Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

By Tom Kirvan

Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most prolific composers in history, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart displayed an early talent for music, which prompted his father to teach him the harpsichord at the age of 5. By the time he was 11, the “boy wonder” had composed his first opera, “Apollo et Hyacinthus.”

Born in Salzburg, Austria on January 27, 1756, Mozart was seemingly destined to be a musical genius, possessing an absolute ear and an eidetic memory that allowed him to remember a vast quantity of sounds, images, and objects in their smallest detail.

Over the course of his brief, 35-year life, Mozart produced more than 600 musical works in virtually every classical genre, including famous operas like “The Marriage of Figaro” and “Don Giovanni,” 41 symphonies, and numerous piano concertos and sonatas. His works have transcended time, and have been long admired for their melodic beauty, sophistication, and rich expression. His last symphony, “Jupiter,” was perhaps his most famous and was completed just three years before his death in 1791.

“The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between,” said Mozart, who left a profound and enduring legacy on Western music.

“To talk well and eloquently is a very great art, but an equally great one is to know the right moment to stop,” he noted.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Of his musical brilliance, Mozart said that it did not come naturally, but instead was the product of dedication and hard work.

“It is a mistake to think that the practice of my art has become easy to me,” Mozart wrote. “I assure you, dear friend, no one has given so much care to the study of composition as I. There is scarcely a famous master in music whose works I have not frequently and diligently studied.”