Mozart

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was an Austrian composer who lived during the Classical period. Renowned for his melodic inventiveness, technical mastery, and prolific output, he produced works across opera, symphony, concerto, chamber music, and sacred vocal music. He is widely regarded as one of the most enduringly influential figures in Western art music. Born in Salzburg on January 27, 1756, he showed extraordinary musical talent as a child and began composing before he was six. With his father, Leopold Mozart, he toured Europe, performing before royalty and gaining a reputation as a child prodigy.

In 1781 Mozart settled in Vienna, where he pursued a career as a freelance composer and performer. His mature works include the comic opera The Marriage of Figaro (1786), the tragic drama Don Giovanni (1787), and the collaborative The Magic Flute (1791). He wrote a large number of piano and violin concertos, as well as symphonies such as No. 41, Jupiter (1788). His chamber music, including the Clarinet Quintet and various string quintets and duets, is noted for its architectural balance and expressive range. He also produced sacred music, notably the Coronation Mass and his Requiem in D minor, the latter unfinished at his death in Vienna in 1791.

Mozart's influence extended beyond his lifetime, shaping the development of the classical style and influencing later composers such as Beethoven. Many of his works are catalogued in the Köchel catalogue, which assigns a chronological number to each piece. His enduring reputation rests on his ability to combine formal clarity with emotional depth, and his music remains a central part of the standard classical repertoire.