1. WolfGang Amadeus Mozart
Life, Work, and Compositional Style

3. Overview
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: born 27th January 1756 in Salzburg (Austria) and died 5th December 1791 in Vienna (Austria)
Composed music in the time now known as the Classical Period
He was hugely prolific, composing over 600 works
Considered to be one of the most influential composers of all time

5. Mozart’s Childhood Child prodigy
Toured Europe with his father Leopold and sister Anna Maria “Nannerl” Mozart playing violin and keyboard
Began composing at a young age, writing his first opera at age 8
Wrote down Allegri’s Miserere after two hearings

6. Early Working Life
Employed by the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg 1773 – 1777
Rocky relationship with his employer
Artistic success in this period but was unhappy and tried to find other employment
Low pay and lack of opportunity to write operas

7. Life in Vienna
Mozart travelled for a year then came back to Salzburg to take up another employment
In 1781 he gained his first commission from Emperor Joseph II and moved to Vienna to be a freelance performer and composer
Early success
Married Constanze Weber in 1782 – two surviving children

8. Later Working Life Plush lifestyle
Met Haydn in 1784 – dedicated six string quartets to him
Steady employment, many famous works from this period including Da Ponte operas
Circumstances worsened from 1786, financial issues

9. Death Turned to borrowing large sums of money
Fortunes started to rise in 1791
Fell ill and died aged 35
Exact cause of death unknown – conspiracy theories abound!

11. Personality Wealth of letters survive, revealing personality
Trickster, liked pranks and rude jokes
Liked fashion and dancing
Religious, Freemason

12. Compositions Extremely versatile; wrote in every major genre
41 symphonies, 22 operas, 27 piano concertos, chamber works, songs, sonatas, masses
Music influenced many subsequent composers, particularly Beethoven

14. Style
Mozart’s music represents the pinnacle of the Classical Period and the ‘Classical style’
Used forms that were not new, but developed them to their full potential, particularly the piano concerto
Later works were influenced by Baroque counterpoint
Increasing chromaticism in later works

15. Ah! Vous Dirai-Je Maman K 265/300e
Probably written when Mozart was 25 years old
Based on a French pastoral song from c. 1740