Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: A genius with a quirky flair

Mozart grew up surrounded by music, rose to unimaginable heights with it, and died young. He was musically ahead of his time and pursued his path uncompromisingly.

Genius. Child prodigy. Pop star of his time. No superlative seems too grand to describe Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Even as a three-year-old, he took his sister's violin because he wanted to play himself. His father supported him as much as he could, planning a conventional career, but the lively boy developed a mind of his own. He wanted to escape the stuffy provinces and see the world. What was the source of his great achievement? 

The artistic superman he was long portrayed as was actually named Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart. Theophilus was initially called Gottlieb. Only from 1770 onward did he call himself Amadé – because it sounded better. The man didn't even reach the age of 36 and, in the 30 years he composed, created an almost uncountable number of works. He was also married to Constanze Weber, who bore him six children. Two of his sons reached adulthood. 

Not a particularly handsome person from Salzburg

Large nose, pockmarks. About 1.50 meters tall. Mozart, who always left the house wearing a wig, as was proper, with his brown, medium-length hair underneath, wasn't particularly attractive. But he was humorous, engaging, witty, and spirited. The aura of a superstar. And he knew how to party. "His life sometimes reminds me of Michael Jackson," says Elisabeth Albrecht, head of music education at the House of Music. "There are parallels. Both were eccentric, flamboyant, and extroverted. They had no childhood. And neither of them could handle money."

Born on January 27, 1756, in Salzburg, Mozart's life revolved around music, music, and more music from the very beginning. The child was incredibly talented. He composed his first piece at the age of five. His father, Leopold Mozart, himself a composer, taught his son and his sister Nannerl, who was equally talented but received less support. Mozart became a European sensation. Together with his sister, he performed in all the major cities – before bishops and rulers, even the Pope. People marveled at the young virtuoso. His piano playing was breathtaking. At 17, he traveled to Italy, where he further developed his skills and immersed himself in composing operas and other musical forms. A job as concertmaster and composer for the Archbishop of Salzburg, Colloredo, soon became too tedious for him – he wanted to do something new, to develop his full potential. To compose without limitations.

Innovative uncompromisingness

“With his high artistic standards, Mozart wasn’t the type for the kind of regular job that artists needed back then to be financially secure,” explains Albrecht. “He was incredibly innovative and approached his work with absolute uncompromising dedication.” Like the other great composers of the Viennese Classical period, he constantly had to accommodate the wishes of his paying patrons. A daily balancing act. But he managed to make a good living as a freelance artist. 

After moving to Vienna in 1781, a productive period began in which he composed numerous masterpieces, including operas such as "The Marriage of Figaro" and "Don Giovanni," symphonic works, chamber music, and piano concertos. He usually already had the melodies fully formed in his mind and simply had to notate his creations; corrections are virtually nonexistent in his scores.

A masterpiece – The Magic Flute

The way the performers interact in his operas, the way he directs the characters, is legendary. And he understood like no other how to compose his pieces specifically for the voices heard in them. Mozart's most famous opera is probably "The Magic Flute." A vocal spectacle.

Sarastro pushes the boundaries of a bass voice to their lowest notes. The Queen of the Night trills a high F. Mozart fused the genres of his time, interspersing hits and songs. He also introduced a thematic layer that, with allusions to Freemasonry, addressed the liberal tendencies of the era. For example, in Sarastro's realm, Tamino finds three temples, on whose gates are inscribed "Wisdom," "Reason," and "Nature"—important cornerstones of Freemasonry. Mozart himself was a member of a Masonic lodge, through which he also received commissions.

Preference for strong language

The genius, who was terrified of trumpets as a child, had no particular affinity for wind instruments. When he did compose for these instruments, they were usually occasional pieces or commissions. Mozart's oboe concerto and his flute concertos are among his most popular works.

Mozart was a fun-loving person who could also be frustrated. Sometimes completely exuberant, then again depressed. His penchant for strong language, which was relatively normal for the time, also became well-known. A bawdy rhyme can even be found in a short choral piece. The canon Bona nox! ends with the wish: "Good night, good night, shit in bed, so loud – good night, sleep well and stick your arse to your mouth."

Death before his worldwide success 

In his 35 years of life, Mozart undertook 17 journeys: in total, he spent more than 10 years traveling, or a third of his life. His father, Leopold, planned and organized all of these trips. A traveling piano always accompanied him. 

In the years leading up to his death, Mozart increasingly devoted himself to sacred music . His Requiem in D minor (K. 626), composed in 1791, is his last work. He died in Vienna on December 5, 1791, while composing it. He did not live to see the worldwide success of his opera "The Magic Flute," which had premiered in September. After his funeral service in St. Stephen's Cathedral, he was buried in an unmarked, communal grave in St. Marx Cemetery – in accordance with the reforms of the time. 

Mozart revolutionized classical music through his extraordinary ability to fuse melody, harmony, and structure in his works. He is still admired today for his virtuosity and creativity. His life, however, was not as easy and harmonious as his music.