Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: An Immortal Genius

Although Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart only lived until he was 35 years old, he left more than 600 completed compositions and about 132 unfinished. Although he became famous during his childhood, his last years alive were full of misery and neglect. He was a musical genius who represented the end of the classical period and the beginning of the Romantic period.

Leopold Mozart and Anna Maria Pertl had seven children. However, only two of them survived: Maria Anna and Wolfgang Amadeus. His father devoted his entire life to music. He had studied singing, organ and composition at the Paris Lodron University in Salzburg. He later became a violinist and taught singing and music to children of royalty.

Maria Anna, who everyone called Nannerl, was 5 years older than Wolfgang Amadeus. She was also an excellent pianist. Due to her brother’s success, however, she had to give up her musical ambitions, since the family did not have enough financial resources to support them both.

A singular childhood

It all started when Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was 4 years old. He sat on Sister Nannerl’s lap while she had her daily piano lesson. Suddenly the boy came up to the piano and repeated the melody that his sister had played a few seconds ago. Nannerl, surprised by what had just happened, informed his father immediately.

From that moment on, Leopold encouraged his son to learn and study music. Leopold became his dedicated, personal instructor, and in turn Wolfgang was an exemplary student. The boy loved music and did not need external motivation to absorb everything he knew about the subject. Before he learned to write, he learned to both write and read notes. He composed his first composition, a sonata for piano and violin, at the age of only 6. His father was ecstatic.

Leopold arranged performances for his two children. The first appearance was for the Archbishop of Salzburg, who was also the head of government at the time. Then they toured around Europe and impressed everyone who listened to their music. The father wanted the children to be famous. He was not interested in money, and therefore they were always paid with cheap jewelry.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s brilliant career

His travels through childhood and all the hard work affected Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s health. But he really enjoyed working. Some are convinced that he stumbled and fell during one of his concerts, and that a girl helped him up again. With great gratitude, Wolfgang promised to marry the girl when they got older. That girl was supposedly Queen Marie Antoinette of France.

Mozart had written about 200 different compositions before he turned 19 years old. He toured in Italy, which is also where he began to consolidate as a composer. Eventually, Mozart’s father was not allowed to leave Salzburg, so only his mother went on tour with him.

We do not know much about Mozart’s love life. He worked closely with several women who also devoted their lives to music and wrote many operas for specific women. He fell in love with a young singer, Aloysia Weber. However, she was not interested in a relationship with Mozart. Later, in 1782, he married Constanze Weber, the sister of Aloysia. They were married until Mozart’s death in 1791. The two had 6 children together, but only two of them survived.

A sad ending for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Although Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was known throughout Europe, he always had financial problems. Neither he nor his wife had a good grip on the money book, and neither of them managed to save. Therefore, they found themselves in constant financial difficulties, this despite the success of works such as ” Figaro’s Wedding “, ” Don Giovanni ” and ” Serenade Nr. 13 ( A little night music ) ”.

When Mozart was about to finish work on “The Magic Flute “, he was given an assignment by Count Franz von Walsegg. This mission resulted in Mozart’s latest composition, ” Requiem “. However, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was already ill, and although this is one of his most famous and beloved works, he did not get the chance to complete it. His rheumatic fever did not allow him to play his instruments.

Mozart died on December 5, 1791, before he could complete ” Requiem”.  This put his wife in a difficult situation, as she desperately needed the money from the assignment. Constanze asked two of Mozart’s students to complete the work, and Franz Xaver Süßmayr completed it with a small contribution from Joseph von Eybler.

Mozart was buried in a mass grave, so one can not visit his exact burial site, but a memorial has been set up in the cemetery in Vienna. One can also still visit one of his apartments there.