Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart



Mozart was a composer active in the Classical period. This period ran from 1750 to 1820. Mozart composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as very best of symphonic, concertante (concertos for solo and groups of instruments), chamber, operatic and choral music. He is among the most popular of classical composers.

  • Born: 27th January 1756, Salzburg, Austria
  • Died: 5th December 1791, Vienna, Austria
  • Family: Taught music by his father. Showed amazing ability from a young age and travelled around Europe giving concerts on the piano and violin. Began composing at the age of five.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Mozart revolutionised the music of the day making structure and form (these are to do with how music is organised) the most important part of a composition.

The important features of the Classical style are all present in Mozart’s music.  Clarity and balance are the features of his work.

He composed for new instruments such as the piano and clarinet making these instruments popular and mainstream.

Mozart’s most famous works are The Overture to the Marriage of Figaro opera and Symphony 41 ‘Jupiter’.

Fascinating Fact

He composed his first symphony at the age of eight whilst on a grand tour of Europe.  He composed his first symphony in London.  The location (180 Ebury Street, now in the borough of Westminster) is marked with a blue plaque.

Mozart died at a very young age.  He was writing a Requiem for a rich Count who wanted to honour his dead wife’s memory.  Ironic that Mozart died whilst writing a work about death.

Symphony No. 41 in C major, K 551

Marriage of Figaro, K. 492

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik

Learning resources

Example questions:

  • Where and when was Mozart born?

  • Where and when did Beethoven die?

  • How old was J.S. Bach when he died?

  • What age was Mozart when he began to play publicly?

  • Who was Beethoven’s patron?

  • Approximately how many works did Mozart compose?

  • In what style did J.S. Bach write in?  Baroque, Classical or Romantic?

  • What was Beethoven’s most famous composition?

  • Why could the 1st movement of Bach’s Brandenburg concerto No. 2 be described as ‘Out of this world’?

  • I will play a piece of music from the nine options you have been researching.  Who composed it?  Bach, Mozart or Beethoven?