Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Mozart was born January 27, 1756 in Salzburg, Austria. As an Austrian composer he was widely recognized as one of the greatest composers in the history of Western music. His taste, his command of form, and his range of expression have made him seem the most universal of all composers; yet, it may also be said that his music was written to accommodate the specific tastes of particular audiences. He is seen above with his family. His sister, Maria Anna, and he were the only surviving children out of 7! Their father did most of his schooling. Teaching at home is so important and I’d love for you to read my article about why I homeschool.
The house in Vienna where Mozart and his family lived during 1784–87 is known as Figarohaus. It is where he composed his opera The Marriage of Figaro. The boy’s early talent for music was remarkable. At three he was picking out chords on the harpsichord and at four playing short pieces but then at five composing.
There are anecdotes about his precise memory of pitch, about his scribbling a concerto at the age of five, and about his gentleness and sensitivity (he was afraid of the trumpet). Just before he was six, his father took him and Nannerl, (his sister’s nickname) also highly talented, to Munich to play at the Bavarian court, and a few months later they went to Vienna and were heard at the imperial court and in noble houses.
Mozart married Constanze Mozart and together they had six children, four of whom died in infancy. Constanze was a trained musician and played a role in her husband’s career.
The traditional image of the child prodigy turned refined drawing-room composer, who could miraculously conceive an entire work in his head before setting pen to paper (always a distortion of the truth), gave way to the image of the serious and painstaking creative artist with acute human insight. He was brilliant even if his personal life wasn’t always the easiest.
If you’d like to read a great children’s book on Mozart, then you should read, “Mozart, the Wonder Boy”. It is a great story and a wonderful version of his life. You can find it here.
