10 interesting facts from the life of Mozart

260 years ago, on January 27, 1756, the brilliant Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born. The musician worked in all musical forms of his time and had a huge impact on classical culture. He gave the world such immortal works as the operas Le nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni and The Magic Flute.

The life and work of Mozart are shrouded in dozens of mysteries that have not yet been solved. The most interesting facts from the life of a virtuoso musician, whose compositions are played on our online radio station "Classic Stars".

All members of the Mozart family were musically gifted

The great musician was gifted from birth. His father Leopold played the organ and violin and served as a composer at the court of the Salzburg archbishop.

In addition, he wrote a violin manual, which was considered one of the best at that time. The composer's brothers and sisters also played the harpsichord and piano very well. By the way, there were seven children in the Mozart family, but two managed to survive - Wolfgang and his older sister.

The young musician wrote his first concert at the age of 4

In his autobiography, a friend of the Mozart family, the Salzburg court trumpeter Shachtner Johann Andreas, wrote that he once came to visit his friend Leopold and saw his little son Wolfgang writing something on music paper with a pen and fingers. Later, the boy admitted that he was writing a concerto. When Leopold picked up the sheet, he wept at how clearly everything was folded.

Gave a concert during Lent

As a child, Wolfgang traveled to other countries with his concerts. In Holland, where he visited with his father, it was strictly forbidden to speak during fasting. But the local clergy made an exception for the musician - they saw God's gift in his talent.

Played on the same stage with the son of Johann Sebastian Bach

Wolfgang Amadeus managed to meet and even play a duet with the son of the great Johann Sebastian Bach, Johann Christian Bach. He put little Mozart on his knees and they played four hands. It seemed to the listeners that the work was performed by one person.

Played the harpsichord with my eyes closed

From early childhood, Mozart began to earn decent fees. Great attention of the public was attracted by his "blind" concerts. During the game, the father covered the face of the young genius with a handkerchief, but he still continued to play. By the way, once during one such performance, a cat came on stage. When the boy heard her meow, he stopped playing and rushed to the animal. According to eyewitnesses, he replied to his father’s shout that the harpsichord would not run away, but the cat would leave.

At the age of 12 he wrote an opera for the Roman emperor

The Roman emperor Joseph II commissioned Mozart's opera The Imaginary Simple Girl when the composer was only 12 years old. The musician composed the work in a few weeks, but its premiere did not take place.

Wolfgang Mozart was a Freemason

From 1784 until his death, the composer was a member of the Masonic organization, which enjoyed great influence in Europe. Mozart composed music for a number of rituals, and in the famous opera The Magic Flute, the theme of this movement is particularly pronounced.

secretly married

The composer was madly in love with Constance Weber. He wrote about his intention to marry a girl in a letter to his father, but he did not do his blessing. After several such unsuccessful messages, on August 4, 1782, under the patronage of Baroness von Waldstedten, he became engaged to his beloved in the St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna.

Loved to play billiards

Mozart expected noisy companies and regularly attended balls and masquerades. Billiards was his main hobby. His apartment had its own billiard table, which was a real luxury for Vienna at the time.

Died not at the hands of Salieri

For a long time it was believed that Mozart was poisoned by his close friend, the famous composer Antonio Salieri.

However, the musician had no reason for this, since at that time he was much more successful than Wolfgang. 200 years after Mozart's death, in 1997, a trial took place that found Antonio Salieri innocent of the composer's death.

By the way, the famous composer inspired his descendants to create TV shows, songs and even sweets. The mozartkugel chocolate treat in a red wrapper filled with marzipan was invented 100 years after Mozart's death by the Salzburg confectioner Paul Fürst.