Jack Goldstein - 101 Amazing Mozart Facts

Title Page

101 AMAZING MOZART FACTS

Jack Goldstein

Publisher Information

Published in 2013 by

Andrews UK Limited

www.andrewsuk.com

The right of Jack Goldstein to be identified as the Author of this Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1998

Copyright 2013 Jack Goldstein

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. Any person who does so may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

Disclaimer: All facts presented in this title were gained from common and reputable sources in print and on the internet. If any detail within this title is found to be incorrect, the author will be happy to publish a corrected version.

www.jackgoldsteinbooks.com

@GoldsteinBooks

Introduction

Do you want to know all of the important facts about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart? Amongst many other things, the legendary composer wrote over 600 works, was made a knight by the Pope, mastered more than twelve languages and wrote poems about rather unsavory subjects...

This easy-to-digest eBook gives you the information you need to know about Mozart in handily organised sections. Whether you are writing a history project on him or you just want to find out more about a man considered by many to be the worlds greatest composer, this pocket-sized fact-book is an easy way to get the information you want fast!

Biographical

1. Mozarts full baptismal name was Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart.
2. Later on in life however he became known as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Amadeus meaning Love of God.
3. Wolfgang was born on the 27 th of January 1756.
4. He died on the 5 th of December 1791 at the age of just 35.
5. His wife was called Constanze.
6. He married her on the 4 th of August 1782.
7. They had six children together.
8. Sadly, four of these died very young.
9. Mozart is one of the classical worlds most famous and prolific composers, with over 600 works to his name.
10. Many of his works are considered to be amongst the finest examples of their genre.

Early Life

1. Wolfgangs father was called Leopold Mozart.
2. His mothers name was Anna Maria.
3. Leopold was a music teacher and composer.
4. Wolfgang was the youngest of seven children.
5. Mozart surprised his family when at the age of three he started playing chords on the clavier (a type of piano).
6. In response to this, his father started teaching him to play simple music such as minuets.
7. By the time he was five, Mozart was already composing music on the clavier, which his father would write down for him.
8. At the age of six, Mozart performed music to royalty as a child prodigy alongside his sister, Maria Anna (known as Nannerl).
9. Over the next few years, just like rock bands today, Mozart went on tour, accompanied by his family.
10. He played in locations such as Mannheim, London, Paris and Munich.

Growing Up

1. At the age of thirteen, Mozart and his father travelled to Italy.
2. During this two-year trip, Mozart composed his first opera, Mitridate, re di Ponto .
3. The performance of this was a success, and over the next few years, Mozart returned to Italy to compose two further operas, Ascanio in Alba and Lucio Silla .
4. When Mozart finally returned from his Italian trips, he was employed as a court musician by Prince-Archbishop Hieronymus Colloredo, the ruler of Mozarts home town of Salzburg.
5. During this time, he composed a number of pieces including five violin concertos and a number of piano concertos.
6. One of these piano concertos, in E Flat, is considered by many to be the piece which first demonstrated Mozarts maturity and genius as a composer.
7. Although his music was widely praised, Mozart was unhappy with his position and wanted to gain a role further afield.
8. One of the reasons he longed for another job was that he was only earning 150 florins a year, a low salary (he believed) for a composer of his calibre.
9. He was particularly keen to compose more operas, but was not given the chance. Particularly annoying for him was the closure of Salzburgs court theatre in 1775.
10. It all became too much for him, and in 1777 he resigned from his job.

In Search of Work

1. Mozart travelled to France to search for satisfying work, a journey which lasted almost eighteen months.
2. He was offered the job of organist at the luxurious palace of Versailles, but was not interested in taking it.
3. Sadly, the journey proved to be expensive and Mozart starting pawning his valuables to fund his lifestyle.
4. His mother died on the 3 rd July 1778; due to Mozarts financial situation she did not receive the care that would have kept her alive.
5. Whilst Mozart was away searching for work, his father was also looking for jobs for him.
6. Unfortunately (for Wolfgang), Leopolds search focused on Salzburg!
7. Finally, Leopold succeeded in securing a job for Wolfgang as a court organist and concertmaster for his old boss Archbishop Colloredo.
8. This job would pay 450 florins a year - three times his previous wage.
9. Mozart wasnt keen to take up the role, and for a while still searched for opportunities in France.
10. They came to nothing however, and Mozart reluctantly returned to Salzburg at the start of 1779 to start his new job.

Oh Vienna

1. Only two years into his new job, Mozart seriously fell out with the Archbishop.
2. During a visit to Vienna, Wolfgang was offered the opportunity to perform in front of the new Emperor, Joseph II - and would have been paid a fee of almost 230 florins - half his yearly wage for one performance!
3. The Archbishop however denied him the opportunity and Mozart handed in his resignation.
4. Instead of allowing this straight away, the Archbishop actually dismissed him - by getting an assistant to kick Mozarts backside out of a door! It was too late for the one-off concert though.
5. Mozart decided to stay in Vienna rather than return to Salzburg and apologize.
6. Initially, he did exceptionally well; in addition to winning a competition in front of the Emperor for his musical ability, he became known as the finest keyboard player in the whole of Vienna.
7. He also fully established his reputation as a composer; his new opera Die Entfhrung aus dem Serail was written with German libretto and was soon performed throughout The Holy Roman Empire.
8. It was during this period that Mozart met his wife, Constanze. She was the younger sister of a woman called Aloysia whom he had previously had eyes for.
9. They married in 1782 in Viennas St Stephens Cathedral.
10. Amazingly, when they married, Mozart didnt have his fathers permission - something quite important at the time! Luckily for them, it arrived in the mail the day after the wedding...

A Successful Composer

1. After being praised by other composers of the time (such as Joseph Haydn) Mozart firmly established himself as a popular success.
2. In a reflection of some indie bands today, Mozart booked unusual (and often intimate) venues and premiered his latest works there to enraptured audiences.
3. For three years (between 1782 and 1785) Mozart was the hottest property in Vienna, with his piano concertos proving highly successful.
4. Money started flowing in, and Wolfgang began to live a life of comparative luxury.