When Mozart was four, he already had extraordinary powers of musical memory. His father, Leopold, a violinist and composer, realized that his son had a "gift." He signed the boy up for harpsichord lessons. At five, Mozart was already composing music. At six, he was a piano virtuoso. Leopold took his young son and his daughter on a performance tour of Germany the same year.
Mozart was the youngest of seven children. Only Mozart and one sister grew to adulthood. The other five children died.
Young Mozart was obsessed with music and spent most of his time composing and performing. People were in awe of his talent. By the time he'd reached his teens, he had mastered the harpsichord, piano and the violin. He was writing operas, keyboard pieces, symphonies and oratorios. In 1770, he performed his first major opera, "Mitridate"in Milan. The critics rave, comparing him to Handel.
At fifteen, Mozart was appointed concertmaster for the orchestra of the Archbishop of Salzburg. Mozart and the Archbishop didn't get along. In 1781, he gave up the position. He moved to Vienna against his father's wishes.
On August 4, 1782, Mozart married Constanze Weber. Her life was a hard one. She bore six children between 1783 and 1791. The first son died at the age of two month of an "intestinal cramp." Mozart and his wife were in Salzburg when he died.
Mozart spent very little time with his family. But went into a deep depression after Raimund's death. To worsen things, the family was virtually broke. Mozart wrote pitiful letters to family, friends and distant acquaintances asking for loans. Constanze was ill, suffering from malnutrition.
Through all of this, Mozart continued to compose masterpieces. In October of 1787, he produced "Don Giovonni." It has been hailed by critics as the greatest opera of all time. The performance was a huge success, met by thunderous applause and cheers from the audience. Unfortunately, Mozart was paid only one hundred florins for his work - a meager amount even at that time.
In 1788, Mozart composed his final three symphonies - # 39 in G-minor; # 40 in E-flat major and # 41 in C-major. These symphonies were composed within the period of two months.
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