Mozart - biography, facts from life, photographs, reference information. Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus - short biography Mozart biography

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus (1756-1791), Austrian composer.

Born January 27, 1756 in Salzburg. The first music teacher for the boy was his father Leopold Mozart. From early childhood, Wolfgang Amadeus was a "miracle child": already at the age of four he tried to write a harpsichord concerto, and from the age of six he brilliantly performed with concerts throughout Europe. Mozart had an extraordinary musical memory: it was enough for him to hear any piece of music only once in order to record it exactly.

Glory came to Mozart very early. In 1765, his first symphonies were published and performed in concert. In total, the composer wrote 49 symphonies. In 1769 he received a position as an accompanist at the court of the archbishop in Salzburg. Already in 1770, Mozart became a member of the Philharmonic Academy in Bologna (Italy), and Pope Clement XIV elevated him to the Knights of the Golden Spur. In the same year, Mozart's first opera, Mithridates, King of Pontus, was staged in Milan. In 1772, the second opera, Lucius Sulla, was staged there, and in 1775, the opera The Imaginary Gardener was staged in Munich. In 1777, the archbishop allowed the composer to go on a long journey through France and Germany, where Mozart gave concerts with constant success.

In 1779 he received the position of organist under the Archbishop of Salzburg, but in 1781 he refused it and moved to Vienna. Here Mozart completed the operas Idomeneo (1781) and The Abduction from the Seraglio (1782). In 1786-1787. written two, perhaps the most famous operas of the composer - "The Marriage of Figaro", staged in Vienna, and "Don Giovanni", which was first staged in Prague.

In 1790, the opera "That's the way everyone does it" was again staged in Vienna. And in 1791 two operas were written at once - "The Mercy of Titus" and "The Magic Flute". The last work of Mozart was the famous "Requiem", which the composer did not have time to complete.

The work was completed by F. K. Süssmeier, a student of Mozart and A. Salieri. Mozart's creative heritage, despite his short life, is enormous: according to the thematic catalog of L. von Köchel (an admirer of Mozart's work and the compiler of the most complete and generally accepted index of his works), the composer created 626 works, including 55 concertos, 22 clavier sonatas, 32 strings quartet.

Johann Chrysostom Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791) - a virtuoso Austrian musician and composer, the most popular among all classical composers, his influence on world culture in the field of music is enormous. This man had a phenomenal musical ear, memory and ability to improvise. His compositions have become masterpieces of world chamber, symphonic, choral, concert and opera music.

Early childhood

In the city of Salzburg, which at that time was the capital of the Salzburger Archbishopric, on the Getreidegasse street in house 9, the musical genius Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born. This happened on January 27, 1756. Wolfgang's father, Leopold Mozart, served in the court chapel of the local prince-archbishop as a composer and violinist. The baby's mother, Anna Maria Mozart (maiden name Pertl), was the daughter of the commissioner-trustee of the St. Gilgen almshouse, she gave birth to only seven children, but only two remained alive - Wolfgang and his sister Maria Anna.

The fact that the kids are gifted by nature with musical talent was noticeable from early childhood. At the age of seven, her father began to teach the girl to play the harpsichord. Little Wolfgang also liked this activity, he was only 3 years old, and he already sat down at the instrument after his sister and had fun, picking up consonant melodies. At such an early age, he could play some fragments of pieces of music he heard on the harpsichord from memory. The father was impressed by his son's abilities and began to learn minuets and harpsichord pieces with him when the boy was just over 4 years old. A year later, Wolfgang was composing his first little plays, and his father was recording after him. And by the age of six, in addition to the harpsichord, the boy independently learned to play the violin.

The father loved his children very much, and they reciprocated him. For Maria Anna and Wolfgang, dad became the best person in their lives, educator and teacher. The brother and sister never attended school in their lives, while they received an excellent education at home. Little Mozart was fully fascinated by the subject that he was studying at the moment. For example, when he studied arithmetic, the whole house, table, walls and chairs were covered with chalk, there were only numbers around, at such moments he even forgot about music for a while.

First travels

Leopold dreamed that his son would become a composer. According to ancient custom, future composers first had to establish themselves as a performer. In order for the boy to be patronized by well-known noble persons, and in the future it would be possible to get a good position without any problems, Father Mozart decided to arrange a children's tour. He took the children to travel around the princely and royal courts of Europe. This time of wandering lasted almost 10 years.

The first such trip took place in the winter of 1762, the father and children went to Munich, the wife stayed at home. This journey lasted three weeks, the success of the miracle children was resounding.

Father Mozart strengthened his decision to take the children around Europe and planned a trip to Vienna for the fall with the whole family. This city was not chosen by chance, at that time Vienna was known as the cultural center of Europe. There were still 9 months left before the trip, and Leopold began to intensively prepare the children, especially his son. This time he did not rely on the boy's successful playing of musical instruments, but on the so-called effects, which the audience perceived much more enthusiastically than the music itself. By this trip, Wolfgang had learned to play on the keys covered with fabric and with a bandage over his eyes, while he did not make a single mistake.

When autumn came, the whole Mozart family went to Vienna. On the mail ship they sailed along the Danube, made stops in the cities of Linz and Ybbs, gave concerts and everywhere the audience was delighted with the little virtuoso. In October, the fame of a talented boy reached the imperial majesty, the family was given a reception at the palace. They were met politely and warmly, the concert given by Wolfgang lasted several hours, after which the Empress even allowed him to sit on her lap and play with her children. For future performances, she gave the young talent and his sister beautiful new clothes.

Every day after that, Leopold Mozart received invitations to speak at receptions with dignitaries, he accepted them, a small unique boy performed for several hours. In the middle of the winter of 1763, the Mozarts returned to Salzburg, and after a short break, preparations began for the next trip to Paris.

European recognition of the young virtuoso

In the summer of 1763, the three-year journey of the Mozart family began. On the way to Paris there were many concerts in different cities of Germany. In Paris, the young talent was already expected. There were a lot of distinguished people who wanted to listen to Wolfgang. It was here, in Paris, that the boy composed his first pieces of music. These were four sonatas for harpsichord and violin. He was invited to perform at the Royal Palace of Versailles, where the Mozart family arrived on Christmas Eve and spent two whole weeks there. They even attended the solemn New Year's feast, which was a special honor.

Such a number of concerts affected the material well-being of the family, the Mozarts had enough money to hire a ship and go on it to London, where they stayed for almost fifteen months. Very important acquaintances in the life of young Mozart took place here:

• with the composer Johann Christian Bach (son of Johann Sebastian), he gave the boy lessons and played four hands with him;
• with the Italian opera singer Giovanni Manzuolli, who taught the child to sing.

It was here, in London, that the young Mozart had an irresistible desire to compose. He began to write symphonic and vocal musical works.

After London, the Mozarts spent nine months in Holland. During this time, the boy wrote six sonatas and one symphony. The family returned home only at the end of 1766.
Here, in Austria, Wolfgang was already perceived as a composer, and he was given orders to write all kinds of solemn marches, laudatory songs, minuets.

From 1770 to 1774, the composer traveled several times to Italy, where he wrote such famous operas:

• "Mithridates, king of Pontus";
• "Ascanius in Alba";
• "Scipio's Dream";
• Lucius Sulla.

At the peak of the musical path

In 1778, Mozart's mother died of a fever. And in the next 1779 in Salzburg he was hired as a court organist, he had to write music for Sunday church singing. But the ruling Archbishop of Colloredo at that time was stingy by nature and not too receptive to music, so the relationship between him and Mozart did not work out initially. Wolfgang did not tolerate a bad attitude towards himself, quit his job and left for Vienna. It was 1781.

In the autumn of 1782, Mozart married Constance Weber. His father categorically did not take this marriage seriously, it seemed to him that Constance was getting married according to some subtle calculation. In marriage, a young married couple had six children, but only two remained alive - Franz Xaver Wolfgang and Karl Thomas.

Father Leopold did not want to accept Constance. Soon after the wedding, the young people went to visit him, but this did not help him get closer to his daughter-in-law. Constance was also coldly received by Mozart's sister, which offended Wolfgang's wife to the core. She was never able to forgive them until the end of her life.

Mozart's musical career reached its peak. He really was at the zenith of fame, he received large fees for his musical compositions, he had many students. In 1784, with his wife, they settled in a luxurious apartment, where they even allowed themselves to keep all the necessary servants - a hairdresser, a cook, a maid.

By the end of 1785, Mozart had completed one of his most famous operas, The Marriage of Figaro. The premiere took place in Vienna. The opera was well received by the audience, but it was impossible to call the premiere grandiose. But in Prague, this work was a stunning success. Mozart was invited to Prague for Christmas 1786. He went with his wife, where they were given a very warm welcome, the spouses constantly went to parties, dinners and other social events. Thanks to such popularity, Mozart got a new order for an opera based on the play Don Giovanni.

In the spring of 1787, his father, Leopold Mozart, died. Death shocked the young composer so much that many critics agree that this pain and sadness runs through the entire work of Don Juan. In autumn, Wolfgang and his wife returned to Vienna. He got a new apartment and a new position. Mozart was recruited as an imperial chamber musician and composer.

Last creative years

Gradually, however, the public began to lose interest in Mozart's works. The play Don Giovanni staged in Vienna was a complete failure. While the rival of Wolfgang, the composer Salieri, the new play "Aksur, King of Armuz" was a success. Only 50 ducats received for "Don Juan" put Wolfgang's financial situation to a standstill. The wife, exhausted by constant childbirth, needed treatment. I had to change housing, in the suburbs it was much cheaper. The situation became deplorable. Especially when Constance had to be sent to Baden on the recommendation of doctors to treat a leg ulcer.

In 1790, when his wife was once again on treatment, Mozart went on a journey, as once in his childhood, in the hope of earning at least some money to pay off his creditors. However, he returned home with negligible fees from his concerts.

At the very beginning of 1791, Wolfgang's music began to rise. He composed a lot of dances and concertos for piano and orchestra, quintets and E-bimole majors, symphonies and operas "The Mercy of Titus" and "The Magic Flute", he also wrote a lot of sacred music, and in the last year of his life he worked on "Requiem ".

Illness and death

In 1791, Mozart's condition worsened very much, fainting often occurred. On November 20, he fell ill from weakness, his legs and arms swelled to such an extent that it was impossible to move them. All the senses were sharpened. Mozart ordered even his beloved canary to be removed, as he could not bear her singing. He barely restrained himself from tearing off his shirt. She interfered with his body. Doctors recognized that he had rheumatic inflammatory fever, as well as kidney failure and articular rheumatism.

In early December, the composer's condition became critical. From his body began to emanate such a stench that it was impossible to be with him in the same room. December 4, 1791 Mozart died. He was buried in the third category. The coffin was supposed to be, but the grave was common, for 5-6 people. At that time, only very rich people and representatives of the nobility had a separate grave.

On January 27, 1756, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born. He was born in the beautiful city of Salzburg. The boy had a talent for music when he was still small. Then my father taught me to play the violin and organ.

By the age of seventeen, he had already traveled enough cities in Europe and had more than 17 works to his credit.

Musical creativity

From 1775 to 1780 Mozart worked fruitfully. His works are beginning to be in great demand.

Having married Constance, he slightly changed the sound of his compositions. This is evidenced by the opera "The Abduction from the Seraglio". She is completely and completely blown by the spirit of romance.

Some of the works remained unfinished, as the difficult financial situation forced him to earn extra money, and not write works. He gave private performances in narrow aristocratic circles.

At the peak of his popularity, Mozart wrote his most famous operas.

Mozart is offered to lead a chapel in Vienna in 1789, but he refuses, which in turn exacerbates his financial disadvantage.

Last days

Mozart in November 1791 became very ill, so much so that he could not get out of bed. He passed away on December 5, 1791. The exact cause of death remains a mystery, even today. He was buried in Austria - the city of Vienna.

Biography by dates and interesting facts. The most important.

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P. I. Tchaikovsky admitted in one of his diaries that no one managed to make him tremble with delight and cry, to feel so close to the ideal, as Mozart did. Only through his works did he realize

Wolfgang Mozart. Biography: childhood

The great composer does not owe his talent to his mother, Maria Anna. But Leopold Mozart - father - was a teacher, violinist and organist. Of the seven children in this family, only Wolfgang's older sister and himself survived. At first, the father was engaged in playing the clavier with his daughter, who showed musical talent. The boy always sat nearby and amused himself by picking up tunes. The father noticed this. And in a playful way he began to engage with his son. At the age of five, the boy already freely composed plays, and at six he performed very complex works. Leopold was not against music, but he wanted his son's life to be more prosperous and interesting than his. He decided to go with the children on tour with performances.

Brief Biography of Mozart: Concert Journey

First they visited Vienna, Munich, then other European cities. After triumphant performances in London for a year, they received an invitation to Holland. The audience was amazed by the boy's virtuosity on the harpsichord, organ and violin. The concerts lasted from four to five hours and, of course, were very tiring, especially since the father continued the education of his son. In 1766, the illustrious family returned to Salzburg, but the rest was short. The musicians began to envy the boy and treat the 12-year-old genius as a real rival. The father decided that only in Italy the talent of his son could be appreciated. This time they went together.

Mozart biography briefly: stay in Italy

Concerts of already 14-year-old Wolfgang in major cities of the country were held with tremendous success. In Milan, he received an order for the opera Mithridates, King of Pontus, which he performed brilliantly. For the first time, the Bologna Academy elected such a young composer as its member. All the operas, symphonies and other works of Wolfgang written during his stay in this country testify to how deeply he was imbued with the peculiarities of Italian music. The father was sure that now the fate of his son would be arranged. But with all the success, finding a job in Italy did not work. The local nobility was wary of the originality of his talent.

Mozart biography in brief: return to Salzburg

The native city met the travelers rather unfriendly. The old count died, and his son turned out to be a cruel, domineering man. He humiliated and oppressed Mozart. Without his knowledge, Wolfgang could not participate in concerts, he was obliged to write only church music and small works for entertainment. When the young man was already 22 years old, he hardly got a vacation. And with his mother he went to Paris, hoping that his talent would be remembered there. But this attempt also failed. In addition, in the French capital, unable to withstand the hardships, the composer's mother died. Mozart returned to Salzburg and spent two more painful years there. And this at a time when his new opera "Idomeneo, King of Crete" was triumphant in Munich. Her success strengthened Wolfgang in his decision not to return to a dependent position. The archbishop did not sign his letter of resignation, but despite this, the composer left for Vienna. In this city he lived until his last days.

Mozart's biography in brief: life in Vienna

Shortly after the move, Wolfgang married Constanza Weber. To do this, he had to take the girl away from home in August 1782, since neither his father nor her mother gave consent to the marriage. At first, life in Vienna was difficult. But the success of The Abduction from the Seraglio again opened the doors of the salons and palaces of the city's nobility to the composer. At this time, he managed to get acquainted with many famous musicians, make connections. This was followed by the operas "Marriage of Figaro" and "Don Giovanni", which had varying success. Simultaneously with the "Magic Flute" Wolfgang composed by order of one count and "Requiem". However, the last composer did not have time to finish writing. This was done using drafts by Süssmeier, a student of Mozart.

Amadeus Mozart. Biography: recent years

Wolfgang died for a reason unknown to this day in December 1791. Many musicians still support the legend that the composer was poisoned by Salieri. But there are no documents left, even indirectly confirming this version. His orphaned family was so impoverished that they had no money for a decent funeral. Mozart was buried in a common grave. Where exactly he was buried has not been established.

Amadeus

en.wikipedia.org

Biography

Mozart was born on January 27, 1756 in Salzburg, then the capital of the Salzburg Archbishopric, now this city is located on the territory of Austria. On the second day after his birth, he was baptized in the Cathedral of St. Rupert. An entry in the baptismal book gives his name in Latin as Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus (Gottlieb) Mozart. In these names, the first two words are the name of St. John Chrysostom, which is not used in everyday life, and the fourth during the life of Mozart varied: lat. Amadeus, German Gottlieb, Italian. Amadeo, which means "beloved of God." Mozart himself preferred to be called Wolfgang.

Mozart's musical abilities manifested themselves at a very early age, when he was about three years old. His father Leopold was one of the leading European music educators. His book "The Experience of a Solid Violin School" (German: Versuch einer grundlichen Violinschule) was published in 1756 - the year Mozart was born, went through many editions and was translated into many languages, including Russian. Father taught Wolfgang the basics of playing the harpsichord, violin and organ.

In London, the young Mozart was the subject of scientific research, and in Holland, where music was strictly banished during fasts, an exception was made for Mozart, since the clergy saw the finger of God in his extraordinary talent.

In 1762, Mozart's father took with his son and daughter Anna, also a wonderful harpsichord performer, an artistic journey to Munich and Vienna, and then to many other cities in Germany, Paris, London, Holland, Switzerland. Everywhere Mozart aroused surprise and delight, emerging victorious from the most difficult trials that were offered to him by people both knowledgeable in music and amateurs. In 1763 Mozart's first sonatas for harpsichord and violin were published in Paris. From 1766 to 1769, while living in Salzburg and Vienna, Mozart studied the works of Handel, Stradell, Carissimi, Durante and other great masters. By order of Emperor Joseph II, Mozart wrote the opera La Finta semplice (Italian: La Finta semplice) in a few weeks, but the members of the Italian troupe, into whose hands this work of the 12-year-old composer fell, did not want to perform the boy’s music, and their intrigues were so strong that his father did not dare to insist on the performance of the opera.

Mozart spent 1770-1774 in Italy. In 1771, in Milan, again with the opposition of theatrical impresarios, Mozart's opera Mithridates, King of Pontus (Italian: Mitridate, Re di Ponto) was staged, which was received by the public with great enthusiasm. With the same success, his second opera, Lucio Sulla (Lucius Sulla) (1772), was given. For Salzburg, Mozart wrote The Dream of Scipio (Italian: Il sogno di Scipione), on the occasion of the election of a new archbishop, 1772, for Munich - the opera La bella finta Giardiniera, 2 masses, offertory (1774). When he was 17 years old, among his works there were already 4 operas, several spiritual poems, 13 symphonies, 24 sonatas, not to mention the mass of smaller compositions.

In the years 1775-1780, despite worries about material support, a fruitless trip to Munich, Mannheim and Paris, the loss of his mother, Mozart wrote, among other things, 6 clavier sonatas, a concerto for flute and harp, a large symphony No. 31 in D-dur, nicknamed Parisian, several spiritual choirs, 12 ballet numbers.

In 1779, Mozart received a position as court organist in Salzburg (collaborated with Michael Haydn). On January 26, 1781, the opera Idomeneo was staged in Munich with great success. With "Idomeneo" begins the reform of lyric-dramatic art. In this opera, traces of the old Italian opera seria are still visible (a large number of coloratura arias, Idamante's part written for a castrato), but a new trend is felt in the recitatives and especially in the choirs. A big step forward is also seen in the instrumentation. During his stay in Munich, Mozart wrote the offertory "Misericordias Domini" for the Munich Chapel - one of the best examples of church music of the late 18th century. With each new opera, the creative power and novelty of Mozart's techniques manifested themselves brighter and brighter. The opera The Abduction from the Seraglio (German: Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail), commissioned by Emperor Joseph II in 1782, was received with enthusiasm and soon became widespread in Germany, where it was considered the first national German opera. It was written during Mozart's romantic relationship with Constance Weber, who later became his wife.

Despite the success of Mozart, his financial situation was not brilliant. Leaving the place of organist in Salzburg and using the meager bounties of the Viennese court, Mozart had to give lessons to provide for his family, compose country dances, waltzes and even pieces for wall clocks with music, play at the evenings of the Viennese aristocracy (hence his numerous piano concertos). The operas "L'oca del Cairo" (1783) and "Lo sposo deluso" (1784) remained unfinished.

In the years 1783-1785, 6 famous string quartets were created, which Mozart dedicated to Joseph Haydn, the master of this genre, and which he received with the greatest respect. His oratorio "Davide penitente" (Penitent David) belongs to the same time.

Since 1786, Mozart's unusually prolific and tireless activity begins, which was the main cause of his health disorder. An example of the incredible speed of composition is the opera The Marriage of Figaro, written in 1786 in 6 weeks and, nevertheless, striking in its mastery of form, perfection of musical characteristics, and inexhaustible inspiration. In Vienna, The Marriage of Figaro went almost unnoticed, but in Prague it aroused extraordinary enthusiasm. No sooner had Mozart's co-author Lorenzo da Ponte finished the libretto of The Marriage of Figaro than he had to hurry with the libretto of Don Giovanni, which Mozart wrote for Prague, at the composer's request. This great work, which has no analogues in the art of music, was released in 1787 in Prague and was even more successful than The Marriage of Figaro.

Much less success fell to the lot of this opera in Vienna, which generally treated Mozart colder than other centers of musical culture. The title of court composer with a content of 800 florins (1787) was a very modest reward for all the works of Mozart. Nevertheless, he was attached to Vienna, and when in 1789, having visited Berlin, he received an invitation to become the head of the court chapel of Frederick William II with a content of 3 thousand thalers, he still did not dare to leave Vienna.

However, many scholars of Mozart's life claim that he was not offered a place at the Prussian court. Frederick William II only commissioned six simple piano sonatas for his daughter and six string quartets for himself. Mozart did not want to admit that the trip to Prussia was a failure, and pretended that Friedrich Wilhelm II invited him to the service, but out of respect for Joseph II, he refused the place. The order received in Prussia gave his words the appearance of truth. There was little money made during the trip. They were barely enough to pay the debt of 100 guilders, which were taken from the brother of the Mason Hofmedel for travel expenses.

After Don Giovanni, Mozart composed the 3 most famous symphonies: No. 39 in E flat major (KV 543), No. 40 in G minor (KV 550) and No. 41 in C major Jupiter (KV 551), written within a month and a half in 1788; of these, the last two are especially famous. In 1789, Mozart dedicated a string quartet with a concert cello part (D major) to the Prussian king.

After the death of Emperor Joseph II (1790), Mozart's financial situation turned out to be so hopeless that he had to leave Vienna from the persecution of creditors and improve his business with an artistic journey. Mozart's last operas were "Cosi fan tutte" (1790), "The Mercy of Titus" (1791), containing wonderful pages, despite the fact that it was written in 18 days for the coronation of Emperor Leopold II, and finally, "Magic flute ”(1791), which was a tremendous success, spreading extremely quickly. This opera, modestly called an operetta in old editions, together with The Abduction from the Seraglio, served as the basis for the independent development of the national German opera. In the vast and varied activities of Mozart, opera occupies the most prominent place. In May 1791, Mozart entered an unpaid position as assistant bandmaster of St. Stephen's Cathedral, hoping to take the place of bandmaster after the death of the seriously ill Leopold Hoffmann; Hoffmann, however, outlived him.

A mystic by nature, Mozart worked a lot for the church, but he left few great examples in this area: except for "Misericordias Domini" - "Ave verum corpus" (KV 618), (1791) and the majestically woeful Requiem (KV 626), on which Mozart tirelessly, with special love, worked in the last days of his life. The history of writing the Requiem is interesting. Shortly before Mozart's death, a certain mysterious stranger in all black visited and ordered him a "Requiem" (a funeral mass for the dead). As the composer's biographers established, it was Count Franz von Walsegg-Stuppach, who decided to pass off the purchased work as his own. Mozart plunged into work, but the bad premonitions did not leave him. A mysterious stranger in a black mask, the "black man" stands relentlessly before his eyes. It begins to seem to the composer that he is writing this funeral mass for himself... The work on the unfinished Requiem, which to this day shocks the audience with mournful lyricism and tragic expressiveness, was completed by his student Franz Xaver Süssmeier, who previously took part in composing the opera Titus' Mercy.

Mozart died on December 5 at 00-55 in the morning in 1791 from an unspecified illness. His body was found swollen, soft and elastic, as happens with poisoning. This fact, as well as some other circumstances related to the last days of the great composer's life, gave researchers grounds to defend this particular version of the cause of his death. Mozart was buried in Vienna, in the cemetery of St. Mark in a common grave, so the burial place itself remained unknown. In memory of the composer, on the ninth day after his death in Prague, with a huge gathering of people, 120 musicians performed Antonio Rosetti's Requiem.

Creation

A distinctive feature of Mozart's work is an amazing combination of strict, clear forms with deep emotionality. The uniqueness of his work lies in the fact that he not only wrote in all the forms and genres that existed in his era, but also left works of enduring significance in each of them. Mozart's music reveals many links with different national cultures (especially Italian), nevertheless, it belongs to the national Viennese soil and bears the stamp of the creative individuality of the great composer.

Mozart is one of the greatest melodists. Its melody combines the features of Austrian and German folk songs with the melodiousness of the Italian cantilena. Despite the fact that his works are distinguished by poetry and subtle grace, they often contain melodies of a courageous nature, with great dramatic pathos and contrasting elements.

Mozart attached particular importance to opera. His operas represent a whole epoch in the development of this type of musical art. Along with Gluck, he was the greatest reformer of the genre of opera, but unlike him, he considered music to be the basis of opera. Mozart created a completely different type of musical drama, where opera music is in complete unity with the development of stage action. As a result, in his operas there are no uniquely positive and negative characters, the characters are lively and multifaceted, the relationships between people, their feelings and aspirations are shown. The most popular operas were The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni and The Magic Flute.

Mozart paid great attention to symphonic music. Due to the fact that throughout his life he worked simultaneously on operas and symphonies, his instrumental music is distinguished by the melodiousness of an opera aria and dramatic conflict. The most popular were the last three symphonies - No. 39, No. 40 and No. 41 ("Jupiter"). Mozart also became one of the creators of the classical concerto genre.

Mozart's chamber and instrumental creativity is represented by a variety of ensembles (from duets to quintets) and works for piano (sonatas, variations, fantasies). Mozart abandoned the harpsichord and clavichord, which have a weaker sound compared to the piano. Mozart's piano style is distinguished by elegance, distinctness, careful finishing of melody and accompaniment.

The composer created many spiritual works: masses, cantatas, oratorios, as well as the famous Requiem.

The thematic catalog of Mozart's works, with notes, compiled by Köchel ("Chronologisch-thematisches Verzeichniss sammtlicher Tonwerke W. A. ​​Mozart?s", Leipzig, 1862), is a volume of 550 pages. According to Kechel's calculation, Mozart wrote 68 sacred works (masses, offertorias, hymns, etc.), 23 works for the theater, 22 sonatas for harpsichord, 45 sonatas and variations for violin and harpsichord, 32 string quartets, about 50 symphonies, 55 concertos and etc., a total of 626 works.

About Mozart

Perhaps there is no name in music before which mankind bowed so favorably, rejoiced and touched so much. Mozart is a symbol of music itself.
- Boris Asafiev

Incredible genius elevated him above all masters of all arts and all centuries.
- Richard Wagner

Mozart has no anguish, because he is above the anguish.
- Joseph Brodsky

His music is certainly not just entertainment, it sounds the whole tragedy of human existence.
- Benedict XVI

Works about Mozart

The drama of Mozart's life and work, as well as the mystery of his death, have become a fruitful topic for artists of all kinds of arts. Mozart became the hero of numerous works of literature, drama and cinema. It is impossible to list all of them - below are the most famous of them:

Drama. Plays. Books.

* “Little tragedies. Mozart and Salieri. - 1830, A. S. Pushkin, drama
* Mozart on his way to Prague. - Eduard Mörike, story
* Amadeus. — Peter Schaeffer, play.
* "Several meetings with the late Monsieur Mozart". - 2002, E. Radzinsky, historical essay.
* The Murder of Mozart. - 1970 Weiss, David, novel
* "Sublime and earthly". - 1967 Weiss, David, novel
* Old Chef. - K. G. Paustovsky
* "Mozart: the sociology of one genius" - 1991, Norbert Elias, a sociological study of the life and work of Mozart in the conditions of contemporary society. Original Title: Mozart. Zur Sociologie eines Genies»

Movies

* Mozart and Salieri - 1962, dir. V. Gorikker, in the role of Mozart I. Smoktunovsky
* Little tragedy. Mozart and Salieri - 1979, dir. M. Schweitzer as Mozart V. Zolotukhin, I. Smoktunovsky as Salieri
* Amadeus - 1984, dir. Milos Forman as Mozart T. Hals
* Enchanted by Mozart - 2005 documentary, Canada, ZDF, ARTE, 52 min. dir. Thomas Wallner and Larry Weinstein
* Famous art historian Mikhail Kazinik about Mozart, the film "Ad Libitum"
* Mozart is a two-part documentary. It was broadcast on September 21, 2008 on the Rossiya channel.
* "Little Mozart" is a children's animated series based on the real biography of Mozart.

Musicals. rock operas

*Mozart! - 1999, music: Sylvester Levay, libretto: Michael Kunze
* Mozart L "Opera Rock - 2009, creators: Albert Cohen / Dove Attia, as Mozart: Mikelangelo Loconte

Computer games

* Mozart: Le Dernier Secret (The Last Secret) - 2008, developer: Game Consulting, publisher: Micro Application

Artworks

operas

* "The Duty of the First Commandment" (Die Schuldigkeit des ersten Gebotes), 1767. Theatrical oratorio
* "Apollo and Hyacinth" (Apollo et Hyacinthus), 1767 - student musical drama in Latin text
* “Bastien and Bastienne” (Bastien und Bastienne), 1768. Another student thing, a singspiel. German version of the famous comic opera by J.-J. Rousseau - "The Village Sorcerer"
* “The Feigned Simple Girl” (La finta semplice), 1768 - an exercise in the opera-buff genre on the libretto by Goldoni
* "Mithridates, King of Pontus" (Mitridate, re di Ponto), 1770 - in the tradition of the Italian opera seria, based on the tragedy of Racine
* "Ascanio in Alba" (Ascanio in Alba), 1771. Opera-serenade (pastoral)
* Betulia Liberata, 1771 - oratorio. Based on the story of Judith and Holofernes
* "The Dream of Scipio" (Il sogno di Scipione), 1772. Opera-serenade (pastoral)
* "Lucio Sulla" (Lucio Silla), 1772. Opera series
* "Thamos, King of Egypt" (Thamos, Konig in Agypten), 1773, 1775. Music for Gebler's drama
* "The Imaginary Gardener" (La finta giardiniera), 1774-5 - again a return to the traditions of opera buff
* "The Shepherd King" (Il Re Pastore), 1775. Opera-serenade (pastoral)
* Zaide, 1779 (reconstructed by H. Chernovin, 2006)
* "Idomeneo, King of Crete" (Idomeneo), 1781
* The Abduction from the Seraglio (Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail), 1782. Singspiel
* "Cairo Goose" (L'oca del Cairo), 1783
* "Deceived spouse" (Lo sposo deluso)
* "Director of the Theater" (Der Schhauspieldirektor), 1786. Musical comedy
* "The Marriage of Figaro" (Le nozze di Figaro), 1786. The first of 3 great operas. In the genre of opera buff.
* "Don Giovanni" (Don Giovanni), 1787
* “So do everyone” (Cosi fan tutte), 1789
* "The Mercy of Titus" (La clemenza di Tito), 1791
* The Magic Flute (Die Zauberflote), 1791. Singspiel

Other works

* 17 masses, including:
* "Coronation", KV 317 (1779)
* "Great Mass" C-moll, KV 427 (1782)

* "Requiem", KV 626 (1791)

* about 50 symphonies, including:
* "Parisian" (1778)
* No. 35, KV 385 "Haffner" (1782)
* No. 36, KV 425 "Linzskaya" (1783)
* No. 38, KV 504 "Prague" (1786)
* No. 39, KV 543 (1788)
* No. 40, KV 550 (1788)
* No. 41, KV 551 "Jupiter" (1788)
* 27 concertos for piano and orchestra
* 6 concertos for violin and orchestra
* Concerto for two violins and orchestra (1774)
* Concerto for violin and viola and orchestra (1779)
* 2 concertos for flute and orchestra (1778)
* No. 1 in G major K. 313 (1778)
* No. 2 in D major K. 314
* Concerto for oboe and orchestra in D major K. 314 (1777)
* Concerto for clarinet and orchestra in A major K. 622 (1791)
* Concerto for bassoon and orchestra in B flat major K. 191 (1774)
* 4 concertos for horn and orchestra:
* No. 1 in D major K. 412 (1791)
* No. 2 in E flat major K. 417 (1783)
* No. 3 in E flat major K. 447 (between 1784 and 1787)
* No. 4 in E-flat major K. 495 (1786) 10 serenades for string orchestra, including:
* "Little Night Serenade" (1787)
* 7 divertissements for orchestra
* Various brass ensembles
* Sonatas for various instruments, trios, duets
* 19 piano sonatas
* 15 cycles of variations for piano
* Rondo, fantasies, plays
* Over 50 arias
* Ensembles of choirs, songs

Notes

1 All about Oscar
2 D. Weiss. "Sublime and Earthly" is a historical novel. M., 1992. P. 674.
3 Lev Gunin
4 Levik B.V. “Musical Literature of Foreign Countries”, vol. 2. - M.: Music, 1979 - p.162-276
5 Mozart: Catholic, Master Mason, favorite of the pope

Literature

* Abert G. Mozart: Per. with him. M., 1978-85. T. 1-4. Ch. 1-2.
* Weiss D. Sublime and earthly: A historical novel about the life of Mozart and his time. M., 1997.
* Chigareva E. Mozart's operas in the context of the culture of his time. M.: URSS. 2000
* Chicherin G. Mozart: Research study. 5th ed. L., 1987.
* Steinpress B.S. The last pages of Mozart's biography // Steinpress B.S. Essays and etudes. M., 1980.
* Schuler D. If Mozart kept a diary… Translated from Hungarian. L. Balova. Publishing house Kovrin. Printing house Athenaum, Budapest. 1962.
* Einstein A. Mozart: Personality. Creativity: Per. with him. M., 1977.

Biography

Mozart was born on January 27, 1756 in Salzburg, Austria, and at baptism received the names Johann Chrysostom Wolfgang Theophilus. Mother - Maria Anna, nee Pertl, father - Leopold Mozart, composer and theorist, since 1743 - violinist in the court orchestra of the Salzburg Archbishop. Of the seven Mozart children, two survived: Wolfgang and his older sister Maria Anna. Both brother and sister had brilliant musical abilities: Leopold began giving his daughter harpsichord lessons when she was eight years old, and the Notebook with light pieces composed by her father in 1759 for Nannerl was then useful when teaching little Wolfgang. At the age of three, Mozart picked up thirds and sixths on the harpsichord, at the age of five he began to compose simple minuets. In January 1762, Leopold took his miracle children to Munich, where they played in the presence of the Bavarian elector, and in September - to Linz and Passau, from there along the Danube - to Vienna, where they were received at court, in the Schönbrunn Palace, and twice received a reception from Empress Maria Theresa. This journey marked the beginning of a series of concert tours that continued for ten years.

From Vienna, Leopold and his children moved along the Danube to Pressburg, where they stayed from December 11 to 24, and then returned to Vienna by Christmas Eve. In June 1763, Leopold, Nannerl and Wolfgang began the longest of their concert tours: they did not return home to Salzburg until the end of November 1766. Leopold kept a travel diary: Munich, Ludwigsburg, Augsburg and Schwetzingen, the summer residence of the Elector of the Palatinate. August 18 Wolfgang gave a concert in Frankfurt. By this time, he had mastered the violin and played it freely, although not with such phenomenal brilliance as on keyboard instruments. In Frankfurt, he performed his violin concerto, among those present in the hall was the 14-year-old Goethe. Brussels and Paris followed, where the family spent the entire winter between 1763 and 1764. The Mozarts were received at the court of Louis XV during the Christmas holidays in Versailles and throughout the winter enjoyed great attention in aristocratic circles. At the same time, Wolfgang's four violin sonatas were first published in Paris.

In April 1764 the family went to London and lived there for over a year. A few days after their arrival, the Mozarts were solemnly received by King George III. As in Paris, the children gave public concerts during which Wolfgang demonstrated his amazing abilities. Composer Johann Christian Bach, a favorite of London society, immediately appreciated the enormous talent of the child. Often, putting Wolfgang on his knees, he played sonatas with him on the harpsichord: they played in turn, each for several bars, and did this with such accuracy that it seemed as if one musician was playing. In London, Mozart composed his first symphonies. They followed the patterns of the gallant, lively and energetic music of Johann Christian, who became the boy's teacher, and demonstrated an innate sense of form and instrumental color. In July 1765, the family left London and went to Holland, in September Wolfgang and Nannerl suffered severe pneumonia in The Hague, after which the boy recovered only by February. Then they continued their tour: from Belgium to Paris, then to Lyon, Geneva, Bern, Zurich, Donaueschingen, Augsburg and finally to Munich, where the elector again listened to the miracle child play and was amazed at the success he had made. As soon as they returned to Salzburg, on November 30, 1766, Leopold began to make plans for the next trip. It began in September 1767. The whole family arrived in Vienna, where at that time a smallpox epidemic was raging. The illness overtook both children in Olmutz, where they had to stay until December. In January 1768 they reached Vienna and were again received at court. Wolfgang at that time wrote his first opera, The Imaginary Simple Girl, but its production did not take place due to the intrigues of some Viennese musicians. At the same time, his first great mass for choir and orchestra appeared, which was performed at the opening of the church at the orphanage in front of a large and friendly audience. By order, a trumpet concerto was written, unfortunately not preserved. On the way home to Salzburg, Wolfgang performed his new symphony, K. 45a", in the Benedictine monastery in Lambach.

The purpose of the next trip planned by Leopold was Italy - the country of opera and, of course, the country of music in general. After 11 months of study and preparation for the trip in Salzburg, Leopold and Wolfgang began the first of three trips across the Alps. They were absent for over a year, from December 1769 to March 1771. The first Italian journey turned into a chain of continuous triumphs - for the pope and the duke, for King Ferdinand IV of Naples and for the cardinal and, most importantly, for the musicians. Mozart met with Niccolò Piccini and Giovanni Battista Sammartini in Milan, with Niccolò Iomelli and Giovanni Paisiello, who headed the Neapolitan opera school, in Naples. In Milan, Wolfgang received a commission for a new opera seria to be performed during the carnival. In Rome, he heard the famous Miserere Gregorio Allegri, which he then wrote down from memory. Pope Clement XIV received Mozart on July 8, 1770 and awarded him the Order of the Golden Spur. While studying counterpoint in Bologna with the famous teacher Padre Martini, Mozart began work on a new opera, Mithridates, King of Pontus. At Martini's urging, he underwent an examination at the famous Bologna Philharmonic Academy and was accepted as a member of the academy. The opera was successfully shown at Christmas in Milan. Wolfgang spent the spring and early summer of 1771 in Salzburg, but in August father and son went to Milan to prepare the premiere of the new opera Ascanius in Alba, which was a success on 17 October. Leopold hoped to convince Archduke Ferdinand, for whose wedding a festivity was organized in Milan, to take Wolfgang into his service, but by a strange coincidence, Empress Maria Theresa sent a letter from Vienna, where she expressed her dissatisfaction with the Mozarts in strong terms, in particular, she called their "useless family". Leopold and Wolfgang were forced to return to Salzburg, unable to find a suitable job for Wolfgang in Italy. On the very day of their return, December 16, 1771, Prince-Archbishop Sigismund, who was kind to the Mozarts, died. He was succeeded by Count Hieronymus Colloredo, and for his inaugural celebrations in April 1772, Mozart composed a "dramatic serenade" of "The Dream of Scipio". Colloredo accepted the young composer into service with an annual salary of 150 guilders and gave permission to travel to Milan, Mozart undertook to write a new opera for this city, but the new archbishop, unlike his predecessor, did not tolerate the Mozarts' long absences and was not inclined to admire them. art. The third Italian journey lasted from October 1772 to March 1773. Mozart's new opera, Lucius Sulla, was performed the day after Christmas 1772, and the composer received no further opera commissions. Leopold tried in vain to enlist the patronage of the Grand Duke of Florence, Leopold. Having made several more attempts to arrange his son in Italy, Leopold realized his defeat, and the Mozarts left this country, never to return there again. For the third time, Leopold and Wolfgang tried to settle in the Austrian capital; they remained in Vienna from mid-July to the end of September 1773. Wolfgang had the opportunity to get acquainted with the new symphonic works of the Viennese school, especially the dramatic symphonies in minor keys by Jan Wahnhal and Joseph Haydn, the fruits of this acquaintance are evident in his symphony in G minor, “K. 183". Forced to stay in Salzburg, Mozart devoted himself entirely to composition: at this time, symphonies, divertissements, works of church genres, as well as the first string quartet appeared - this music soon provided the author with a reputation as one of the most talented composers in Austria. Symphonies created in late 1773 - early 1774, "K. 183", "K. 200", "K. 201", are distinguished by a high dramatic integrity. A short break from the Salzburg provincialism he hated was given to Mozart by an order from Munich for a new opera for the carnival of 1775: the premiere of The Imaginary Gardener was a success in January. But the musician almost did not leave Salzburg. A happy family life to some extent compensated for the boredom of Salzburg everyday life, but Wolfgang, who compared his current situation with the lively atmosphere of foreign capitals, gradually lost patience. In the summer of 1777, Mozart was dismissed from the service of the archbishop and decided to seek his fortune abroad. In September, Wolfgang and his mother traveled through Germany to Paris. In Munich, the elector refused his services; on the way, they stopped at Mannheim, where Mozart was greeted friendly by local orchestra members and singers. Although he did not get a place at the court of Karl Theodor, he lingered in Mannheim: the reason was his love for the singer Aloysia Weber. In addition, Mozart hoped to make a concert tour with Aloisia, who had a magnificent coloratura soprano, he even went with her secretly to the court of the Princess of Nassau-Weilburg in January 1778. Leopold initially believed that Wolfgang would go to Paris with a company of Mannheim musicians, letting his mother go back to Salzburg, but when he heard that Wolfgang was in love with no memory, he strictly ordered him to immediately go to Paris with his mother.

The stay in Paris, which lasted from March to September 1778, turned out to be extremely unsuccessful: on July 3, Wolfgang's mother died, and the Parisian court circles lost interest in the young composer. Although Mozart successfully performed two new symphonies in Paris and Christian Bach arrived in Paris, Leopold ordered his son to return to Salzburg. Wolfgang delayed the return as long as he could, and especially lingered in Mannheim. Here he realized that Aloysia was completely indifferent to him. It was a terrible blow, and only the terrible threats and entreaties of his father forced him to leave Germany. Mozart's new symphonies in G major, K. 318", in B flat major, "K. 319", in C major, "K. 334" and instrumental serenades in D major, "K. 320" are marked by crystal clarity of form and orchestration, richness and subtlety of emotional nuances and that special cordiality that put Mozart above all Austrian composers, with the possible exception of Joseph Haydn. In January 1779, Mozart resumed his duties as organist at the archbishop's court with an annual salary of 500 guilders. Church music, which he was obliged to compose for Sunday services, is much higher in depth and variety than what he had previously written in this genre. The "Coronation Mass" and "Mass of the Celebration" in C major, "K. 337". But Mozart continued to feel hatred for Salzburg and the archbishop, and therefore gladly accepted the offer to write an opera for Munich. "Idomeneo, King of Crete" was staged at the court of Elector Karl Theodor, his winter residence was in Munich, in January 1781. Idomeneo was a magnificent result of the experience acquired by the composer in the previous period, mainly in Paris and Mannheim. The choral writing is especially original and dramatic. At that time, the Salzburg archbishop was in Vienna and ordered Mozart to immediately go to the capital. Here, the personal conflict between Mozart and Colloredo gradually assumed threatening proportions, and after the resounding public success of Wolfgang in a concert given in favor of the widows and orphans of Viennese musicians on April 3, 1781, his days in the service of the archbishop were numbered. In May, he submitted his resignation, and on June 8 he was put out the door. Against the will of his father, Mozart married Constanze Weber, the sister of his first lover, and the mother of the bride managed to get very favorable terms from Wolfgang in a marriage contract, to the anger and despair of Leopold, who showered his son with letters, begging him to change his mind. Wolfgang and Constanta were married in the Vienna Cathedral of St. Stephen on August 4, 1782. And although Constanta was as helpless in money matters as her husband, their marriage, apparently, turned out to be a happy one. In July 1782, Mozart's opera "The Abduction from the Seraglio" was staged at the Vienna Burgtheater, it was a significant success, and Mozart became the idol of Vienna, not only in court and aristocratic circles, but also among concertgoers from the third estate. Within a few years, Mozart reached the pinnacle of fame; life in Vienna prompted him to a variety of activities, composing and performing. He was in great demand, tickets for his concerts (the so-called academies), distributed by subscription, sold out completely. For this occasion, Mozart composed a series of brilliant piano concertos. In 1784, Mozart gave 22 concerts in six weeks. In the summer of 1783, Wolfgang and his fiancee paid a visit to Leopold and Nannerl in Salzburg. On this occasion, Mozart wrote his last and best mass in C minor, "K. 427", which was not finished. The Mass was performed on 26 October at the Salzburg Peterskirche, with Constanza singing one of the soprano solo parts. Constanta, apparently, was a good professional singer, although her voice was in many ways inferior to the voice of her sister Aloysia. Returning to Vienna in October, the couple stopped in Linz, where the Linz Symphony appeared, K. 425". In February of the following year, Leopold paid a visit to his son and daughter-in-law in their large Viennese apartment near the cathedral. This beautiful house has survived to our time, and although Leopold could not get rid of his dislike for Constanza, he admitted that his son's affairs as a composer and performer were going very well. By this time, the beginning of many years of sincere friendship between Mozart and Joseph Haydn dates back. At a quartet evening at Mozart's in the presence of Leopold, Haydn, turning to his father, said: "Your son is the greatest composer of all whom I personally know or have heard of." Haydn and Mozart had a significant influence on each other; as for Mozart, the first fruits of this influence are evident in the cycle of six quartets which Mozart dedicated to a friend in a famous letter in September 1785.

In 1784, Mozart became a Freemason, which left a deep imprint on his philosophy of life. Masonic ideas can be traced in a number of Mozart's later compositions, especially in The Magic Flute. In those years, many well-known scientists, poets, writers, musicians in Vienna were members of Masonic lodges, including Haydn, Freemasonry was also cultivated in court circles. As a result of various operatic and theatrical intrigues, Lorenzo da Ponte, the court librettist, heir to the famous Metastasio, decided to work with Mozart in opposition to the clique of the court composer Antonio Salieri and da Ponte's rival, the librettist of the abbot Casti. Mozart and da Ponte began with Beaumarchais's anti-aristocratic play The Marriage of Figaro, by which time the ban had not yet been lifted from the German translation of the play. With the help of various tricks, they managed to obtain the necessary permission from the censors, and on May 1, 1786, The Marriage of Figaro was shown for the first time at the Burgtheater. Although later this Mozartian opera was a huge success, it was soon superseded by Vicente Martin y Soler's new opera The Rare Thing when it was first staged. Meanwhile, in Prague, Figaro's Marriage gained exceptional popularity, melodies from the opera sounded in the streets, and arias from it were danced in ballrooms and in coffee houses. Mozart was invited to conduct several performances. In January 1787, he and Constanta spent about a month in Prague, and it was the happiest time in the life of the great composer. The director of the opera company, Bondini, ordered him a new opera. It can be assumed that Mozart himself chose the plot - the old legend of Don Giovanni, the libretto was to be prepared by none other than da Ponte. The opera Don Giovanni was first performed in Prague on October 29, 1787.

In May 1787, the composer's father died. This year generally became a milestone in the life of Mozart, with regard to its external flow and the composer's state of mind. His reflections were increasingly colored by deep pessimism; forever gone are the brilliance of success and the joy of youth. The peak of the composer's journey was the triumph of Don Giovanni in Prague. After returning to Vienna at the end of 1787, Mozart began to pursue failures, and at the end of his life - poverty. The production of Don Giovanni in Vienna in May 1788 ended in failure: Haydn alone defended the opera at the reception after the performance. Mozart received the position of court composer and bandmaster of Emperor Joseph II, but with a relatively small salary for this position, 800 guilders per year. The Emperor knew little about the music of both Haydn and Mozart. About the works of Mozart, he said that they were "not in the taste of the Viennese." Mozart had to borrow money from Michael Puchberg, his fellow Masonic. In view of the hopelessness of the situation in Vienna, the documents confirming how soon the frivolous Viennese forgot their former idol make a strong impression, Mozart decided to make a concert trip to Berlin, April - June 1789, where he hoped to find a place for himself at the court of the Prussian king Frederick William II. The result was only new debts, and an order for six string quartets for His Majesty, who was a decent amateur cellist, and six clavier sonatas for Princess Wilhelmina.

In 1789, the health of Constanta, then Wolfgang himself, deteriorated, and the financial situation of the family became simply threatening. In February 1790, Joseph II died, and Mozart was not sure that he could keep his post as court composer under the new emperor. The celebrations for the coronation of Emperor Leopold were held in Frankfurt in the autumn of 1790, and Mozart went there at his own expense, hoping to attract the attention of the public. This performance, the "Coronation" clavier concerto, "K. 537”, took place on October 15, but did not bring any money. Returning to Vienna, Mozart met with Haydn; the London impresario Zalomon came to invite Haydn to London, and Mozart received a similar invitation to the English capital for the next winter season. He wept bitterly as he saw Haydn and Salomon off. “We will never see each other again,” he repeated. The previous winter, he invited only two friends, Haydn and Puchberg, to rehearsals of the opera “That's the way everyone does it”.

In 1791, Emanuel Schikaneder, a writer, actor and impresario, an old acquaintance of Mozart, commissioned him a new opera in German for his Freihaustheater in the Viennese suburb of Wieden, and in the spring Mozart began work on The Magic Flute. At the same time, he received an order from Prague for the coronation opera, The Mercy of Titus, for which Mozart's student Franz Xaver Süssmeier helped write some colloquial recitatives. Together with a student and Constanza, Mozart went to Prague in August to prepare a performance, which was held without much success on September 6, later this opera was very popular. Mozart then hastily left for Vienna to complete the Magic Flute. The opera was performed on 30 September, and at the same time he completed his last instrumental composition, the Clarinet Concerto in A major, “K. 622". Mozart was already ill when, under mysterious circumstances, a stranger came to him and ordered a requiem. It was the manager of Count Walsegg-Stuppach. The count commissioned a composition in memory of his dead wife, intending to perform it under his own name. Mozart, confident that he was composing a requiem for himself, feverishly worked on the score until his strength left him. On November 15, 1791, he completed the Little Masonic Cantata. Constanza was at that time being treated in Baden and hastily returned home when she realized how serious her husband's illness was. On November 20, Mozart fell ill and a few days later felt so weak that he took communion. On the night of December 4-5, he fell into a delusional state and, in a semi-conscious state, imagined himself playing the timpani in the "Day of Wrath" from his own unfinished requiem. It was almost one in the morning when he turned his back to the wall and stopped breathing. Constanța, broken by grief and without any means, had to agree to the cheapest funeral service in the chapel of the Cathedral of St. Stephen. She was too weak to accompany the body of her husband on a long journey to the cemetery of St. Mark, where he was buried without any witnesses other than gravediggers, in a pauper's grave, the location of which was soon hopelessly forgotten. Süssmeier completed the requiem and orchestrated large unfinished text fragments left by the author. If during the life of Mozart his creative power was realized only by a relatively small number of listeners, then already in the first decade after the death of the composer, the recognition of his genius spread throughout Europe. This was facilitated by the success that The Magic Flute had with a wide audience. The German publisher André acquired the rights to most of Mozart's unpublished works, including his wonderful piano concertos and all of his later symphonies, none of which were printed during the composer's lifetime.

In 1862, Ludwig von Köchel published a catalog of Mozart's works in chronological order. From this time on, the titles of the composer's works usually include the Koechel number, just as the works of other authors usually contain the opus designation. For example, the full title of Piano Concerto No. 20 would be: Concerto No. 20 in D minor for Piano and Orchestra, or "K. 466". The Kochel index has been revised six times. In 1964, Breitkopf & Hertel, Wiesbaden, Germany, published a profoundly revised and expanded Köchel index. It includes many works for which the authorship of Mozart has been proven and which were not mentioned in earlier editions. The dates of the compositions are also specified in accordance with the data of scientific research. In the 1964 edition, changes were made to the chronology, and, consequently, new numbers appeared in the catalog, but Mozart's compositions continue to exist under the old numbers of the Koechel catalog.

Biography

The biography of the great composer confirms the well-known truth: the facts are absolutely meaningless. With facts, you can prove any fiction. What the world does with the life and death of Mozart. Everything is described, read, published. And still they say: "He did not die a natural death - he was poisoned."

divine gift

King Midas from ancient myth received a wonderful gift from the god Dionysus - everything he did not touch turned into gold. Another thing is that the gift turned out to be a trick: the unfortunate almost starved to death and, accordingly, begged for mercy. The insane gift was returned to God - in myth it's easy. But if a real person is given an equally spectacular gift, only musical, what then?

Here Mozart received from the Lord a chosen gift - all the notes he touched turned into musical gold. The desire to criticize his work is doomed to failure in advance: after all, it would not occur to you to say that Shakespeare did not succeed as a playwright. Music that stands above all criticism, written without a single false note! Any genres and forms were available to Mozart in composition: operas, symphonies, concertos, chamber music, sacred works, sonatas (over 600 in total). Once the composer was asked how he always manages to write such perfect music. “I don’t know how else,” he replied.

However, he was also a great "golden" performer. How can one not remember that his concert career began on the "stool" - at the age of six, Wolfgang played his own compositions on a tiny violin. On tour organized by his father in Europe, he delighted the audience by playing four hands together with his sister Nannerl on the harpsichord - then it was a novelty. On the basis of the melodies proposed by the public, he composed great plays right there on the spot. People could not believe that this miracle happens without any preparation, and arranged for the kid all sorts of tricks, for example, covering the keyboard with a piece of cloth, waiting for him to get into a mess. No problem - the golden child solved any musical puzzles.

Having retained to death his cheerful disposition as an improviser, he often surprised his contemporaries with his musical jokes. Let me give you just one famous anecdote as an example. Once, at a dinner party, Mozart made a bet to his friend Haydn that he would not immediately play an etude composed by him. If he doesn't win, he'll give his friend half a dozen champagnes. Finding the topic easy, Haydn agreed. But suddenly, already playing, Haydn exclaimed: “How can I play this? Both my hands are busy playing passages at different ends of the piano, and meanwhile, at the same time I have to take notes in the middle keyboard - this is impossible! “Let me,” said Mozart, “I will play.” Having reached a seemingly technically impossible place, he bent down and pressed the necessary keys with his nose. Haydn was snub-nosed and Mozart was long-nosed. Those present "sobbed" with laughter, and Mozart won champagne.

At the age of 12, Mozart composed his first opera and by this time he had also become an excellent conductor. The boy was small in stature, and it was probably amusing to watch how he found a common language with the orchestra members, whose age exceeded his own three or more times. He again stood on a “stool”, but the professionals obeyed him, realizing that they had a miracle in front of them! In fact, it will always be like this: musical people did not hide their enthusiasm, they recognized the divine gift. Was Mozart's life easier from this? To be born a genius is wonderful, but his life would probably be much easier if he was born like everyone else. But ours is not! Because we wouldn't have his divine music.

Everyday ups and downs

The little musical "phenomenon" was deprived of a normal childhood, endless travels, associated at that time with terrible inconveniences, shook his health. All further musical work required the highest effort: after all, he had to play and write at any time of the day or night. More often at night, although the music always sounded in his head, and this was noticeable by the way he was absent-minded in communication, and often did not react to the conversations around him. But, despite the fame and adoration of the public, Mozart was constantly in need of money and accumulated debts. As a composer, he made good money, however, he did not know how to save. Partly because he was distinguished by his love of entertainment. He arranged luxurious dance evenings at home (in Vienna), bought a horse, a billiard table (he was a very good player). Fashionably and expensively dressed. Family life also required large expenses.

The last eight years of life have become generally a continuous "money nightmare". Constance's wife was pregnant six times. Children were dying. Only two boys survived. But the health of the woman herself, who married Mozart at the age of 18, was seriously shaken. He was forced to pay for her treatment at expensive resorts. At the same time, he did not allow himself any concessions, although they were necessary. He worked harder and harder, and the last four years have been the time of creating the most brilliant works, the most joyful, bright and philosophical: the operas Don Giovanni, The Magic Flute, Titus' Mercy. The last one was written in 18 days. For most musicians, it would take twice as long to transcribe those notes! It seemed that he instantly responded to all the blows of fate with music of wondrous beauty: Concerto No. 26 - Coronation; the 40th symphony (undoubtedly the most famous), the 41st "Jupiter" - with a triumphantly sounding finale - a hymn to life; "Little Night Serenade" (last No. 13) and dozens of other works.

And all this against the backdrop of depression and paranoia that took possession of him: it seemed to him that he was being poisoned with a slow-acting poison. Hence the appearance of the legend of poisoning - he himself launched it into the light.

And then they ordered Requiem. Mozart saw some kind of omen in this and laboriously worked on it until his death. I finished only 50% and did not consider it the main business of my life. The work was completed by his student, but this unevenness of the idea can be heard in the work. Therefore, the Requiem is not included in the list of the best works of Mozart, although it is passionately loved by the listeners.

Truth and slander

His death was terrible! At the age of just 35 years old, his kidneys failed. His body swelled up and began to smell awful. He suffered madly, realizing that he was leaving his wife and two tiny children with debts. On the day of death, they say, Constanza went to bed next to the deceased, hoping to catch a contagious disease and die with him. Did not work out. The next day, a man rushed at the unfortunate woman with a razor and wounded one man, whose wife, allegedly, was pregnant by Mozart. It was not true, but all sorts of gossip was crawling around Vienna, and this man committed suicide. They remembered Salieri, who intrigued around the appointment of Mozart to a good position at court. Many years later, Salieri died in an insane asylum, plagued by allegations of Mozart's murder.

It is clear that Constance could not attend the funeral, and later this became the main accusation for all her sins and dislike for Wolfgang. The rehabilitation of Constance Mozart happened quite recently. The slander that she was an incredible spender was removed. Numerous documents report, on the contrary, the prudence of a business woman who is ready to selflessly defend her husband's work.

Slander is indifferent to nonentities, and, having grown old, gossip becomes legends and myths. Especially when the biographies of the greats are taken up by no less great ones. Genius against genius - Pushkin against Mozart. He grabbed the gossip, romantically rethought it and made it the most beautiful artistic myth, torn into quotes: “Genius and villainy are incompatible”, “I don’t find it funny when the painter is worthless / I get Raphael’s Madonna dirty”, “You, Mozart, are God and you don’t know it yourself " and so on. Mozart became a recognizable hero of literature, theater, and later cinema, eternal and modern, a “man from nowhere” not tamed by society, an undergrown chosen boy ...

Biography

Mozart (Mozart) Wolfgang Amadeus (January 27, 1756, Salzburg - December 5, 1791, Vienna), Austrian composer. Among the greatest masters of music, M. stands out for the early flowering of a powerful and all-round talent, the unusual life fate - from the triumphs of a child prodigy to the difficult struggle for existence and recognition in adulthood, the unprecedented courage of the artist, who preferred the unsecured life of an independent master to the humiliating service of a despot nobleman, and and, finally, the comprehensive value of creativity, covering almost all genres of music.

M. was taught to play musical instruments and compose by his father, the violinist and composer L. Mozart. From the age of 4, M. played the harpsichord, from 5-6 years old he began to compose (at 8-9 years old, M. created the first symphonies, and at 10-11 - the first works for musical theater). In 1762, M. and his sister, the pianist Maria Anna, began touring in Austria, then in England and Switzerland. M. acted as a pianist, violinist, organist, singer. In 1769-77 he served as an accompanist, in 1779-81 as an organist at the court of the Salzburg prince-archbishop. Between 1769 and 1774 made three trips to Italy; in 1770 he was elected a member of the Philharmonic Academy in Bologna (he took composition lessons from the head of the academy, Padre Martini), and received the order of the spur from the pope in Rome. In Milan, M. conducted his opera Mithridates, King of Pontus. By the age of 19, the composer was the author of 10 musical stage works: the theatrical oratorio The Duty of the First Commandment (1st part, 1767, Salzburg), the Latin comedy Apollo and Hyacinth (1767, Salzburg University), the German Singspiel Bastien and Bastienne (1768, Vienna), the Italian opera buffa The Feigned Simple Girl (1769, Salzburg) and The Imaginary Gardener (1775, Munich), the Italian opera series Mithridates and Lucius Sulla (1772, Milan), opera serenades (pastoral) Ascanius in Alba (1771, Milan), The Dream of Scipio (1772, Salzburg) and The Shepherd King (1775, Salzburg); 2 cantatas, many symphonies, concertos, quartets, sonatas, etc. Attempts to get a job in any significant musical center or Paris were unsuccessful. In Paris, M. wrote music for the pantomime J. J. Nover "Trinkets" (1778). After staging the opera "Idomeneo, King of Crete" in Munich (1781), M. broke with the archbishop and settled in Vienna, earning his livelihood through lessons and academies (concerts). A milestone in the development of the national musical theater was M.'s singspiel The Abduction from the Seraglio (1782, Vienna). In 1786, the premieres of M.'s small musical comedy The Theater Director and the opera The Marriage of Figaro, based on a comedy by Beaumarchais, were premiered. After Vienna, "The Marriage of Figaro" was staged in Prague, where it met with an enthusiastic reception, as did M.'s next opera, "The Punished Libertine, or Don Giovanni" (1787). From the end of 1787, M. was a chamber musician at the court of Emperor Joseph with the duty to compose dances for masquerades. As an opera composer M. was not successful in Vienna; only once did M. manage to write music for the Vienna Imperial Theater - a cheerful and elegant opera "They are all like that, or the School of Lovers" (otherwise - "All Women Do This", 1790). The opera "Mercy of Titus" on an antique plot, timed to coincide with the coronation celebrations in Prague (1791), was received coldly. M.'s last opera, The Magic Flute (Viennese Suburban Theatre, 1791), found recognition among the democratic public. The hardships of life, poverty, illness brought the tragic end of the composer's life closer, he died before reaching 36 years old, and was buried in a common grave.

M. - a representative of the Viennese classical school, his work - the musical pinnacle of the 18th century, the brainchild of the Enlightenment. The rationalistic principles of classicism were combined in it with the influences of the aesthetics of sentimentalism, the Sturm und Drang movement. Excitement and passion are just as characteristic of M.'s music, as are endurance, will, and high organization. In M.'s music, the grace and tenderness of the gallant style are preserved, but the mannerisms of this style are overcome, especially in mature works. M.'s creative thought is focused on an in-depth expression of the spiritual world, on a truthful display of the diversity of reality. With equal force in the music of M., a feeling of the fullness of life, the joy of being - and the suffering of a person experiencing the oppression of an unjust social system and passionately striving for happiness, for joy are conveyed. Sorrow often reaches tragedy, but a clear, harmonious, life-affirming structure prevails.

M.'s operas are a synthesis and renewal of previous genres and forms. The supremacy in the opera M. gives music - the vocal beginning, the ensemble of voices and symphony. At the same time, he freely and flexibly subordinates the musical composition to the logic of dramatic action, individual and group characteristics of the characters. In his own way, M. developed some of the techniques of the musical drama of KV Gluck (in particular, in Idomeneo). Based on the comic and partly "serious" Italian opera, M. created the opera-comedy "The Marriage of Figaro", which combines lyricism and fun, liveliness of action and completeness in the depiction of characters; the idea of ​​this social opera is the superiority of people from the people over the aristocracy. The opera-drama ("jolly drama") "Don Giovanni" combines comedy and tragedy, fantastic conventionality and everyday reality; the hero of an old legend, the Seville seducer, embodies vital energy, youth, freedom of feeling in the opera, but strong moral principles oppose the self-will of the individual. The national fairy-tale opera The Magic Flute continues the traditions of the Austro-German Singspiel. Like The Abduction from the Seraglio, it combines musical forms with spoken dialogue and is based on German text (most of M.'s other operas are written in Italian libretto). But her music is enriched with various genres - from opera arias in the styles of opera buffa and opera seria to chorale and fugue, from a simple song to Masonic musical symbols (the plot is inspired by Masonic literature). In this work, M. glorified brotherhood, love and moral stamina.

Starting from the classical norms of symphonic and chamber music developed by I. Haydn, M. improved the structure of the symphony, quintet, quartet, sonata, deepened and individualized their ideological and figurative content, introduced dramatic tension into them, sharpened internal contrasts and strengthened the stylistic unity of the sonata-symphony cycle (later Haydn took a lot from M.). An essential principle of Mozart's instrumentalism is expressive cantability (melodiousness). Among the symphonies of M. (about 50), the last three (1788) are the most significant - a cheerful symphony in E-flat major, combining sublime and everyday images, a pathetic symphony in G minor filled with sorrow, tenderness and courage, and a majestic, emotionally multifaceted symphony in C major, which was later given the name "Jupiter". Among the string quintets (7), the quintets in C major and G minor (1787) stand out; among string quartets (23) - six dedicated to "father, mentor and friend" I. Haydn (1782-1785), and three so-called Prussian quartets (1789-90). The chamber music of M. includes ensembles for various compositions, including those with the participation of piano and wind instruments.

M. - the creator of the classical form of the concerto for a solo instrument with an orchestra. Having retained the broad accessibility inherent in this genre, M.'s concertos acquired a symphonic scope and a variety of individual expression. The concertos for piano and orchestra (21) reflected the brilliant skill and inspired, melodious manner of performance of the composer himself, as well as his high art of improvisation. M. wrote one concerto for 2 and 3 pianos and orchestra, 5 (6?) Concertos for violin and orchestra and a number of concertos for various wind instruments, including the Symphony Concerto with 4 solo wind instruments (1788). For his performances, and partly for his students and acquaintances, M. composed piano sonatas (19), rondos, fantasies, variations, works for piano 4 hands and 2 pianos, sonatas for piano and violin.

The everyday (entertaining) orchestral and ensemble music of M. has great aesthetic value - divertissements, serenades, cassations, nocturnes, as well as marches and dances. A special group is his Masonic compositions for orchestra ("Masonic Funeral Music", 1785) and choir and orchestra (including "Little Masonic Cantata", 1791), akin to the "Magic Flute". Church choral compositions and church sonatas with organ M. wrote mainly in Salzburg. The Vienna period includes two major unfinished works - the Mass in C minor (parts written were used in the cantata The Penitent David, 1785) and the famous Requiem, one of M.'s deepest creations (ordered anonymously in 1791 by Count F. Walsegg-Stuppach; completed by a student of M. . - composer F. K. Zyusmayr).

M. was among the first who created classical examples of chamber songs in Austria. Many arias and vocal ensembles with an orchestra have survived (almost all in Italian), comic vocal canons, 30 songs for voice and piano, including "Violet" to the words of J. V. Goethe (1785).

True fame came to M. after his death. The name M. has become a symbol of the highest musical talent, creative genius, the unity of beauty and truth of life. The enduring value of Mozart's creations and their enormous role in the spiritual life of mankind are emphasized by the statements of musicians, writers, philosophers, scientists, starting with J. Haydn, L. Beethoven, J. W. Goethe, E. T. A. Hoffmann and ending with A. Einstein, GV Chicherin and modern masters of culture. "What depth! What courage and what harmony!" - this well-aimed and capacious characteristic belongs to A. S. Pushkin ("Mozart and Salieri"). Admiration for the "luminous genius" was expressed by P. I. Tchaikovsky in a number of his musical compositions, including the orchestral suite "Mozartiana". Mozart societies exist in many countries. In Mozart's homeland, Salzburg, a network of Mozart memorial, educational, research, and educational institutions has been set up, headed by the Mozarteum International Institution (founded in 1880).

Catalog of works M.: ochel L. v. (edited by A. Einstein), Chronologischthematisches Verzeichnis samtlicher Tonwerke. A. Mozarts, 6. Aufl., Lpz., 1969; in another, more complete and corrected edition - 6. Aufl., hrsg. von. Giegling, A. Weinmann and G. Sievers, Wiesbaden, 1964 (7 Aufl., 1965).

Cit.: Briefe und Aufzeichnungen. Gesamtausgabe. Gesammelt von. A. Bauer und. E. Deutsch, auf Grund deren Vorarbeiten erlautert von J. . Eibl, Bd 1-6, Kassel, 1962-71.

Lit .: Ulybyshev A. D., A new biography of Mozart, trans. from French, vols. 1-3, M., 1890-92; Korganov V. D., Mozart. Biographical study, St. Petersburg, 1900; Livanova T.N., Mozart and Russian musical culture, M., 1956; Chernaya E. S., Mozart. Life and work, (2nd ed.), M., 1966; Chicherin G.V., Mozart, 3rd ed., L., 1973; Wyzewa. de et Saint-Foix G. de, . A. Mozart, t. 1-2, ., 1912; continued: Saint-Foix G. de, . A. Mozart, t. 3-5, ., 1937-46; Abert., . A. Mozart, 7 Aufl., TI 1-2, Lpz., 1955-56 (Register, Lpz., 1966); Deutsch. E., Mozart. Die Dokumente seines Lebens, Kassel, 1961; Einstein A, Mozart. Sein Charakter, sein Werk, ./M., 1968.

B. S. Steinpress.