Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart January 27, 1756 – December 5, 1791

Life Born Salzburg, Austria Child Prodigy –Piano at age 3 –Composing at age 5 –Taught by Father, Leopold (starting when Mozart was 6!) –Tours exhibiting children (sister Maria Anna) –Acquainted with other composers (including Bach’s children)

Life Salzburg ( ) –Employed by the Court –Very Popular –Discontent with job (Emperor didn’t like him) Vienna ( ) –Friendship with Haydn –Successful concerts, Financial stability at first –Popularity began to rise again with a string of hit operas and symphonies –Still a hit keyboard virtuoso

Compositions 1786: Career shifted from performer to composer, especially opera Superb text setting, effortless melodies Realistic plots and characters, not stereotypes Often mixed light comedy with dramatic plots Lorenzo da Ponte (librettist) –Marriage of Figaro (1786) – Major success, sarcastic plot –Don Giovanni (1787) –failure in Vienna –Cosi fan tutte (1790) Magic Flute(1791) - final Opera

Don Giovanni Characters: –Don Giovanni – promiscuous and dangerous villain –Leporello – Don’s bumbling servant –Donna Anna – a young woman who is engaged –Commendatore – Donna Anna’s father Synopsis: –Act I: Don Giovanni is forcing himself on Donna Anna. The Commendatore tries to save her, fights the Don, and is killed. As Don and Leporello are escaping, they have to deal with one of Don’s former lovers. –Act II: After evading thugs for the middle portion of the opera, Don and Leporello find themselves under the grave of the Commendatore. The statue addresses them, and Don invites it to supper…

Compositions After Don Giovanni - Decline in income Composition of final symphonies (39-41) –Bridge the gap to Beethoven Requiem (Mass for the dead) –Commissioned by masked stranger (Mozart never learned who it was) –Mozart was ill while composing –Not completed before death (some movements finished by a student