A Presentation by Kaitlyn Aiono

WOLFGANG AMADEUS
MOZART

Music 1010 - Fall 2017

 Early Years & Family

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was

born on January 27, 1756, in
Salzburg, Austria, to Leopold and
Anna Maria Mozart.
 Mozart and his older
sister, Maria Anna,
were the only two of
seven siblings who
survived to adulthood.
Mozart Family Portrait
Child Prodigy

At a very young age, Mozart

exhibited extraordinary musical
abilties.
Age 3: Began learning the piano
Age 5: Composed first piece of music
Age 8: Wrote his first symphony
Age 12: Wrote his first opera
With guidance and instruction from his
father, Leopold - an accomplished
musician - Mozart began regularly
performing for noble families and royal
courts.
Realizing that his son's
incredible gifts must be
shared, the Mozart
family set out on a
prolonged musical tour
throughout Europe.

Listen to:

Minuet and Trio in G Major

First composition written by
Mozart at age 5.
Gifts
It is believed that Mozart may have
had a photographic memory and
perfect pitch.

Photographic Memory: the ability to

recall images, sounds, or objects with
great accuracy.

Perfect Pitch: the ability to name a

note or letter of a pitch simply by
hearing it.
Early Maturity

As Mozart reached maturity,

he sought various
employment opportunities
between Salzburg and
Paris, and he began to
develop and grow even more
as a composer.
 Listen to:
Symphony No. 9, Movement I - Allegro
(1772)
 Vienna, Austria

Age 25: Mozart moves to Vienna in hopes of finding greater employment

opportunities. He soon establishes himself as "the finest keyboard player
in Vienna" and prospers as a composer.
Marriage & Children

1782: Mozart marries

Constanze Weber.
Together the couple had
six children, of whom
only two sons survived
infancy - Karl Thomas
and Franz Xaver
Wolfgang.
 Listen to:
Piano Concerto No. 21,
Movement II - Andante
(1785)

Original Manuscript - Piano Concerto No. 21

Opera
1785: Mozart begins
collaborating with
librettist, Lorenzo Da
Ponte.

1786: Le nozze di Figaro

(The Marriage of Figaro)
successfully premieres in
Vienna.

1787: Don Giovanni

successfully premieres in
Prague.
Opera: Le nozze di Figaro

Watch:
Voi Che Sapete

Watch:
Overture
Final Years
Mozart's later years saw a decline
in demand for musical
appearances and a worsening of
his family's financial situation.
Despite his struggles, his final
years were a time of great
productivity. It was during his final
years that he composed some of
his most admired works, such as:

- Symphony No. 40
- The Magic Flute Opera
- Piano Concerto No. 27
- The motet Ave Verum Corpus Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - 1789
 Listen to:
Symphony No. 40, Movement I - Allegro Molto
1788
Illness & Death
September 1791: Mozart falls ill in
Prague.

November 1791: Mozart's health

deteriorates further and he
becomes bedridden.

December 5, 1791: Mozart dies in

his home. He was 35 years old.
His exact cause of death remains
unknown.
Requiem - Mozart's Final Composition

In July of 1791, Mozart was

comissioned by Count
Walsegg to compose the
Requiem as a memorial
to the Count's late wife.
Mozart began composing
the piece in the fall, but fell
sick and died before it's
completion. Franz
Sussmayr, a friend and
pupil, completed the piece
Original Manuscript - Requiem: Dies Irae
in 1792. 1791
 Listen to:
Requiem - Dies Irae

Listen to:
Requiem - Lacrimosa

Original Unfinished Manuscript - Requiem

1791
 Legacy
By the end of his short life, Mozart had composed
over 600 works. Though he had experienced
success and failure throughout his career, his
reputation rose substantially immediately following
his death. Today he is considered one of the most
prolific and influential composers and among the
most enduringly popular of all classical
composers.

After his death, Joseph Haydn

wrote of Mozart,"...posterity will not
see such a talent again in 100
years."
Statue of Mozart in Vienna's Burggarten