Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

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The youngest child of Leopold Mozart and Anna Maria Pertl, Wolfgang Amadeus was born in Salzburg on January 27, 1756. Considered by many to be one of the greatest musical prodigies in history, by the age of three he was already a keyboard-player and violinist. By five he was composing symphonies. Leopold Mozart (1719-1787), his father, undertook complete responsibility for the tutoring of Wolfgang and his elder sister Maria Anna ('Nannerl'), an extremely gifted keyboard player in her own right. Mozart spent from 1774 to 1777, as Konzertmeister at the Prince-Archbishop's court in Salzburg. As he matured as artist and composer, he became anxious, wanting to be free from the Prince-Archbishop’s rules and the provincial atmosphere of Salzburg; it became increasingly clear that Mozart had to search for a different post. In 1777, accompanied by his mother, Anna Maria, he set off for a tour of the major European cities in search of a worthy position. This tour included the cities of Munich, Mannheim, and Paris. In Paris, not able to speak French, Mozart's mother felt quite neglected, as Mozart was engaged in constant job hunting and socializing. In the spring of 1778, her health started to deteriorate rapidly. Shortly afterwards, Anna Maria was dead at the age of 57. She was buried in the parish of Saint-Eustache in Paris. Unable to find a position that would allow him the independence and freedom to compose, Mozart was back in Salzburg by early 1779, now as court organist. Early in 1781, Mozart started entertaining ideas of becoming what today would be called a 'freelance' artist. This was unheard of in Mozart's time, in which the patronage system was still in effect. After leaving the archbishop's appointment (with 'a kick on my ... ... middle of paper ... ...kly enough. For everything is already finished, and it rarely differs on paper from what it was in my imagination." His instrumental music includes 41 symphonies, 12 violin concertos, over 25 piano concertos, some 14 concertos for other instruments, 26 string quartets, 17 piano sonatas—of which the Rondo alla Turca from the Sonata No.11 in A majors is a well-known example—over 40 violin sonatas, and many other chamber music works. Many of the piano concertos were composed for his own use in his public performances. These concertos demonstrate many of Mozart's most progressive ideas. His string quartets also reveal his mastery of musical form. His final three symphonies, Nos. 39, 40, and 41 (Jupiter Symphony), were composed during the summer of 1788, three years before his death. They stand among Mozart's finest contributions to instrumental music.

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