Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Mozart: A Life in Letters

175627 January Mozart is born in Salzburg.

1761 Learns to play short keyboard pieces and composes his first work, the andante Kia.

1762 His father Leopold Mozart takes him and his elder sister, Nannerl, to perform for Elector Maximilian III Joseph of Bavaria in Munich, and for Emperor Francis I and Empress Maria Theresa in Vienna.

17636 The whole family tours modern-day Germany, France, England, Holland, Belgium and Switzerland, and the children perform for King Louis XV of France and King George III of Britain, among others. Composes several sonatas for keyboard and violin, symphonies andarias.

17678 Travels to Vienna where he composes symphonies, an opera buffa, La finta semplice, and a singspiel, Bastien und Bastienne.

1769 Appointedunpaidthirdconcertmaster in the Salzburg court music establishment.

176973 Travels three times to Italy with Leopold; composes the operas Mitridate, re di Ponto(1770) and Lucio Silla(1772) and two serenatas, Ascanio in Alba (1771) and Il sogno di Scipione (1772), several symphonies and his first string quartets (K80 and K155 160). Visits Vienna between mid-July and mid-September 1773; composes six string quartets (K168173).

1774 Travels to Munich in December for the premiere of his opera, La finta giardiniera.

17756 Remains in Salzburg; composes several serenades, four violin concertos, three piano concertos, divertimentos for strings and horns and the serenata, Il re pastore.

1777 Composes the piano concerto K271; resigns from Salzburg court service and travels with his mother, Maria Anna, to Munich, Augsburg and Mannheim, where he falls in love with the singer Aloysia Weber.

17789 Visits Paris where he composes several well-received works but fails to make significant professional headway; his mother dies on 3 July 1778. Returns unwillingly to Salzburg where he has been reappointed to court service as court and cathedral organist with increased pay. Is rejected by Aloysia. Composes the Paris symphony K297, the concerto for flute and harp K299, the keyboard and violin sonatas K301306 and the keyboard sonata K310.

177980 In Salzburg; composes symphonies, serenades, masses and other church works. Receives commission to write an opera seria for the Munich court theatre.

1781Idomeneo premieredin Munich on 29 January; called to Vienna, where he has a falling out with Archbishop Hieronymus Colloredo and is finally dismissed from court service on 8 June. Establishes himself as a freelance performer and composer; commissioned to write a German opera, Die Entfhrung aus dem Serail and publishes six keyboard and violin sonatas (K296, K376380).

1782Die Entfhrung performed on 16 July; marries Constanze Weber, Aloysias sister, on 4 August. Compositions include three piano concertos (K413415), the Haffner symphony K385 and a string quartet (K387).

1783 First child, Raimund Leopold, born but dies two months later; visits Salzburg with Constanze (JulyOctober). Composes Linz symphony K425, keyboardsonatas K330332, two string quartets (K421, 428).

1784 Gives numerous subscription and private concerts; joins Masonic lodge. Second child, Carl Thomas, is born. Composes six piano concertos (K449459), quintet for piano and winds K452, keyboard sonatas K333 andK457, and st ring quartet K458 (Hunt).

1785 Visit of Leopold Mozart to Vienna (FebruaryApril); Mozart gives successful concert series and performs at the Burgtheater. Compositions include the serenade for winds K361, the string quartets K464 and 465, three piano concertos (K466, 467 and 482), several songs, a piano quartet (K478) and a violin sonata (K481).

1786 Opera Le nozze di Figaro premieredat the Burgtheater on 1 May. Third child, Johann Thomas Leopold, is born and dies. Other compositions include three piano concertos (K488, 491 and 503); the Prague symphony K504, the Skittles trio K498, the Hoffmeister quartet K499 and the concert aria