WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART

WOLFGANG'S EARLY LIFE

• Born in Salzburg, Austria on January 27, 1756
• Father: Leopold Mozart; Mother: Maria Pertl Mozart; one older sister
• By age of 5, was proficient in multiple instruments, had begun composing pieces
• By age of 6, was touring and performing all around Europe, spent another two years touring Italy in his teens
• Would write his first opera and 5 violin concertos while in his teens

WOLFGANG'S ADULT LIFE

• Was summoned to Vienna in 1781, decided to settle there
• Married Constanze Weber, a marriage of love that his father disapproved of
• Had 6 children, only 2 would aurvive infancy
• Became criends and collaborators with many of the famous composers of his day, such as Joseph Haydn
• Held positions in the Viennese court on and off throufhour his adulthood

WOLFGANG'S LATER YEARS

• Would serve Emperor Joseph as Chamber composer
• Massive financial difficulties, especially in his later years
• Produced some of his greatest works in these years
• Dies on December 5, 1791 at age of 35
• Cause of death unknown, speculation regarding his health, possible poisoning by rival

MOZART'S ENLIGHTENMENT VALUES

• Isaac Kramnick on Mozart: few have captured rhe spirit of Enlightenment" as Mozart did
• Involvement with Freemasons impressed upon him vaues of hard work and intellectual develoment, fraternal bonds
• Was influenced by travels to England and France and exposed to ideals of independence and equality
• Also stimulated by Austria's "New Aristocracy" - young aristocrats who formed the intellectual milieu of Vienna
• As a result, he would "sever his obligations to the arcane hierarchy

MOZART'S OPERAS

• Operas were best medium for Mozart to portray Enlightenment values
• Operas explored themes such as social justice, morality, rigid social hierarchy
• Ideal most important to Mozart was the idea that one should get ahead due to ability not birth
• Also focused upon rhe idea of social contracts and their role in society
• Damous operas incluse The Marriage of Figaro, The Magic Flute, Don Giovanni, and Cosi Fan Tutte

THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO

• Highly reflective of Mozart's Enlightenment values
• Servants given central roles rather than used for comic relief
• Addresses themes of social justice: turns away from tradition because ir's against natural law
• Alien concept of marriage dor loce rather than as a business arrangement
• Emphasizes the need for moral code and rhe lack of ezxusal of rhe aristocracy for a lack of