music teacher for the boy was his father Leopold Mozart. From early childhood, Wolfgang Amadeus was a "miracle child": already at the age of four he tried to write a harpsichord concerto, and from the age of six he brilliantly performed with concerts throughout Europe. Mozart had an extraordinary musical memory: it was enough for him to hear any piece of music only once in order to record it exactly.

Glory came to Mozart very early. In 1765, his first symphonies were published and performed in concert. In total, the composer wrote 49 symphonies. In 1769 he received a position as an accompanist at the court of the archbishop in Salzburg. Already in 1770, Mozart became a member of the Philharmonic Academy in Bologna (Italy), and Pope Clement XIV elevated him to the Knights of the Golden Spur. In the same year, Mozart's first opera, Mithridates, King of Pontus, was staged in Milan. In 1772, the second opera, Lucius Sulla, was staged there, and in 1775, the opera The Imaginary Gardener was staged in Munich. In 1777, the archbishop allowed the composer to go on a long journey through France and Germany, where Mozart gave concerts with constant success.

In 1779 he received the position of organist under the Archbishop of Salzburg, but in 1781 he refused it and moved to Vienna. Here Mozart completed the operas Idomeneo (1781) and The Abduction from the Seraglio (1782). In 1786-1787. written two, perhaps the most famous operas of the composer - "The Marriage of Figaro", staged in Vienna, and "Don Giovanni", which was first staged in Prague.

In 1790, the opera "That's the way everyone does it" was again staged in Vienna. And in 1791 two operas were written at once - "The Mercy of Titus" and "The Magic Flute". The last work of Mozart was the famous "Requiem", which the composer did not have time to complete.

The work was completed by F. K. Süssmeier, a student of Mozart and A. Salieri. Mozart's creative heritage, despite his short life, is enormous: according to the thematic catalog of L. von Köchel (an admirer of Mozart's work and the compiler of the most complete and generally accepted index of his works), the composer created 626 works, including 55 concertos, 22 clavier sonatas, 32 strings quartet.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, full name John Chrysostom Wolfgang Amadeus Theophilus Mozart (Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgang Amadeus Theophilus Mozart), was born on January 27, 1756 in Salzburg. He was the seventh child in the family of Leopold and Anna Maria Mozart, née Pertl.

His father, Leopold Mozart (1719-1787), was a composer and theorist, since 1743 he was a violinist in the court orchestra of the Salzburg archbishop. Of the seven Mozart children, two survived: Wolfgang and his older sister Maria Anna.

In the 1760s, the father abandoned his own career and devoted himself to the education of his children.

Thanks to his phenomenal musical abilities, Wolfgang played the harpsichord from the age of four, began to compose from the age of five or six, created the first symphonies at the age of eight or nine, and the first works for musical theater at the age of 10-11.

Since 1762, Mozart and his sister, pianist Maria Anna, accompanied by their parents, toured Germany, Austria, France, England, Switzerland, etc.

Many European courts got acquainted with their art, in particular, they were adopted at the court of the French and English kings Louis XV and George III. Wolfgang's four violin sonatas were first published in Paris in 1764.

In 1767 Mozart's school opera Apollo and Hyacinth was staged at the University of Salzburg. In 1768, during a trip to Vienna, Wolfgang Mozart received commissions for operas in the genres of the Italian buff opera (The Pretend Simple Girl) and the German Singspiel (Bastien et Bastienne).

Mozart's stay in Italy was especially fruitful, where he improved his counterpoint (polyphony) with the composer and musicologist Giovanni Battista Martini (Bologna) and staged the opera Mithridates, King of Pontus (1770) and Lucius Sulla (1771) in Milan.

In 1770, at the age of 14, Mozart was awarded the papal Order of the Golden Spur and elected a member of the Philharmonic Academy in Bologna.

In December 1771 he returned to Salzburg, from 1772 he served as an accompanist at the court of the prince-archbishop. In 1777 he retired from the service and went with his mother to Paris in search of a new job. After the death of his mother in 1778, he returned to Salzburg.

In 1779, the composer again entered the service of the archbishop as an organist at court. During this period, he composed mainly church music, but commissioned by Elector Karl Theodor, he wrote the opera Idomeneo, King of Crete, staged in Munich in 1781. In the same year, Mozart wrote a letter of resignation.

In July 1782, his opera The Abduction from the Seraglio was staged at the Vienna Burgtheater, which was a great success. Mozart became the idol of Vienna, not only in court and aristocratic circles, but also among concertgoers from the third estate. Tickets for concerts (the so-called academies) of Mozart, distributed by subscription, were completely sold out. In 1784, the composer gave 22 concerts within six weeks.

In 1786, the premieres of Mozart's small musical comedy The Theater Director and the opera The Marriage of Figaro based on the comedy by Beaumarchais took place. After Vienna, The Marriage of Figaro was staged in Prague, where it met with an enthusiastic reception, as did Mozart's next opera, The Punished Libertine, or Don Giovanni (1787).

For the Vienna Imperial Theater Mozart wrote a cheerful opera "They are all like that, or the School of Lovers" ("That's what all women do", 1790).

The opera "Mercy of Titus" on an antique plot, timed to coincide with the coronation celebrations in Prague (1791), was received coldly.

In 1782-1786, one of the main genres of Mozart's work was the piano concerto. During this time he wrote 15 concertos (Nos. 11-25); they were all intended for Mozart's public performances as a composer, soloist and conductor.

In the late 1780s, Mozart served as court composer and bandmaster to the Austrian Emperor Joseph II.

In 1784, the composer became a Freemason, Masonic ideas were traced in a number of his later works, especially in the opera The Magic Flute (1791).

In March 1791, Mozart gave his last public performance, presenting a Piano Concerto (B Flat Major, KV 595).

In September 1791 he completed his last instrumental composition, the Clarinet Concerto in A major, and in November, the Little Masonic Cantata.

In total, Mozart wrote over 600 musical works, including 16 masses, 14 operas and singspiel, 41 symphonies, 27 piano concertos, five violin concertos, eight concertos for wind instruments with an orchestra, many divertissements and serenades for an orchestra or various instrumental ensembles, 18 piano sonatas, over 30 sonatas for violin and piano, 26 string quartets, six string quintets, a number of works for other chamber ensembles, an innumerable number of instrumental pieces, variations, songs, small secular and church vocal compositions.

In the summer of 1791, the composer received an anonymous order to compose the "Requiem" (as it turned out later, the customer was Count Walsegg-Stuppach, who was widowed in February of that year). Mozart, worked on the score, being ill, until his strength left him. He managed to create the first six parts and left the seventh part (Lacrimosa) unfinished.

On the night of December 5, 1791, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died in Vienna. Since King Leopold II banned individual burials, Mozart was buried in a common grave in St. Mark's Cemetery.

The Requiem was completed by Mozart's pupil Franz Xaver Süssmayr (1766-1803) according to instructions given by the dying composer.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was married to Constance Weber (1762-1842), they had six children, four of whom died in infancy. The eldest son Carl Thomas (1784-1858) studied at the Milan Conservatory but became an official. The younger son Franz Xaver (1791-1844) was a pianist and composer.

The widow of Wolfgang Mozart in 1799 handed over her husband's manuscripts to the publisher Johann Anton André. Subsequently, Constanza married the Danish diplomat Georg Nissen, who, with her help, wrote a biography of Mozart.

In 1842, the first monument to the composer was unveiled in Salzburg. In 1896, a monument to Mozart was erected on Albertinaplatz in Vienna, in 1953 it was moved to the Palace Garden.

One of the famous Mozart monuments located around the world is a bronze

Mozart (Johann Chrysostom Wolfgang Theophilus (Gottlieb) Mozart) was born on January 27, 1756 in the city of Salzburg into a musical family.

In the biography of Mozart, musical talent was revealed in early childhood. His father taught him to play the organ, violin, harpsichord. In 1762 the family travels to Vienna, Munich. There are concerts by Mozart, his sister Maria Anna. Then, while traveling through the cities of Germany, Switzerland, Holland, Mozart's music amazes listeners with amazing beauty. For the first time the composer's works are published in Paris.

The next few years (1770-1774) Amadeus Mozart lived in Italy. There, for the first time, his operas (“Mithridates the King of Pontus”, “Lucius Sulla”, “The Dream of Scipio”) are staged, which receive great success from the public.

It should be noted that by the age of 17 the composer's wide repertoire included more than 40 major works.

The heyday of creativity

From 1775 to 1780, the seminal work of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart added a number of outstanding compositions to his cohort. After taking the position of court organist in 1779, Mozart's symphonies, his operas contain more and more new techniques.

In a brief biography of Wolfgang Mozart, it is worth noting that his marriage to Constance Weber also affected his work. The opera The Abduction from the Seraglio is imbued with the romance of those times.

Some of Mozart's operas remained unfinished, because the difficult financial situation of the family forced the composer to devote a lot of time to various part-time jobs. Piano concerts by Mozart were held in aristocratic circles, the musician himself was forced to write plays, waltzes to order, and teach.

glory peak

The work of Mozart in the following years is striking in its fruitfulness along with skill. The most famous operas "The Marriage of Figaro", "Don Juan" (both operas written jointly with the poet Lorenzo da Ponte) by composer Mozart are staged in several cities.

In 1789, he received a very lucrative offer to head the court chapel in Berlin. However, the composer's refusal further exacerbated the material shortage.

For Mozart, the works of that time were extremely successful. "Magic Flute", "Mercy of Titus" - these operas were written quickly, but very high quality, expressive, with beautiful shades. The famous mass "Requiem" was never completed by Mozart. The work was completed by the composer's student, Süssmeier.

Death

Since November 1791, Mozart was ill a lot and did not get out of bed at all. The famous composer died on December 5, 1791 from an acute fever. Mozart was buried in the cemetery of St. Mark in Vienna.

Chronological table

Other biography options

  • Of the seven children in the Mozart family, only two survived: Wolfgang and his sister Maria Anna.
  • The composer showed his abilities in music, being just a child. At the age of 4 he wrote a harpsichord concerto, at the age of 7 he wrote his first symphony, and at the age of 12 he wrote his first opera.
  • Mozart joined Freemasonry in 1784, writing music for their rituals. And later his father, Leopold, joined the same box.
  • On the advice of Mozart's friend, Baron van Swieten, the composer was not given an expensive funeral. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was buried in the third category, like a poor man: his coffin was buried in a common grave.
  • Mozart created light, harmonious and beautiful works that have become classics for children and adults. It has been scientifically proven that his sonatas and concertos have a positive effect on a person’s mental activity, help to become collected and think logically.
  • see all

P. I. Tchaikovsky admitted in one of his diaries that no one managed to make him tremble with delight and cry, to feel so close to the ideal, as Mozart did. Only through his works did he realize

Wolfgang Mozart. Biography: childhood

The great composer does not owe his talent to his mother, Maria Anna. But Leopold Mozart - father - was a teacher, violinist and organist. Of the seven children in this family, only Wolfgang's older sister and himself survived. At first, the father was engaged in playing the clavier with his daughter, who showed musical talent. The boy always sat nearby and amused himself by picking up tunes. The father noticed this. And in a playful way he began to engage with his son. At the age of five, the boy already freely composed plays, and at six he performed very complex works. Leopold was not against music, but he wanted his son's life to be more prosperous and interesting than his. He decided to go with the children on tour with performances.

Brief Biography of Mozart: Concert Journey

First they visited Vienna, Munich, then other European cities. After triumphant performances in London for a year, they received an invitation to Holland. The audience was amazed by the boy's virtuosity on the harpsichord, organ and violin. The concerts lasted from four to five hours and, of course, were very tiring, especially since the father continued the education of his son. In 1766, the illustrious family returned to Salzburg, but the rest was short. The musicians began to envy the boy and treat the 12-year-old genius as a real rival. The father decided that only in Italy the talent of his son could be appreciated. This time they went together.

Mozart biography briefly: stay in Italy

Concerts of already 14-year-old Wolfgang in major cities of the country were held with tremendous success. In Milan, he received an order for the opera Mithridates, King of Pontus, which he performed brilliantly. For the first time, the Bologna Academy elected such a young composer as its member. All the operas, symphonies and other works of Wolfgang written during his stay in this country testify to how deeply he was imbued with the peculiarities of Italian music. The father was sure that now the fate of his son would be arranged. But with all the success, finding a job in Italy did not work. The local nobility was wary of the originality of his talent.

Mozart biography in brief: return to Salzburg

The native city met the travelers rather unfriendly. The old earl died, and his son turned out to be a cruel, domineering man. He humiliated and oppressed Mozart. Without his knowledge, Wolfgang could not participate in concerts, he was obliged to write only church music and small works for entertainment. When the young man was already 22 years old, he hardly got a vacation. And with his mother he went to Paris, hoping that his talent would be remembered there. But this attempt also failed. In addition, in the French capital, unable to withstand the hardships, the composer's mother died. Mozart returned to Salzburg and spent two more painful years there. And this at a time when his new opera "Idomeneo, King of Crete" was triumphant in Munich. Her success strengthened Wolfgang in his decision not to return to a dependent position. The archbishop did not sign his letter of resignation, but despite this, the composer left for Vienna. In this city he lived until his last days.

Mozart's biography in brief: life in Vienna

Shortly after the move, Wolfgang married Constanza Weber. To do this, he had to take the girl away from home in August 1782, since neither his father nor her mother gave consent to the marriage. At first, life in Vienna was difficult. But the success of The Abduction from the Seraglio again opened the doors of the salons and palaces of the city's nobility to the composer. At this time, he managed to get acquainted with many famous musicians, make connections. This was followed by the operas "Marriage of Figaro" and "Don Giovanni", which had varying success. Simultaneously with the "Magic Flute" Wolfgang composed by order of one count and "Requiem". However, the last composer did not have time to finish writing. This was done using drafts by Süssmeier, a student of Mozart.

Amadeus Mozart. Biography: recent years

Wolfgang died for a reason unknown to this day in December 1791. Many musicians still support the legend that the composer was poisoned by Salieri. But there are no documents left, even indirectly confirming this version. His orphaned family was so impoverished that they had no money for a decent funeral. Mozart was buried in a common grave. Where exactly he was buried has not been established.

The national pride of Austria, the greatest mystery of the Creator, the symbol of Genius is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. His life and death left more questions than answers. Its history is overgrown with legends and myths. Hundreds of books have been written about him. But it is unlikely that we will ever come close to unraveling this phenomenon. The genius composer really has a lot of secrets, and one of them is the so-called "Mozart Effect". Scientists are racking their brains trying to find the answer to the question why exactly the music of a genius has such a beneficial effect on human health? Why, listening to his works, we calm down and begin to think better? How much does Mozart's music make it easier for patients suffering from serious illnesses? One hundred thousand why, to which even after hundreds of years no one can give a clear answer.

Brief biography Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and a lot of interesting facts about the composer read on our page.

short biography

Usually, in the biography of famous people, childhood is described in passing, some funny or tragic incidents that influenced the formation of character are mentioned. But in the case of Mozart, the story about his childhood is a story about the concert and composing activities of a full-fledged musician and virtuoso performer, author of instrumental compositions.


He was born on January 27, 1756 in the family of violinist and teacher Leopold Mozart. The father had a huge influence on the formation of his son as a person and musician. All their lives they were bound by the most tender affection, even the phrase of Wolfgang is known: “After the pope, only the Lord.” Wolfgang and his older sister Maria Anna, who was called Nannerl at home, never attended a public school, all education, including not only music, but also arithmetic, writing, reading, was given to them by their father. He was a born teacher, his methodological manual for learning to play the violin published dozens of times and for a long time considered the best.

From the birth of little Wolfgang, he was surrounded by an atmosphere of creativity, musical sounds and constant employment. Father worked with Nannerl on harpsichord and the violin, 3-year-old Wolfi watched them with jealousy and delight: well, when will daddy let him practice? For him, it was all a game - to pick up melodies, harmonies by ear. So, while playing, his music lessons began, to which he devoted himself completely.


According to Mozart's biography, already at the age of 4, he draws scribbles on music paper, which infuriates his father, but anger quickly turns into amazement - the notes that look chaotic on paper add up to an unpretentious, but literate piece from the point of view of harmony. Leopold immediately understands the highest talent that God has awarded his son.

In those days, a musician could count on a quite good life if he found a patron and got a permanent job. For example, having taken the position of bandmaster at the court or the house of a noble nobleman. Then music was an integral part of social and secular life. And Leopold decides to go with performances in the cities of Europe in order to gain fame for his son so that later he can be rewarded with a better fate. He expected already now to enlist attention to the extraordinary talent of the child.


The Mozarts (father, son and daughter) set off on their first journey at the beginning of 1762, when Wolfgang was 6 years old and his sister was 10. Wonder children everywhere met with the most enthusiastic reception, they amazed the audience with their performing skills and abilities. The father sought to give their performances as much effect as possible. Maria Anna performed the most technically complex musical pieces, which are not subject to every experienced harpsichordist. Wolfgang did not just play virtuoso at all - they blindfolded him, covered the keyboard with a handkerchief, he played from a sheet, improvised. All the forces were thrown at something to make a sensation and stock in the memory of the audience. And they really were invited a lot and often. Basically, these were the houses of aristocrats and even crowned persons.

But there was another interesting point in this. During all these travels from London to Naples, Wolfgang not only demonstrated to the public his generous talent - he also absorbed all the cultural and musical achievements that this or that city could provide him. At that time, Europe was fragmented, centers of culture flared up in different cities - and each had its own trends, musical styles, genres, preferences. Little Wolfgang could listen to it all, absorb it, process it with his brilliant mind. And in the end, the synthesis of all these musical layers gave impetus to that powerful movement that was the work of Mozart.

Salzburg and Vienna


Alas, Leopold's plans were not destined to come true. The children grew up and no longer made such a vivid impression. Wolfgang turned into a short young man, "just like everyone else", and his past popularity rather even interfered. Neither his membership in the Academy of Bologna, which he received at the age of 12, having brilliantly coped with the task, nor the Order of the Golden Spur, presented by the Catholic Pope himself, nor the all-European fame, made the career growth of the young composer easy.

For some time he was Kapellmeister at the Archbishop in Salzburg. A difficult relationship with this arrogant man forced Wolfgang to take orders from Vienna, Prague, London. He strove for independence, disrespectful treatment hurt him painfully. Frequent trips led to the desired goal - once the Archbishop of Colloredo fired Mozart, accompanying the dismissal with a humiliating gesture.

He ultimately moves to Vienna in 1781. Here he will spend the last 10 years of his life. This period will see the flowering of his work, his marriage to Constanze Weber, here he will write his most significant works. The crowns did not immediately accept him, and in general, after the success " Weddings of Figaro"In 1786, the rest of the premieres were calm.He was always received much warmer in Prague.

At that time, Vienna was the musical capital of Europe, its inhabitants were spoiled by an abundance of musical events, musicians from all over the world flocked there. The competition among composers was very high. But the confrontation between Mozart and Antonio Salieri, which we can see in the famous film "Amadeus" by Milos Forman, and even earlier - in Pushkin, does not correspond to reality. On the contrary, they treated each other with great respect.

He also had a close and touching friendship with Joseph Haydn, dedicated beautiful string quartets to him. Haydn, in turn, endlessly admired Wolfgang's talent and subtle musical taste, his extraordinary ability to feel and convey feelings like a true Artist.

Despite the fact that Mozart did not manage to achieve a position at the court, his work gradually began to bring him considerable income. He was an independent man, putting the honor and dignity of man above all else. He did not go into his pocket for a sharp word, and generally directly said everything he thought. Such an attitude could not leave anyone indifferent, envious people and ill-wishers appeared.

Illness and death

A slight creative decline, which was outlined in 1789-90, was quickly replaced by active work at the beginning of 1791. At the end of the winter, he made changes to Symphony No. 40. In the spring, the opera "The Mercy of Titus" was written and then staged in the summer, commissioned by the Czech court on the day of the coronation of Leopold II. In September, a joint project was completed with Emanuel Schikaneder, a fellow Masonic lodge - the singspiel " magical flute". In July of this year, he received an order for a funeral mass from a mysterious messenger ...

In early autumn, Wolfgang begins to complain of ailments. Gradually they intensify. The last performance of Mozart is dated November 18 - the day of the opening of the next lodge of the Secret Society. After that, he fell ill and did not get up. Until now, medical scientists are arguing about the causes of the disease, the diagnosis. Most often, the poisoning version is rejected, but not completely ruled out. Over the past centuries, there have been no more authentic documents, on the contrary, many statements by Constanza and other witnesses are less and less credible.


The composer was treated by the best doctor in Vienna at that time, many of his methods are now presented as aggravating the patient's condition, but then they were widely used in medicine. On the night of December 4-5, he dies ...

During his lifetime, he was a dapper fashionista, leading a somewhat freer lifestyle than he could afford. Many notes have been preserved in which he turned to friends with a request to borrow money - for another musical project. But he never learned how to manage money wisely. And when the question arose about the funeral, it turned out that the family did not have money for this.


Baron van Swieten fully paid for the funeral, he gave an amount sufficient for burial in the 3rd category - in a separate coffin, but in a common grave. It was a common practice then, there was nothing strange about it. Except for one thing, even the burial place of the greatest son of man has not been preserved. Then the funeral monuments were placed outside the cemetery fence.



Interesting facts about Mozart

  • Mozart wrote half of the total number of symphonies between the ages of 8 and 19.
  • In 2002, on the anniversary of 9/11, choirs all over the planet sang "Requiem" by Mozart during the day, in order to honor the memory of the dead.
  • In the largest single recording project in history, Philips Classic released 180 CDs in 1991 containing a complete set of Mozart's authentic works. It includes over 200 hours of music.
  • Mozart wrote more music in his short career than many other composers who lived much longer.
  • Relations with the Archbishop of Salzburg ended when his secretary gave Mozart a kick in the back.
  • From the biography of Mozart, we learn that the brilliant composer spent a total of 14 out of 35 years traveling.
  • Leopold Mozart described the birth of a son as "a miracle from God" because he seemed too small and weak to survive.
  • The term "Mozart's ear" describes an ear defect. Researchers believe that Mozart and his son, Franz, had a congenital ear defect.
  • The composer had a phenomenal ear and memory, even as a child he could memorize a work that was complex in form and harmony from one listening, and then write it down without a single mistake.
  • In the 1950s, the French phoniatrist Alfred Tomatis conducted scientific experiments in which he proved that listening to Mozart's music can improve a person's IQ, he coined the term "Mozart Effect"; it has also been recognized as having a therapeutic effect on cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism and many neurological diseases, this has been scientifically proven.
  • Wolfgang Mozart's middle name, Theophilus, means "beloved of God" in Greek.
  • Mozart's influence on Western music is profound. Joseph Haydon noted that "the posterity will not see such talent even in 100 years".
  • Mozart wrote his first symphony when he was only 8 years old, and an opera at 12.
  • Father forbade Wolfgang to marry Constanza Weber, suspecting her family's selfish interest in Mozart, who was making his first confident steps in Vienna. But he did not obey for the first time in his life, and against the will of his father, he married in August 1782. Some scholars portray her as fickle, others look at her with more sympathy. Eighteen years after Wolfgang's death, she remarried and helped her new husband write a book about Mozart.


  • Mozart's famous partnership with Lorenzo da Ponte resulted in the opera Le nozze di Figaro, based on a play by Beaumarchais. Their collaboration is one of the most famous in the history of music;
  • Once in Vienna, little Wolfgang performed at the palace for Empress Maria Theresa. After the performance, he played with her daughters, one of whom treated him especially fondly. Wolfgang, in all seriousness, then began to ask for her hand. It was Marie Antoinette, the future Queen of France.
  • Mozart was a member of the Masonic lodge, it was a secret society that united the most progressive people of his time. Over time, Wolfgang began to move away from the ideas of the brothers, mainly due to religious contradictions.

  • Composer's last word Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) before his death was "Mozart".
  • In 1801, gravedigger Joseph Rothmeier allegedly dug up Mozart's skull from a cemetery in Vienna. However, even after various tests, it remains unknown whether the skull, in fact, belonged to Mozart. It is currently locked up in the Mozarteum Foundation in Salzburg, Austria;
  • Baron van Swieten gave 8 florins 56 kreutzers for Mozart's funeral - this is the amount that Wolfgang once spent on the playful funeral of his starling.
  • Mozart was buried in a "mass grave" in the Cemetery of St. Marx. A "common grave" is not the same as a beggar's grave or a mass grave, but a grave for people who were not an aristocracy. One of the main differences is that after 10 years the common graves were excavated, while the graves of aristocrats were not.
  • Researchers have hypothesized at least 118 causes of Mozart's death, including rheumatic fever, influenza, trichinosis, mercury poisoning, kidney failure, and streptococcal infection.
  • According to several biographers, Mozart was a small man with strong eyes. As a child, Wolfgang contracted smallpox, which left scars on his face. He was thin and pale with fine hair and liked smart clothes.
  • According to Mozart's wife, Constanza, at the end of his life Mozart believed that he had been poisoned and that he was composing his "Requiem" for himself.
  • It is believed that in the "Requiem" he managed to write only the first 7 parts, and the rest was completed by his student Franz Xaver Süssmayr. But there is a version according to which Wolfgang could have completed the Requiem several years earlier. Scholars are still debating which parts Mozart actually wrote.
  • Mozart and his wife had six children, of whom only two survived infancy. Both sons had no family or children.
  • Mozart became increasingly popular after his death. In fact, as 20th-century biographer Maynard Solomon points out, his music was truly appreciated posthumously.
  • The composer was born a Catholic and remained so all his life.
  • Mozart was a tenor. During chamber concerts in the ensemble, he usually played the viola. He was also left-handed.
  • The famous physicist Albert Einstein was very fond of music. He learned to play the violin, but really managed to imbue it only after he "fell in love with Mozart's sonatas."
  • Einstein believed that Mozart's music demanded technical perfection from him, and then he began to study hard.
  • Constanza, Mozart's wife, destroyed many of his sketches and drawings after the composer's death.
  • Mozart had several pets, including a dog, a starling, a canary, and a horse.

Mozart. Letters

Time has preserved many portraits of Mozart made by different artists, but they all differ greatly from each other, it is difficult to determine whether among them were the closest to the original. On the other hand, the composer's letters, which he wrote all his life, being on constant trips, are perfectly preserved - letters to his mother, sister, "dearest dad", cousin, wife Constanza.

Reading them, you can create a true psychological image of a genius, as if he appears alive before us. Here is a 9-year-old boy sincerely happy about the comfortable britzka and the fact that the cab driver rushes quickly. Here he conveys his fiery greetings and low bow to everyone he knows. It was a gallant century, but Mozart knows how, without excessive pomposity and ornateness, to show respect without losing dignity. Letters addressed to relatives are full of sincerity and trust, emotionality and free use of syntax, because they were not written for history. This is their real value.

In his mature years, Wolfgang developed his own epistolary style. It is obvious that the literary gift is inherent in him to no lesser extent than the musical one. Having a superficial knowledge of several languages ​​(German, French, Italian, Latin), he easily composes new word forms from them, plays with words with humor, makes jokes, rhymes. His thought glides easily and naturally.

It should be noted that since the writing of letters, the German language has come a long way from local dialects to the national language. Therefore, much in them to contemporaries will seem not entirely clear. For example, then it was customary to discuss publicly the problems of digestion. There was nothing out of the ordinary about it. The same with grammar and spelling - Mozart followed his own rules, and perhaps did not even think about it. In one paragraph, he could write the name of a person three times - and all 3 times in different ways.

In Russia during the Soviet era, Mozart scholars only partially quoted some of his letters - carefully edited. In 2000, a complete edition of the correspondence of the Mozart family was published.

Personal Quotes

  • "I write like a pig" (about how much I write).
  • “I don’t pay attention to anyone’s praise or blame. I just follow my own feelings”;
  • “Since death, when we come to consider it, is the true purpose of our existence, I have developed over the past few years such a close relationship with this best and most faithful friend of mankind that his image not only no longer frightens me, but is really very reassuring. and comforts! And I thank my God for kindly giving me the opportunity to know that death is the key that opens the door to our true happiness.”
  • “Every time I go to bed, I remember that it is possible (however young I may be) I will not be destined to see tomorrow. And yet, not a single person from everyone who knows me will say that I am gloomy or sad in communication ... ”(April 4, 1787).
  • “People are mistaken in thinking that my art comes easily to me. I assure you, no one has devoted as much time and thought to composition as I have."

creative heritage

Researchers and biographers are struck by the monstrous performance of Mozart. Considering his employment in the service, rehearsals, concerts, tours, private lessons, he managed to write at the same time - to order and at his own behest of the soul. He composed music in all genres that existed then. Some compositions, especially early, childhood years, are lost. In total, in his incomplete 36 years, he wrote more than 600 works. Almost all of them are absolute gems of symphonic, concert, chamber, opera and choral music. Over the past 2 centuries, interest in them has only increased. He significantly developed and transformed many genres, setting a new standard and guidelines in art.

For example, in his operas The Marriage of Figaro, Don Juan”, “The Magic Flute” dramaturgy stepped far beyond the limits of musical performances traditional for that time. The plot acquires a stronger semantic load, often the composer takes the most ardent part in the development of the libretto, gives recommendations on how to build the plot. Each image of the characters receives a more detailed psychological portrayal, becomes “alive” not only with the help of texts, but also through expressive musical means.

Also, a symphony receives a strong dramatic development from him. In many of them, one can see similarities with the opera principle of construction - reliance on conflict, confrontation, through development. On the other hand, the overture to " Wedding of Figaro” is so perfect in form that it is performed separately in concerts as an orchestral work.

Symphonism, as the highest type of musical thinking in Mozart's work, establishes the canons of the classical style. However, in general, his entire creative path evolved from Rococo (mainly in children's compositions), then through Viennese classicism to the prerequisites for early romanticism. It remains only to guess what the music of this genius, so emotional, enthusiastic, sincere, would have been if he had had a chance to live to the era of romantic heyday.

Mozart's musical compositions include 41 symphonies, 27 piano concertos, 5 violin concertos, 27 concerto arias, 23 string quartets and 22 operas.

The image of Mozart in theater, cinema, television and other media projects


The music of the genius composer can be heard everywhere. According to the biography of Mozart, hundreds of feature and documentary films, television projects have been shot, and a theater play has been staged. The most significant works about him are:

  • "Little Tragedies" by A.S. Pushkin (cycle of short plays);
  • "Amadeus" (1979) a play by Peter Shaffer, which formed the basis of the script for the famous film by Milos Forman
  • "Amadeus" - 8 Oscars and many awards and nominations in the field of cinematography, starring Tom Hulse (Mozart) and F. Murray Abraham (Salieri).

Here is just a partial list of TV projects about Mozart:


  • t / s "Mozart in the Jungle" - USA (original title);
  • t / s "Avventura Romantica" (2016), performed by Lorenzo Zingone (as young Mozart);
  • t / s “Now I will sing” (2016), performed by Lorenzo Zingone;
  • t/s "La Fiamma" (2016), performed by Lorenzo Zingone;
  • "Stern Dad (2015)" TV episode, performed by Chris Marquette (as Mozart);
  • "Mr. Peabody and the Sherman Show";
  • "Mozart" (2016), performed by Avner Peres (adult W. Mozart);
  • "Fantasy" (2015);
  • "Mozart vs Skrillex (2013) TV episode, performed by Nice Peter (Mozart);
  • Mozart l "opéra Rock 3D (2011) (TV) Performed by Michelangelo Loconte;
  • "Mozart's Sister" (2010), performed by David Moreau;
  • "Etida" (2010), Luka Hrgovic as Mozart;
  • "Mozart" (2008) TV series;
  • "In Search of Mozart" (2006);
  • "The Genius of Mozart" performed by Jack Tarleton";
  • t / s "The Simpsons";
  • TV series Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (2002);
  • "Wolfgang A. Mozart" (1991);
  • "Mozart and Salieri" (1986) TV episode;
  • "Mozart - his life with music" d / f.

Once having become acquainted with this Great Destiny, it is already impossible to forget about it. This is what helps the soul to rise, retreat from the ordinary and tune in to the contemplation of eternity ... Mozart is the greatest gift of the Creator to mankind.

Video: watch a film about Mozart