It seems that by this time Nannerl’s professional music career was over. In December 1769, Mozart, then age 13, and his father departed from Salzburg for Italy, leaving his mother and sister at home. Frequently, Mozart and other members of his family fell seriously ill and had to limit their performance schedule. The trips were long and often arduous, traveling in primitive conditions and waiting for invitations and reimbursements from the nobility. Particularity important was his meeting with Johann Christian Bach (Johann Sebastian Bach's youngest son) in London who had a strong influence on Mozart. Mozart met a number of accomplished musicians and became familiar with their works. In 1762, Mozart’s father took Nannerl, now age eleven, and Wolfgang, age six to the court of Bavaria in Munich in what was to become the first of several European "tours." The siblings traveled to the courts of Paris, London, The Hague, and Zurich performing as child prodigies. He would soon go on to play the piano, organ and viola. Wolfgang soon showed signs of excelling beyond his father’s teachings with an early composition at age five and demonstrating outstanding ability on harpsichord and the violin. Recognizing their special talents, Leopold devoted much of his time to their education in music as well as other subjects. Fortunately, both children excelled well in these areas. He made the lessons fun, but also insisted on a strong work ethic and perfection. Leopold was a devoted and task-oriented teacher to both his children. Soon, he too was being tutored by his father. Mimicking her playing, Wolfgang quickly began to show a strong understanding of chords, tonality, and tempo. Leopold started Nannerl on keyboard when she was seven, as three-year old Wolfgang looked on. With their father’s encouragement and guidance, they both were introduced to music at an early age. His only sister was Maria Anna (nicknamed “Nannerl”). Wolfgang’s mother, Anna Maria Pertl, was born to a middle class family of local community leaders. Leopold was a successful composer, violinist, and assistant concert master at the Salzburg court. The small city-state of Salzburg would be the birthplace of one of the most talented and prodigious musical composers of all time.īorn on January 27, 1756, in Salzburg, Austria, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s was the sole-surviving son of Leopold and Maria Pertl Mozart. The music of the Renaissance and Baroque periods was transitioning toward more full-bodied compositions with complex instrumentation. Political leadership of small city-states like Salzburg, Vienna, and Prague was in the hands of the aristocracy and their wealth would commission artists and musicians to amuse, inspire, and entertain. The result was competing rivalries between these municipalities for identity and recognition. The remnants of the Holy Roman Empire had divided into small semi-self-governing principalities. Early LifeĬentral Europe in the mid-18th century was going through a period of transition. Over the years, Mozart aligned himself with a variety of European venues and patrons, composing hundreds of works that included sonatas, symphonies, masses, chamber music, concertos and operas, marked by vivid emotion and sophisticated textures. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a musician capable of playing multiple instruments who started playing in public at the age of 6.
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