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, Così 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: Nimbus
Catalog: 1756
Release Date: 10/20/1998
Number of Discs: 6
Composer:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performer:
Martyn Hill,
Julia Bernheimer,
Gundula Janowitz,
David Thomas
...
Conductor:
Roy Goodman,
Barry Wordsworth,
Yan Pascal Tortelier
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Hanover Band Chorus,
Hanover Band,
Royal Opera House Covent Garden Orchestra
...
Label: Sony
Catalog: 60526
Release Date: 09/22/1998
Number of Discs: 1
Composer:
Carl Maria von Weber,
Jaromir Weinberger,
Erich Wolfgang Korngold,
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
...
Performer:
Siegfried Jerusalem,
Lucia Popp,
Hermann Prey
Conductor:
Gabriel Chmura,
Josef Schmidhuber,
Marek Janowski
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Munich Radio Symphony Orchestra,
Bavarian Radio Chorus
Label: London/Decca Opera Gala Series
Catalog: 458213
Release Date: 06/09/1998
Number of Discs: 1
Composer:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performer:
Stuart Burrows,
Pilar Lorengar,
Hans Sotin,
René Kollo
...
Conductor:
Sir Georg Solti
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra,
Vienna State Opera Chorus
Recommendation
Label: Naxos
Catalog: 8553438
Release Date: 09/30/1997
Number of Discs: 1
Composer:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performer:
Herbert Lippert,
Georg Tichy,
Hellen Kwon,
Elisabeth Norberg-Schulz
...
Conductor:
Michael Halász
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Failoni Orchestra Budapest,
Hungarian Festival Chorus
Label: Preiser Records
Catalog: 89986
Release Date: 08/19/1997
Number of Discs: 1
Composer:
Eugène d' Albert,
Giacomo Puccini,
Giuseppe Verdi,
Wilhelm Kienzl
...
Performer:
Torsten Ralf,
Josef Herrmann,
Gunnar Graarud,
Björn Talén
...
Label: Orfeo D'or
Catalog: 445961
Release Date: 02/18/1997
Number of Discs: 1
Composer:
Gioachino Rossini,
Ruggero Leoncavallo,
Giuseppe Verdi,
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
...
Performer:
Fritz Wunderlich
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Munich Radio Symphony Orchestra
Label: Teldec
Catalog: 894849
Release Date: 09/03/1996
Number of Discs: 1
Composer:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performer:
Antti Suhonen,
Thomas Moser,
Hans-Peter Blochwitz,
Barbara Bonney
...
Conductor:
Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Zurich Opera Chorus,
Zurich Opera Orchestra
Recommendation
Label: Orfeo D'or
Catalog: 394101
Release Date: 09/19/1995
Number of Discs: 1
Composer:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performer:
Res Fischer,
Hans Hotter,
Helena Braun,
Irma Beilke
...
Conductor:
Clemens Krauss,
Josef Krips,
Bruno Walter,
Arturo Toscanini
...
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra,
Philharmonia Orchestra
Label: Orfeo D'or
Catalog: 394201
Release Date: 09/19/1995
Number of Discs: 1
Composer:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performer:
Walter Berry,
Eberhard Wächter,
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf,
Léopold Simoneau
...
Conductor:
Herbert von Karajan,
George Szell,
Karl Böhm,
Sir Georg Solti
...
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Label: Rca Victor Red Seal
Catalog: 61886
Release Date: 10/26/1993
Number of Discs: 1
Composer:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart,
Georges Bizet,
Richard Wagner,
Charles Gounod
...
Performer:
Julia Varády,
Franco Corelli,
Leontyne Price,
Placido Domingo
...
Conductor:
Sir Colin Davis,
Herbert von Karajan,
Henry Lewis,
Nello Santi
...
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra,
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra,
Philharmonia Orchestra
...
Label: Nimbus
Catalog: 5300
Release Date: 12/02/1992
Number of Discs: 1
Composer:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performer:
Raúl Giménez
Conductor:
Barry Wordsworth
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Royal Opera House Covent Garden Orchestra
Recommendation
Label: Nimbus
Catalog: 7801
Release Date: 12/02/1992
Number of Discs: 1
Composer:
Gioachino Rossini,
Ruggero Leoncavallo,
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart,
Licinio Refice
...
Performer:
Riccardo Stracciari,
Enrico Caruso,
Richard Tauber,
Claudia Muzio
...
Conductor:
Giorgio Polacco,
Licinio Refice,
Giuseppe Antonicelli,
Lawrence Collingwood
...
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Milan Teatro alla Scala Orchestra,
Metropolitan Opera Chorus,
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
Label: Nimbus
Catalog: 7822
Release Date: 12/02/1992
Number of Discs: 1
Composer:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performer:
Gerhard Hüsch,
Lotte Schöne,
Richard Tauber,
Julius Patzak
...
Conductor:
Sir Thomas Beecham,
Leo Blech,
Karl Alwin,
Henri Défosse
...
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra,
Berlin State Opera Orchestra,
Vienna State Opera Orchestra
...
Label: Nimbus
Catalog: 7830
Release Date: 12/02/1992
Number of Discs: 1
Composer:
Erich Wolfgang Korngold,
Jacques Offenbach,
Albert Lortzing,
Richard Wagner
...
Performer:
Richard Tauber,
Lotte Lehmann,
Emmy Bettendorf
Conductor:
George Szell,
Ernst Hauke,
Hermann Weigert,
Carl Besl
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Berlin Staatskapelle Orchestra,
Berlin Playhouse Orchestra,
Berlin State Opera Orchestra
...
Label: Eurodisc
Catalog: 69018
Release Date: 11/13/1989
Number of Discs: 1
Composer:
Augustin Lara,
Eduardo Di Capua,
Ernesto De Curtis,
Marc Roland
...
Performer:
Fritz Wunderlich
Conductor:
Gerhard Becker,
Alois Melichar,
Werner Schmidt-Bölke,
Arthur Rother
Orchestra/Ensemble:
FFB Orchestra,
Berlin Symphony Orchestra,
Munich Radio Orchestra
...