A message about the composer Mozart for children. Brief biography of Mozart

To better understand what influenced the personality of Wolfgang Amadeus, you need to find out how his childhood went. After all, it is a tender age that determines what a person will become, and this, in turn, is reflected in creativity.

Leopold - evil genius or guardian angel

It is difficult to exaggerate the role that the personality of his father, Leopold Mozart, had on the formation of the little genius.

Time forces scientists to reconsider their views on historical figures. Thus, Leopold was initially viewed almost as a saint, having completely abandoned his own life in favor of his son. Then he began to be seen in a purely negative light: Take, for example, the image in the film by Milos Forman. This is an overhanging black shadow, raising its wing over a young life...

But most likely, Leopold Mozart was not the embodiment of any of these extremes. Of course, he had his shortcomings - for example, a hot temper. But he also had advantages. Leopold had a very wide sphere of interests, from philosophy to politics. This made it possible to raise my son as an individual, and not as a simple artisan. His efficiency and organization also passed on to his son.

Leopold himself was a pretty good composer and an outstanding teacher. Thus, he wrote a guide to learning to play the violin - “The Experience of a Solid Violin School” (1756), from which today’s specialists will learn about how children were taught music in the past.

Giving a lot of effort to his children, he also “gave his best” in everything he did. His conscience obliged him to do this.

It was the father who inspired and showed by his own example that work is the only path to success and even a duty that comes with talent . It is a big mistake to assume that the innate genius witnessed by many respected contemporaries did not require any effort from Mozart.

Childhood

What allowed Wolfgang to freely grow in his gift? This is, first of all, a morally healthy environment in the family, created by the efforts of both parents. Leopold and Anna had true respect for each other. The mother, knowing her husband’s shortcomings, covered them with her love.

Wolfgang adored his father, placing him second only to God. The little son promised to keep his father in his box when he grew old.

He also loved his sister, spending hours watching her practice at the clavier. His poem, written for Marianne on her birthday, has survived.
Of the seven children of the Mozart couple, only two survived, so the family was small. Perhaps this is what allowed Leopold, overloaded with official duties, to fully engage in developing the talents of his offspring.

Elder sister

Nannerl, whose real name was Maria Anna, although she often fades into the background next to her brother, was also an extraordinary person. She was not inferior to the best performers of her time, while still a girl. It was her many hours of music lessons under the guidance of her father that aroused little Wolfgang's interest in music.

At first it was believed that children were equally gifted. But time passed, Marianne did not write a single essay, and Wolfgang had already begun to be published. Then the father decided that a musical career was not for his daughter and married her off. After marriage, her path diverged from Wolfgang.

Mozart loved and respected his sister very much, promising her a career as a music teacher and good earnings. After the death of her husband, she did this, returning to Salzburg. In general, Nannerl’s life turned out well, although it was not cloudless. It was thanks to her letters that researchers received numerous materials about the life of the great brother.

Trips

Mozart the Younger became known as a genius thanks to concerts that took place in noble houses, even at the courts of various royal dynasties. But we should not forget what travel meant at that time. Shaking for days in a cold carriage to earn bread is a difficult ordeal. Modern man, pampered by civilization, would hardly be able to withstand even a month of such a life, but little Wolfgang lived like this for almost a whole decade. This lifestyle often provoked illness in children, but the travel continued.

Such an attitude today may even seem cruel, but the father of the family pursued a good goal: the son must find a rich patron who will provide him with work for the rest of his life. After all, back then musicians were not free creators; they wrote what they were ordered to do, and each work had to correspond to the strict framework of musical forms.

Hard way

Even very gifted people must try to maintain and develop the abilities given to them. This also applied to Wolfgang Mozart. It was his family, especially his father, who instilled in him a reverent attitude towards his work. And the fact that the listener does not notice the work put in by the composer makes his legacy even more valuable.

Mozart – Film 2008

Mozart, Johann Chrysostom Wolfgang Gottlieb, abbreviated as Wolfgang Amadeus, is one of the world's most brilliant classical composers. He was born on January 27, 1756 in Salzburg. His unprecedentedly rapid musical development during childhood took place under the guidance of his father, with whom Mozart made his first concert tour of Europe in 1762. He visited Vienna, Munich, Paris, Amsterdam and London, and all these cities expressed delight and amazement at the six-year-old virtuoso. Soon after this, Mozart's first compositions (2 sonatas for violin and piano) were published. The author was not born for another 8 years - a fact unprecedented in the history of art. At the age of 11, Mozart completed his first opera (“Apollo and Hyacinth”). Following this (in 1768), the second opera “Bastien and Bastienne” was created, whose performance took place in Vienna in the house of the wealthy Mesmer family with great success, under the direction of the author himself. That same year, Mozart conducted his Mass, written for the consecration of the newly opened orphanage in Vienna.

Young Mozart. Portrait from the 1770s.

At the age of 14, Mozart already officially held the position of conductor in Salzburg. Between 1768 and 1770 he traveled to Italy, where he studied music under the direction of Martini. In 1770, his opera Mithridates was staged in Milan, and was such a huge success that it ran for over twenty performances in a row. The Academy of Music of Bologna elected Mozart as a full member; The Philharmonic Academy in Verona presented him with the diploma of conductor and its honorary member. In 1772, the opera “The Dream of Scipio”, written for Salzburg, was completed; in 1773 - the opera “Lucius Sulla” written for Milan. In 1774, the opera “The Shepherd King” was written for Salzburg, and the opera “The Imaginary Gardener” was written for Munich. Thus, at the age of 18, Mozart was a member of various music academies, the author of seven operas and many compositions of various forms and for different instruments.

Mozart. Best works

By this time his genius had fully matured, and his creative powers had reached a high degree; At the same time, he began to take a different road from the path of strict adherence to the then forms and principles. This change was especially noticeable in 1781, when the opera Idomeneo, the first in a series of great operas by Mozart of the new formation, was completed. In the same year, Mozart's opera The Abduction from the Seraglio was staged in Vienna. In 1786, the opera “Theater Director” was given in Vienna; followed by The Marriage of Figaro, with a plot borrowed from the comedy of Beaumarchais. In 1787, Don Juan was given in Prague; in 1790 the opera “This is what everyone does” was completed. Following it (1791), on the occasion of the coronation of the emperor in Vienna, was the opera “La Clemenza di Titus” and in the same year the opera “The Magic Flute”.

On December 5, 1791, Mozart died before reaching the age of thirty-six. Only before his death did he receive an appointment to the position of assistant bandmaster of the Church of St. Stephen in Vienna, which strengthened his financial position, which throughout his entire life, despite universal worship, was extremely not brilliant. Mozart was buried in Vienna. His last work, the famous “Requiem,” written by order of Count Walsegg, was completed after his death, according to the available rough material, by his student Süssmayer. There was a legend about the poisoning of Mozart by his longtime rival, the composer Salieri, which served as the theme

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg on January 27, 1756. His father was the composer and violinist Leopold Mozart, who worked in the court chapel of Count Sigismund von Strattenbach (Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg). The mother of the famous musician was Anna Maria Mozart (nee Pertl), who came from the family of a commissioner-trustee of an almshouse in the small commune of St. Gilgen.

A total of seven children were born into the Mozart family, but most of them, unfortunately, died at a young age. The first child of Leopold and Anna, who managed to survive, was the elder sister of the future musician, Maria Anna (from childhood, her family and friends called the girl Nannerl). About four years later, Wolfgang was born. The birth was extremely difficult, and doctors for a long time feared that it would be fatal for the boy’s mother. But after some time, Anna began to recover.

Family of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Both Mozart children demonstrated a love of music and excellent ability for it from an early age. When Nannerl's father began teaching her to play the harpsichord, her little brother was only about three years old. However, the sounds heard during lessons excited the little boy so much that from then on he often approached the instrument, pressed the keys and selected pleasant-sounding harmonies. Moreover, he could even play fragments of musical works that he had heard before.

Therefore, already at the age of four, Wolfgang began to receive his own harpsichord lessons from his father. However, the child soon became bored with learning minuets and pieces written by other composers, and at the age of five, young Mozart added to this type of activity the composing of his own short plays. And at the age of six, Wolfgang mastered the violin, and practically without outside help.

Nannerl and Wolfgang never went to school: Leopold gave them an excellent education at home. At the same time, young Mozart always immersed himself in the study of any subject with great zeal. For example, if we were talking about mathematics, then after several diligent studies of the boy, literally every surface in the room: from the walls and floor to the floors and chairs - was quickly covered with chalk inscriptions with numbers, problems and equations.

Euro-trip

Already at the age of six, the “miracle child” played so well that he could give concerts. Nannerl’s voice was a wonderful addition to his inspired performance: the girl sang simply beautifully. Leopold Mozart was so impressed by the musical abilities of his children that he decided to go on long tours with them to various European cities and countries. He hoped that this journey would bring them great success and considerable profit.

The family visited Munich, Brussels, Cologne, Mannheim, Paris, London, The Hague, and several cities in Switzerland. The trip dragged on for many months, and after a short return to Salzburg - for years. During this time, Wolfgang and Nunnell gave concerts to stunned audiences, and also attended opera houses and performances of famous musicians with their parents.

In 1764, the first four sonatas of young Wolfgang, intended for violin and clavier, were published in Paris. In London, the boy was lucky to study for some time with Johann Christian Bach (the youngest son of Johann Sebastian Bach), who immediately noted the child’s genius and, being a virtuoso musician, gave Wolfgang many useful lessons.

Over the years of wandering, the “miracle children,” who already naturally had far from the best health, became quite tired. Their parents were also tired: for example, during the Mozart family’s stay in London, Leopold became seriously ill. Therefore, in 1766, the child prodigies returned to their hometown with their parents.

Creative development

At the age of fourteen, Wolfgang Mozart, through the efforts of his father, went to Italy, which was amazed by the talent of the young virtuoso. Arriving in Bologna, he successfully took part in the unique musical competitions of the Philharmonic Academy along with musicians, many of whom were old enough to be his fathers.

The skill of the young genius so impressed the Academy of Boden that he was elected academician, although this honorary status was usually awarded only to the most successful composers, who were at least 20 years old.

After returning to Salzburg, the composer plunged headlong into composing diverse sonatas, operas, quartets, and symphonies. The older he got, the more daring and original his works were, they became less and less like the creations of the musicians whom Wolfgang admired as a child. In 1772, fate brought Mozart together with Joseph Haydn, who became his main teacher and closest friend.

Wolfgang soon received a job at the archbishop's court, just like his father. He received a large number of orders, but after the death of the old bishop and the arrival of a new one, the situation at court became much less pleasant. A breath of fresh air for the young composer was a trip to Paris and major German cities in 1777, which Leopold Mozart begged from the archbishop for his gifted son.

At that time, the family faced quite severe financial difficulties, and therefore only the mother was able to go with Wolfgang. The grown-up composer again gave concerts, but his bold compositions were not similar to the classical music of those times, and the grown-up boy no longer aroused delight by his mere appearance. Therefore, this time the audience received the musician with much less cordiality. And in Paris, Mozart’s mother died, exhausted from a long and unsuccessful trip. The composer returned to Salzburg.

Career blossoming

Despite his money problems, Wolfgang Mozart had long been dissatisfied with the way the archbishop treated him. Without doubting his musical genius, the composer was indignant at the fact that his employer regarded him as a servant. Therefore, in 1781, he, disregarding all the laws of decency and the persuasion of his relatives, decided to leave the service of the archbishop and move to Vienna.

There the composer met Baron Gottfried van Steven, who at that time was the patron of musicians and had a large collection of works by Handel and Bach. On his advice, Mozart tried to create music in the Baroque style in order to enrich his creativity. At the same time, Mozart tried to get a position as a music teacher for Princess Elisabeth of Württemberg, but the emperor preferred the singing teacher Antonio Salieri to him.

The peak of Wolfgang Mozart's creative career occurred in the 1780s. It was then that she wrote her most famous operas: “The Marriage of Figaro”, “The Magic Flute”, “Don Giovanni”. At the same time, the popular “Little Night Serenade” was written in four parts. At that time, the composer's music was in great demand, and he received the largest fees in his life for his work.

Unfortunately, the period of unprecedented creative growth and recognition for Mozart did not last too long. In 1787, his beloved father died, and soon his wife Constance Weber fell ill with a leg ulcer, and a lot of money was needed for the treatment of her wife.

The situation was worsened by the death of Emperor Joseph II, after which Emperor Leopold II ascended the throne. He, unlike his brother, was not a fan of music, so composers of that time did not have to count on the favor of the new monarch.

Personal life

Mozart's only wife was Constance Weber, whom he met in Vienna (at first, after moving to the city, Wolfgang rented housing from the Weber family).

Leopold Mozart was against his son’s marriage to a girl, as he saw in this the desire of her family to find a “profitable match” for Constance. However, the wedding took place in 1782.

The composer's wife was pregnant six times, but few of the couple's children survived infancy: only Karl Thomas and Franz Xaver Wolfgang survived.

Death

In 1790, when Constance again went for treatment, and Wolfgang Mozart's financial condition became even more unbearable, the composer decided to give several concerts in Frankfurt. The famous musician, whose portrait at that time became the personification of progressive and immensely beautiful music, was greeted with a bang, but the proceeds from the concerts turned out to be too small and did not live up to Wolfgang’s hopes.

In 1791, the composer experienced an unprecedented creative upsurge. At this time, “Symphony 40” came out from his pen, and shortly before his death, the unfinished “Requiem”.

That same year, Mozart became very ill: he was tormented by weakness, the composer’s legs and arms became swollen, and soon he began to suffer from sudden bouts of vomiting. Wolfgang's death occurred on December 5, 1791, its official cause being rheumatic inflammatory fever.

However, to this day, some believe that the cause of Mozart’s death was poisoning by the then famous composer Antonio Salieri, who, alas, was not at all as brilliant as Wolfgang. Part of the popularity of this version is dictated by the corresponding “little tragedy” written by. However, no confirmation of this version has been found to date.

• The composer's real name is Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus (Gottlieb) Mozart, but he himself always demanded to be called Wolfgang.

• During the big tour of the young Mozarts across Europe, the family ended up in Holland. At that time there was a fast in the country, and music was prohibited. An exception was made only for Wolfgang, considering his talent to be a gift from God.
• Mozart was buried in a common grave, where there were several other coffins: the financial situation of the family at that time was so difficult. Therefore, the exact burial place of the great composer is still unknown.

The name Mozart has long been synonymous with absolute musical genius: the Austrian composer went down in history thanks to his talent of unprecedented scale and extremely dramatic fate.

At the age of four he already played the clavier quite skillfully, at five he began composing music, and at the age of seven the miracle boy was actively giving concerts. In adulthood, the star of his talent did not leave the sky, which, however, did not save him from poverty and illness. But first things first.

Mozart child prodigy

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on January 27, 1756 in Salzburg, in the family of the violinist of the court chapel Leopold Mozart and his wife Anna Maria. The couple had seven children, but only two survived - Wolfgang and his sister Maria Anna (in the family simply Nannerl). The girl was five years older, and it was her lessons on the harpsichord that aroused her brother’s interest in music - the child, who was not even three, enjoyed learning about the instrument; a year later, Wolfgang Amadeus performed various musical works remarkably well for his age, and mastered the violin almost independently.

Leopold Mozart quickly realized that both Nannerl and especially Wolfgang were very gifted children, and therefore they needed to be shown to the world so that the children’s life in art would subsequently be successful. From an early age, Wolfgang and his sister began to perform successfully, delighting the royal and princely courts of Europe with their talents. They were applauded in Vienna, Munich, Paris, Milan, Bologna...

But Maria Anna gradually faded into the background, because young Wolfgang not only masterfully performed music, but also composed it. By the age of 20, Mozart had already written several operas, composed many symphonies, ensembles, concertos, church hymns and other musical forms.

The Making of Mozart's Genius

It became clear quite early that Mozart was not just a very gifted musician, but a genius. Traveling and constant learning from the best teachers made him a deep and extraordinary person, but the older he became, the less interested in him were the aristocrats, who had previously adored the extraordinary child. In 1769, Wolfgang received the position of court accompanist in his native Salzburg, but Archbishop Jerome, the head of the ecclesiastical principality, constantly dominated him, limiting his creative freedom. Mozart went to Vienna to look for a different fate and inspiration. However, even there he did not find a “grainful” place, although he found something more - his lover, wife and faithful friend Constance Weber. This woman gave birth to six children to the composer and remained close to him in wealth and poverty.

In the 80s of the 18th century, the composer actively taught, his works were published widely and often, and his works were in great demand. During these years, the legendary operas “The Marriage of Figaro” and “Don Giovanni”, symphonies No. 39, 40 and 41 were written. But if in the early 80s the composer’s family could afford an expensive apartment and servants, then by the end of the decade Mozart was head over heels in debts - he never received good positions, fees from concerts are very small, no large orders are received. Constance becomes seriously ill, large sums are spent on her treatment - the family finds themselves completely broke.

Mozart writes a lot, one of his last operas, “The Magic Flute,” is very successful, but this does not affect the composer’s financial situation in any way.

Mozart's death in poverty

At the age of 35, Mozart himself became seriously ill: the musician was weak, his arms and legs were swollen, and he constantly fainted. At this time, he is working hard on the Requiem, which he never manages to complete. The great composer's death was difficult and painful; the best doctors of that time could not help him. The funeral of the genius is more than modest: Mozart rested in the same grave with five other poor people. However, it was still not a “beggarly” burial, which could well have happened in his situation.

After the death of her husband, Constance and her two children (the other four died young) found themselves in a difficult situation: without a breadwinner and with numerous debts. In order to make ends meet, she is forced to sell the great composer's manuscripts. A few years later, the widow remarries, and after the death of her second husband, she writes a biography of Mozart. True, researchers do not consider it reliable, since Constance, it seems, kept silent about the unpleasant moments for her. The widow of the genius lived to a ripe old age.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's youngest son, Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart, followed in his father's footsteps, but, of course, could not even come close to his success.

Wolfgang Amadeus John Chrysostom Theophile Mozart was born on January 27, 1756 in Austria, in the city of Salzburg on the banks of the Salzach River. In the 18th century, the city was considered the center of musical life. Little Mozart early became acquainted with the music that sounded in the archbishop's residence, with the home concerts of wealthy townspeople and with the world of folk music.

Wolfgang's father, Leopold Mozart, was one of the most educated and outstanding teachers of his era and became his son's first teacher. At the age of 4, the boy already plays the piano perfectly and begins to compose music. According to one record from that time, he mastered playing the violin in just a few days and soon amazed his family and his father’s friends with the manuscript of a “piano concerto.”
At the age of six, he first performed in front of the general public, and a short time later, together with his sister Anna, also an outstanding performer, he went on a concert tour to Munich, Augsburg, Mannheim, Brussels, Vienna, Paris, and then his family went to London, where At that time, the greatest masters of the opera stage were located.
In 1763, Mozart's works (sonatas for piano and violin) were first published in Paris.
The history of music testifies to a number of wonderful performances with which Mozart amazed his listeners. The boy was only 10 years old when he took part in composing a collective oratorio. He was kept in virtual captivity for a whole week, the locked door being opened only to give him food or music paper. Mozart passed the test brilliantly, and soon after the oratorio, performed with great success, he amazes the audience with the opera Apolloni Hyacinth, and then with two more operas, The Imaginary Simpleton and Bastien and Bastienne.
In 1769, Mozart went on a tour of Italy. The great Italian musicians were at first distrustful and even suspicious of the legends surrounding the name of Mozart. But his genius talent conquers them too. VITALY Mozart studies with the famous composer and teacher J.B. Martini gives concerts and writes the opera “Mithridates - King of Pontus,” which is a great success.
At the age of 14 he became a member of the famous Bologna Academy and the Philharmonic Academy in Verona. Mozart reaches the pinnacle of fame in Rome. Having listened only once to Allegri’s “Miserere” in the Cathedral of St. Peter, he writes it down on paper from memory. Memories of the trip to Italy are the operas “Mithridates, King of Pontus” (1770), “Lucio Silla” (1772), and the theatrical serenade “Ascanio in Alba”.
After a trip to Italy, Mozart created quartets for string instruments, symphonic works, piano sonatas and works for a variety of combinations of instruments, the opera “The Imaginary Gardener” (1775), “The Shepherd King”.
The young composer, who until now knew only the brilliant side of life, now learns its inside out. The new prince-archbishop Jerome Coloredo does not like music, does not like Mozart, and more and more often makes him understand that Mozart is a servant who is entitled to no more respect than any cook or footman. Leaving Salzburg and court service, he settled in Mannheim. Here he meets the Weber family and makes several loyal and reliable friends among art lovers.
But heavy financial worries, humiliation and expectations in the hallways, begging and seeking patronage forced the young composer to return to Salzburg. At the request of Leopold Mozart, the archbishop accepts his former musician back, but gives strict instructions: his servants and lackeys (of course, and Mozart) are prohibited from public performances. However, in 1781, Mozart managed to get leave to stage a new opera, Idomeneo, in Munich. After a successful premiere, having decided not to return to Salzburg, Mozart submits his resignation and receives a stream of curses and insults in response. The cup of patience is full; the composer finally broke with his dependent position as a court musician and settled in Vienna, where he lived for the last 10 years of his life.
However, Mozart faces new difficulties. Aristocratic circles are turning away from the former prodigy, and those who until recently paid him with gold and applause now consider the musician’s creations to be overly heavy, confused and abstract. Meanwhile, Mozart creates masterpieces. In 1782, his first mature opera, The Abduction from the Seraglio, was performed; in the summer of the same year he marries Constance Weber.
A new creative stage in Mozart's life is associated with his friendship with Joseph Haydn (1732-1809). Under the influence of Haydn, Mozart's music takes on new wings. Mozart's first wonderful quartets are born. But besides the brilliance that has already become a proverb, his works increasingly reveal a more tragic, more serious beginning, characteristic of a person who sees life in all its fullness.
The composer moves further and further away from the demands of general taste that the salons of nobles and wealthy patrons of the arts place on obedient music writers. During this period, the opera “The Marriage of Figaro” (1786) appeared. Mozart is beginning to be pushed out of the opera stage. Compared to the light works of Salieri and Paesiello, Mozart's works seem heavy and problematic.
Disasters and hardships are increasingly coming into the composer’s house; the young couple do not know how to manage their household economically. In these difficult conditions, the opera “Don Juan” (1787) was born, which brought the author worldwide success. While writing the last pages of the score, Mozart receives news of his father's death. Now the composer was truly left alone; he can no longer hope that his father’s advice, a smart letter, and maybe even direct intervention will help him in difficult times.
After the premiere of Don Juan in Prague, the imperial court was forced to make some concessions. Mozart is offered to take the place of court musician, which belonged to the recently deceased Gluck (1714-1787). However, this honorary appointment brings the composer some joy. The Viennese court treats Mozart as an ordinary composer of dance music and commissions him minuets, landlers, and country dances for court balls.
The last years of Mozart’s life include 3 symphonies (E-flat major, G minor and C major), the operas “That’s what everyone does” (1790), “La Clemenza di Tito” (1791), and “The Magic Flute” (1791).
Death found Mozart on December 5, 1791 in Vienna while working on the Requiem. The history of the creation of this work is told by all the biographers of the composer. An elderly stranger, decently dressed and pleasant, came to Mozart. He ordered Requiem for his friend and paid a generous advance. The gloomy tone and mystery with which the order was made gave the suspicious composer the idea that he was writing this “Requiem” for himself.
"Requiem" was completed by the composer's student and friend F. Süssmayer.
Mozart was buried in a common grave for the poor. His wife was sick at home on the day of the funeral; The composer's friends, who came out to see him off on his final journey, were forced to return home halfway due to terrible weather. It so happened that no one knows exactly where the great composer found his eternal rest...
Mozart's creative heritage consists of more than 600 works