Transcript Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
His Life
By
Joy Agre
Teacher’s
Page
His Music
Questions
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
His Life
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg,
Austria, on January 27, 1756. His father, Leopold,
was a composer and violinist. His sister, Nannerl,
learned to play the piano when Mozart was 3 years
old. From that age on, he was interested in learning
about music. His father eventually taught him to
play piano. Mozart taught himself to play the violin.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Mozart composed his first pieces for
keyboard at age 5. He was an excellent pianist and
often his sister would sing while he played. Their
father arranged a European concert tour for his two
children to show off the talents of his children. The
young Mozart amazed concertgoers with his ability
to play and compose long compositions. Soon he
became known as the “Wonder Boy.”
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
He returned to Salzburg and continued composing.
He had written his first symphony before his ninth
birthday and his first opera by the age of twelve.
Mozart’s music is a combination of German and
Italian styles because of his father’s excellent
teaching and the many visits to the musical centers
of Europe.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
At the age of twenty-six, he married Constanze
Weber and the couple had two sons. Unfortunately
for his family, Mozart’s work was not always valued
and often they fell upon hard times. Shortly after
he finished his famous opera The Magic Flute,
Mozart was asked to compose a requiem mass for a
special funeral even though
he himself was very ill.
He died within two weeks at the age of thirty-six.
Because he died very poor, he was buried in an
unmarked pauper’s grave.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
His Music
Mozart wrote music for all combinations of chamber
orchestra, strings, and winds, as well as
symphonies, operas and major works for the piano
and solo violin. In all, more than six hundred
compositions were collected and cataloged by
L. von Kochel. That is why the “K” is used to
identify Mozart’s work.
Mozart - Questions
1. What country did Mozart come from?
2. How old was Mozart when he first began writing
music?
3.What was the name of an opera he wrote? And
What happened right after he finished it?
4. What instruments did Mozart play?
5. Who in Mozart’s family were also musical?
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Teacher’s Page
Mozart and His Life biography pages can be read aloud together as a
class. Then use the questions to provoke thought and discussion about
Mozart’s life. On another day, after more discussion about Mozart, the
questions can be used individually as an assessment tool.
Clips of Mozart’s music (from external sources) can be listened to after
reading about Mozart and his music.
The Mozart Mad Lib (a separate listing under MAP attack) can be done on
another day. First have the students individually write down their
answers to the categories. Then as a class go through the Mad Lib with
students filling in the blanks aurally with their answers. They will get a
big kick out of the funny story it tells. On yet another day, you could have
students write the story with all of their answers filling in the blanks.
After doing the story as a class, read the real story with the correct
answers about Mozart’s life.