Born: Jan 27, 1756; Austria
Died: Dec 5, 1791; Austria
Period: Classical
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was not only one of the greatest composers of the Classical period, but one of the greatest of all time. Surprisingly, he is not identified with radical formal or harmonic innovations, or with the profound kind of symbolism heard in some of Bach's works. Mozart's best music has a natural flow and irresistible charm, and can express humor, joy or sorrow with both conviction and mastery. His operas, especially his laterRead more efforts, are brilliant examples of high art, as are many of his piano concertos and later symphonies. Even his lesser compositions and juvenile works feature much attractive and often masterful music.
Mozart was the last of seven children, of whom five did not survive early childhood. By the age of three he was playing the clavichord, and at four he began writing short compositions. Young Wolfgang gave his first public performance at the age of five at Salzburg University, and in January, 1762, he performed on harpsichord for the Elector of Bavaria. There are many astonishing accounts of the young Mozart's precocity and genius. At the age of seven, for instance, he picked up a violin at a musical gathering and sight-read the second part of a work with complete accuracy, despite his never having had a violin lesson.
In the years 1763 - 1766, Mozart, along with his father Leopold, a composer and musician, and sister Nannerl, also a musically talented child, toured London, Paris, and other parts of Europe, giving many successful concerts and performing before royalty. The Mozart family returned to Salzburg in November 1766. The following year young Wolfgang composed his first opera, Apollo et Hyacinthus. Keyboard concertos and other major works were also coming from his pen now.
In 1769, Mozart was appointed Konzertmeister at the Salzburg Court by the Archbishop. Beginning that same year, the Mozarts made three tours of Italy, where the young composer studied Italian opera and produced two successful efforts, Mitridate and Lucio Silla. In 1773, Mozart was back in Austria, where he spent most of the next few years composing. He wrote all his violin concertos between 1774 and 1777, as well as Masses, symphonies, and chamber works.
In 1780, Mozart wrote his opera Idomeneo, which became a sensation in Munich. After a conflict with the Archbishop, Mozart left his Konzertmeister post and settled in Vienna. He received a number of commissions now and took on a well-paying but unimportant Court post. In 1782 Mozart married Constanze Weber and took her to Salzburg the following year to introduce her to his family. 1782 was also the year that saw his opera Die Entführung aus dem Serail staged with great success.
In 1784, Mozart joined the Freemasons, apparently embracing the teachings of that group. He would later write music for certain Masonic lodges. In the early- and mid-1780s, Mozart composed many sonatas and quartets, and often appeared as soloist in the fifteen piano concertos he wrote during this period. Many of his commissions were for operas now, and Mozart met them with a string of masterpieces. Le nozze di Figaro came 1786, Don Giovanni in 1787, Cosě fan tutte in 1790 and Die Zauberflöte in 1791. Mozart made a number of trips in his last years, and while his health had been fragile in previous times, he displayed no serious condition or illness until he developed a fever of unknown origin near the end of 1791. Read less
Label: Decca
Catalog: 001183802
Release Date: 09/23/2008
Number of Discs: 1
Composer:
Giacomo Meyerbeer,
Giuseppe Verdi,
Charles Gounod,
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
...
Performer:
Erwin Schrott,
Boris Tonkov,
Rafat Jezierski
Conductor:
Riccardo Frizza
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana
Label: Ondine
Catalog: ODE731
Release Date: 09/18/2008
Number of Discs: 1
Composer:
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky,
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart,
Giuseppe Verdi,
Ruggero Leoncavallo
Performer:
Jorma Hynninen
Conductor:
Eri Klas
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Estonian State Symphony Orchestra
Label: Berlin Classics
Catalog: 149342
Release Date: 09/09/2008
Number of Discs: 2
Composer:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performer:
Hermann Prey,
Peter Schreier,
Walter Olbertz
Conductor:
Otmar Suitner
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Dresden Staatskapelle
Label: Nimbus
Catalog: 7946
Release Date: 03/11/2008
Number of Discs: 1
Composer:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart,
Giuseppe Verdi,
Gaetano Donizetti,
Gioachino Rossini
...
Performer:
Tito Gobbi,
Nicola Monti
Conductor:
Umberto Berrettoni,
James Robertson,
Gabriele Santini,
Alberto Erede
...
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Milan Teatro alla Scala Orchestra,
Philharmonia Orchestra,
Rome Opera House Orchestra
...
Recommendation
Label: Hafg
Catalog: 10352
Release Date: 06/12/2007
Number of Discs: 1
Composer:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart,
Gaetano Donizetti,
Giuseppe Verdi,
Ruggero Leoncavallo
Performer:
Georg Ots,
Margarita Voltes,
Teo Meiste,
Anu Kaal
Conductor:
Jarvi,
Kirill Raudsepp
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Estonian Radio Symphony Orchestra,
Estonian State Symphony Orchestra
Label: Berlin Classics
Catalog: 3309
Release Date: 02/13/2007
Number of Discs: 1
Composer:
Giuseppe Verdi,
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart,
Gaetano Donizetti,
Albert Lortzing
...
Performer:
Karl Schmitt-Walter,
Hilde Scheppan,
Wilhelm Lang
Conductor:
Arthur Rother,
Horst Stein,
Hanns Steinkopf,
Otto Dobrindt
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra,
Berlin Deutsche Oper Chorus
Label: Berlin Classics
Catalog: 3306
Release Date: 10/24/2006
Number of Discs: 1
Composer:
Giuseppe Verdi,
Jacques Offenbach,
Richard Wagner,
Heinrich Marschner
...
Performer:
Heinrich Schlusnus,
Helge Rosvaenge
Conductor:
Arthur Rother,
Johannes Schüler,
Leo Blech,
Hanns Steinkopf
...
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Berlin Staatskapelle Orchestra,
Berlin Symphony Orchestra,
Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra
Label: Ondine
Catalog: 1078
Release Date: 06/27/2006
Number of Discs: 1
Composer:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performer:
Elina Garanca,
Jorma Hynninen,
Kari Kriikku,
Soile Isokoski
...
Conductor:
Alexander Vilumanis,
Eri Klas,
John Storgĺrds,
Peter Schreier
...
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Latvian National Symphony Orchestra,
Estonian State Symphony Orchestra,
Tapiola Sinfonietta
...
Label: Naxos
Catalog: 8557893
Release Date: 04/18/2006
Number of Discs: 1
Composer:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performer:
Adrianne Pieczonka,
Renato Girolami,
Janusz Monarcha,
Bo Skovhus
...
Conductor:
Michael Halász
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Nicolaus Esterházy Sinfonia,
Hungarian Radio Chorus
Label: Sony
Catalog: 75944
Release Date: 02/07/2006
Number of Discs: 3
Composer:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performer:
Lin Cho-Liang,
Jaime Laredo,
Alicia de Larrocha,
James Galway
...
Conductor:
Raymond Leppard,
Sir Colin Davis,
Eduardo Mata,
Erich Leinsdorf
...
Orchestra/Ensemble:
English Chamber Orchestra,
London Symphony Orchestra,
New Philharmonia Orchestra
...
Recommendation
Label: Decca
Catalog: 4756814
Release Date: 08/09/2005
Number of Discs: 1
Composer:
Gioachino Rossini,
Richard Wagner,
Alexander Borodin,
Umberto Giordano
...
Performer:
Tom Krause
Conductor:
Argeo Quadri
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Vienna Opera Orchestra