What is the complete name of Mozart, the child prodigy from Salzburg? Where did he first perform in Vienna and when did his career as a freelance composer begin in Vienna? When and for how long did he live in the Mozart House?
Mozart’s birthplace is in Salzburg, but he spent the last ten years of his life in Vienna . One of his Viennese apartments, very centrally located at Domgasse No. 5 next to St. Stephen’s Cathedral , can still be visited today – the Mozart House. He stayed here from 1784-87 and composed, among other things, “Figaro’s Wedding” . That is why the house is also known as Figaro House .
The multi-story house provides insight into Mozart’s family life in Vienna. Here he lived the longest, paid the most, but was supposedly also the happiest . In 1782 he married Constanze Weber in St. Stephen’s Cathedral. With Constanze and the six children they had together (only two survived babyhood) he spent the best times in this house. On the second floor is the apartment, which consisted of four rooms, two cabinets and a kitchen .
Mozart’s life is depicted by means of pictures and documents, as few original objects have been preserved.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on January 27, 1756 , at Getreidegasse 9 in Salzburg , the youngest of the seven children of Leopold Mozart and Anna Maria (née Pertl). born The next day he was baptized with the name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart in the Salzburg Cathedral. He was often called Wolferl as a child and as an adult he liked to call himself “Amadé” in the French-Viennese way.
The high musical talent of the child prodigy from Salzburg became apparent at an early age. Together with his older sister Maria Anna, called “Nannerl”, he was taught and encouraged by his father. His first appearance in Vienna was in 1762 when he was 6 years old in the Hall of Mirrors at Schönbrunn, together with his sister Nannerl. Leopold Mozart reported on the further course of the visit to the empress in a letter to Salzburg: “Wolferl jumped onto the empress’s lap, got her around the neck and kissed her righteously.”
Numerous concert tours throughout Europe followed. First stops were Germany, France, Great Britain. Later there were longer trips to Italy and again and again he returned to Salzburg, where he was in the service of the prince archbishop Hieronymus Count Colloredo as concertmaster of the court orchestra. In the course of time, more and more tensions arose in the archbishop’s service. The break finally occurred through the famous “kick” which was given to him by the count’s emissary Count Arco in the Deutschordenshaus in Vienna .Thus Mozart was direttissima promoted to independence. The Deutschordenshaus is in the immediate vicinity of the Mozart House and Mozart lived there for about 6 weeks in the spring of 1781.
Thus Mozart’s career as a freelance composer began in Vienna in 1781. He gave piano lessons, played in concerts and composed for various clients. Together with Haydn and Beethoven , he founded the Viennese Classicism.
Around 1790 Mozart was at the peak of his career. He wrote the works “Cosi fan tutte”, “La Clemenza di Tito” and finally his best known and most famous work, the Singspiel “Die Zauberflöte”.
While working on the Requiem, Mozart fell seriously ill and died much too early on December 5, 1791, at the age of only 35, of “hietzigen Frieselfieber” . He was consecrated in St. Stephen’s Cathedral and buried in a shaft grave at the St. Marx cemetery , which was customary at the time. The exact location could not be determined later. Where there is a tombstone today is believed to be the approximate location of his remains.
Time Travel Tip:
The Mozarthaus traditionally offers free admission on Mozart’s birthday, which is January 27 . There are also combination tickets with surrounding attractions. There are also always great Mozart concerts or the house offers special rooms for special celebrations.
More info: Mozart Apartment – Mozarthaus Vienna
