20 Interesting Facts About Mozart

Mozart’s works are well-known to every student of music. His works are well-known and widely studied. They have also been performed and celebrated since his writing began at six years old. Like other geniuses, this gifted musician lived a turbulent and exciting life. Each generation that experiences his greatness can carry on his legacy. Explore more Facts About Mozart below!

Mozart’s life is full of amazing facts that are remarkably well-preserved, considering he lived in the Classical period. Even though he lived a short life, Mozart’s intelligence and intellect were immediately noticed, and he changed the world over his 35 years of existence.

These 20 incredible facts can help you understand his life and appreciate his musical genius.

Facts About Mozart

1. Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart was Christened. He was born in Salzburg, Austria, on January 27, 1756. The Holy Roman Empire was at the time part of this ecclesiastic Principality, and Mozart was a staunch Catholic.
2. His father, Leopold Mozart, a German native, was his father. He also composed music but was primarily a musician and pedagogue for the Prince-Archbishop. His violin textbook was well-received when published in the same year as Mozart’s birth.
3. Mozart was just three years old when he listened to his sister’s instructions on the clavier, a string keyboard instrument similar to the piano. He would strike thirds and be delighted by the mixing of pitches.
4. Mozart started his training at five years old. He could play the clavier with ease and was already composing small pieces of music. His father was his teacher, and he taught him languages and other academic subjects.
5. Six children were born to his parents, but only he and Maria Anna, nicknamed “Nannerl,” survived infancy.
6. Over 600 of his works were recorded in the “Kochel” and numbered according to their written order. K. 1-5, his earliest works, were written during childhood. They continue to his unfinished Requiem (K. 626).
7. He began performing in Europe with his father and family when he was seven years old (1762). Notable locations include Prague’s Imperial Court and Vienna and courts in Munich and Paris.
8. He was eight years old when his first symphony appeared.
9. During his years of family touring, he met various influential people, including J.C Bach, who he visited in London from 1763-to 1766.
10. Mozart was on a trip to Rome with his father and had heard Allegri’s Miserere at the Sistine Chapel. Mozart then transcribed the work from the ear, making an unauthorized copy guarded by the Vatican.
11. He returned from Italy in 1773 and achieved a lot of success. However, he felt overwhelmed by the salary of Prince-Archbishop Hieronymus, Colorado’s court musician, and resigned in 1777.
12. Mozart was encouraged to go back to his court post, but he wanted to change the course of his career and pursue a career independent from royal patronage.
13. His life was, like many artists, full of volatility. He experienced periods of success and enthusiasm but also times of despair and insolvency.
14. In 1770, Pope Clement XIV awarded him the Order of the Golden Spur, a papal order of knighthood bestowed upon individuals who have contributed to the glory of the Church. It was for his numerous religious compositions.
15. His financial woes engulfed his life towards the end of the 1780s. This limited his appearances. Maynard Solomon suggested that this period was one of deep depression for the gifted virtuoso.
16. He was very productive and on the right track to personal recovery in his last year (1791).
17. Although no one knows the cause of his death, many have speculated about it.
18. His lifelong rival, Antonio Salieri, claimed that Mozart had poisoned him, but this claim was never confirmed and is now believed to be false.
19. On November 20, 1791, his death caused a surge in his fame.
20. Joseph Haydn once said to Mozart’s father: “I tell you, before God, an honest man. Your son is the greatest composer I have ever known by person and reputation. He has a taste and, more, the greatest skill in composition.”

Also, read 19 Facts About Beethoven You Probably Didn’t Know