On the occasion of the bicentenary of his birth
W.A. Mozart is one of the most significant and most performed classical music composers of all time. His works are widely known as exemplary representatives of the classical music style.
He was born on January 27, 1756 in Salzburg, Austria. His immeasurable talent and being born into a musical family (his father Leopold was a respected musician, theorist, and pedagogue) contributed to his musical development, and so at the age of three, he began playing the harpsichord, and at the age of five, he already composed his first compositions. Recognized as a child prodigy, from the age of six to twenty-two, he was almost constantly on tour in European music centers, which gave him the opportunity to become acquainted with new musical styles, top musicians, and musical works.
During his tours, he continuously composed; his work was recognized, so at the age of thirteen, he became the concert master in Salzburg, and then a member of the Philharmonic Academy in Bologna. He received many accolades throughout anja, among them also the Pope’s decoration. In 1779, he accepted the position of court organist in Salzburg, but he left his permanent service and eventually settled in Vienna, where he lived the difficult life of a free artist until the end of his life. He died at the age of 35.
His music is a synthesis of many musical influences he encountered during his rich life filled with travels; notable elements of Italian, Austrian, and German musical traditions can be found. In most of Mozart’s music, there is a sense of cheerfulness and optimism, but at the same time, he is a born dramatist, especially evident in his operas where he portrays dramatic actions and psychological effects of human emotions through the power of music. His ability to create with ease and speed is well-known, accompanied by an endless wealth of musical ideas and the need to create. However, he himself said: “The path to art does not lead through comfortable alleys, free from worries and dreams. It is, moreover, often thorny and incredibly arduous, but it still attracts me with irresistible force.”
In his cr composer, but was significantly productive, having written as many as 626 works. He was a versatile composer, writing works of all musical genres, including symphonies, operas, solo concertos, chamber music, and piano sonatas. He transformed and developed many musical forms, introducing the piano concerto as a new genre in the history of music. Among other things, he composed dances, divertimentos, serenades, and other forms of entertainment music of the time. He also wrote a large number of sacred music works, notably motets, masses, and Requiem, his last unfinished work.
Many musicians admired him and sought inspiration from his works. Beethoven, for example, used Mozart’s works as a model, writing variations on his musical themes. Tchaikovsky dedicated his work Mozartiana to him, while Rossini called him “the only musician who has as much knowledge as he does genius, and as much genius as he does knowledge.”
Joseph Haydn, Mozart’s contemporary and close friend, referred to him as “the greatest composer of our time.” The ultimate maestro, who not only possesses taste but also the greatest knowledge of composition”, and Richard Wagner expresses his admiration for him, calling him a “musical genius of light and love”.
In 2006, the Year of Mozart was declared in order to pay tribute to one of the greatest musical geniuses of all time, whose personality and musical legacy continue to attract the attention of many generations.