Mozart 1756-1791
Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart was born January 27, 1756 in Salzburg Austria to Leopold Mozart and Anna Maria Pertl. Leopold was the son of a bookbinder while Anna Maria was the daughter of a county official and amateur musician. Leopold himself was a violinist and worked as the Vice Kapllmeister for Archbishop Schrattenbach of Salzburg. He at the age of twenty-eight married Anna Maria then twenty-seven after a long courtship. The couple had seven children, two of which lived, the second, Maria Anna (Nannerl) and the Seventh Wolfgang. Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart is his full baptismal name; he went by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. I take it that his first name is attributed to the fact that his mother grew up near Lake Wolfgang. Amadeus is Latin for Theophilus, which is Greek and in all languages means: Beloved of God. One wonders whether he ever heard of the ancient Greek king Menander?s saying: ?Whom the gods love dies young.?1 At age three Wolfgang began imitating his sister as she played the clavier. When he played and the music sounded good, he was happy, but if it sounded bad he would start to cry. By age four he composed his first piece, minuet in G and attempted to write a c
Wolfgang?s married life was a happy one except for the losses of four children and a constant shortage of money. His first child to live was Carl Thomas and the second to live was Franz Xaver. In 1787 he meets Beethoven who at the time was only seventeen then Leopold dies. Eine kleine Nachtmusik is also composed that year. In 1788 they fall into debt. The next year he starts suffering from constant poor health and falls further into debt. At the age of sixteen Wolfgang and Leopold?s employer dies and is replaced by Hieronymus Colloredo. Colloredo was a cold man who knew the results of his actions. Colloredo didn?t want Wolfgang to travel so Leopold sneaked him away to Vienna. Leopold had hoped that the Empress would offer him a position, but none was offered. While there Wolfgang met Joseph Haydn a very exciting event. Then in 1791 a stranger comes to him and commissions a Requiem. This stranger turns out to be Count Walsegg with the intention of the mass for his wife. Wolfgang starts becoming ill of mind and doesn?t want to finish the Requiem because he believes it was meant to be the end of him. In June his son Franz Xaver is born while Constanz is away at Baden. Wolfgang was becoming very ill and exhausted so finally on December 5, 1791, he perishes at one o?clock in the morning in the arms of his wife. A few years go by as do a few cities and he composes his first string quartet, but at the age of fourteen, he spends a year in Italy where he meets Thomas Linley. Linley is an English violinist and a has-been ?child prodigy?. The two become friends, but unfortunately Linley drowns at the age of twenty-two. Wolferl spends Easter in Rome where he wrote a choral piece out from memory after hearing it only once, the name of the piece is Allegri?s Miserere. Allegri?s Miserere was to never be copied because the written music was supposed to stay secret, if someone were to copy it the punishment was excommunication. Then he receives the Order of the Golden Spur a very high honor given by the Pope. This piece is in ABA form (Minuet-Trio-Minuet). It is written in G Major and is i
Some common words found in the essay are:
Beloved God, K525 Mozart, Baden Wolfgang, Colloredo Wolfgang, Franz Xaver, Anna Maria, Salzburg Leopold, Stephens Cathedral, Munich Geneva, Joseph Haydn, anna maria, string quartet, wolfgang amadeus, wolfgangus theophilus mozart, eine kleine, franz xaver, performance wolfgang, becoming ill, stayed home, chrysostomus wolfgangus, johannes chrysostomus wolfgangus, chrysostomus wolfgangus theophilus, eine kleine nachtmusik, johannes chrysostomus,
Approximate Word count = 1431
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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