Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was the ultimate child prodigy — he began doing concert tours of Europe aged six.
After spending his early years employed in the Salzburg court he moved to Vienna, where he composed many of his best-known works. Mozart's mastery of all forms of music and his idiomatic, uncomplicated style are a defining feature of the Classical era.
Best of Mozart
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
Loading- Piano Concerto No. 21
- Marriage of Figaro
- Requiem in D minor
- Symphony No. 40
Why Mozart?
- He wrote more than 600 works, including symphonies, operas, concertos, sonatas and much more.
- He was a master of all genres that existed during his lifetime
- He contributed countless major works that are still played and enjoyed today.
Who did Mozart influence?
Most notably, Mozart had a powerful influence on Ludwig van Beethoven. Beethoven was his junior by 15 years and as a teenager performed Mozart's piano concertos as well as played in his operas. There is uncertainty if the two ever met, but Mozart's influence on him is undoubtable. Beethoven quoted and modelled many of his works on those of the older composer and wrote sets of variations on Mozart's themes.
Why is Mozart's Requiem famous?
Mozart's Requiem in D minor is renowned not only for its haunting, powerful melodies, but also for the legends surrounding the creation of the work. It was commissioned anonymously by Franz von Walsegg, an odd count who had a reputation for asking composers to write works and then pass them off on his own. However, Mozart was in a state of deteriorating health, and he died before it was finished. To conceal the fact that it was unfinished, a number of myths started circulating, including that Mozart was writing the piece for himself, that he had been poisoned, and that his colleague Antonio Salieri played a role in the work and his death. There is no credible evidence to suggest that any of these claims are true.
How did Mozart die?
There is still some uncertainty surrounding the cause of Mozart's death. His official death record referred to his symptoms as a "severe miliary fever," however researchers have since speculated over 100 causes of his death as well as his mental state prior. It is agreed that he fell ill in mid-1791, with aggressive swelling, vomiting, pain and rashes. He died in December of the same year at the age of only 35.
Why do people play Mozart to babies?
People play Mozart to young children due to something known at the “Mozart Effect." The term, coined by French inventor and ENT specialist Alfred A. Tomatis and popularised in Don Campbell's book, The Mozart Effect, refers to the idea that listening to Mozart's music may induce a short-term improvement on the performance of certain kinds of mental tasks. Although playing Mozart’s music is a nice thing to do, many scholars now believe the Mozart Effect to be a myth.