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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

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Lifespan:
January 27, 1756 - December 5, 1791, he died aged 35 and was Austrian.
Birthname:
Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart.
Snapshot:
An Artist with 1514 releases, and credited 322 times on others' music. 956 collaborations and 3 musical relatives.

Biography

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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a prolific classical composer whose work, including the operas The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, Cosi Fan Tutte and The Magic Flute stands among the most enduringly admired of all classical music.

Mozart wrote his own short works at the age of five and soon he and his sister were taken on a performing tour of the Courts of Europe. He took up the position of court musician, aged 16, in Salzburg. During his five years there he found limited opportunities for writing music and he eventually moved to Vienna.

Contemporary accounts suggest that his time in Vienna was like that of a modern rock star. He became the toast of the town, in demand as a performer and composer. The money that went with his new status allowed him to adopt a lavish lifestyle and stage concerts in unusual venues, which was considered daring for the time and ultimately crowd pleasing stuff.

His success saw his rise to chamber composer for Emperor Joseph II, a prestigious high-profile position which allowed him lots of time to take on private commissions. Perhaps as a result of his opulent lifestyle or, as some suggest, the depressive side of 'genius', Mozart's prolific composing rate decreased, as did his public appearances. When the Austro-Turkish war broke out, there was less money to spend on luxuries, and having Mozart compose a tune or play at a party was something few could afford. These events led to a downturn in Mozart's fortunes and left him with mounting debts.

An upturn in his career was met by a decline in his health, and even though he was able to write more music, including The Magic Flute and La Clemenza di Tito, illness was overtaking him. Mozart died in 1791, leaving behind over 600 compositions from his 30-year writing career.

Pictures

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Getty Images

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Wolfgang A. Mozart Getty Images

Wolfgang A. Mozart

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Engraved Portrait Of Mozart Getty Images

Engraved Portrait Of Mozart

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Wikipedia Public Domain

Wikipedia Public Domain

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Wolfgang Mozart Getty Images

Wolfgang Mozart

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Mozart as Knight of the Golden Spur Getty Images

Mozart as Knight of the Golden Spur

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Mozart As Child Getty Images

Mozart As Child

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Getty Images

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Music

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Genres

Chamber Music, Classical, Opera, Ballet, Choral, Glam Rock, Progressive Rock, Spirituality, Christian, Classical Orchestra, Classical; Piano; Orchestral. Vote on Genres
Collaborations, Groups and Family
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In the News

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Aug, 20 2009

If the seven weeks (and counting) wait to find out what caused the death of Michael Jackson is still playing on your mind, be assured that you won't have to wait for an explanation as long as Mozart fans have had to wait. 218 years after Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's unexplained death in 1791, researchers in Amsterdam, Holland believe that they've finally uncovered the most likely scenario. Mozart's final illness, which saw him develop rashes, fever, fatigue and swelling, was previously suggested to be rheumatic fever, the effects of a deliberate poisoning by a rival composer, or trichinosis, a parasitic disease caused by eating undercooked pork. The newest theory says that it was a sore throat. "Our findings suggest that Mozart fell victim to an epidemic of strep throat infection that was contracted by many Viennese people in Mozart's month of death, and that Mozart was one of several persons in that epidemic that developed a deadly kidney complication," Richard Zegers of the University of Amsterdam told Reuters. Strep throat is easily treatable now with penicillin pills, but they weren't developed until the mid-20th century.

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