Master Composers: The Lives of Mozart and Bach

The Life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on January 27, 1756, in Salzburg, Austria. When he was three years old, his musical skills were already observed by his father—composer, violinist, and musical educator Leopold Mozart—who decided to educate him in the music scene.

It is said that at this time, the child prodigy already invented some small melodies with the harpsichord. Due to the high infant mortality in 18th-century Europe, Mozart and his sister Maria Anna (who was called Nannerl) were the only survivors of seven children. Nannerl also possessed musical skills, and little Wolfgang played duets with her.

Early Success and European Tours

At age six, Mozart was already an advanced interpreter of keyboard instruments and an effective violinist. He also showed an extraordinary capacity for improvisation and reading scores. At this age, Mozart already appeared in tours through the European courts, accompanied by his father and his sister Nannerl, achieving great success. These tours began in Munich, then Vienna, Paris, and London, which provided Mozart with valuable experiences.

The Legacy of Johann Sebastian Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach was born on March 21, 1685, in Eisenach, Thuringia, into a family that for seven generations produced at least 52 musicians of importance. From Veit Bach (?–1577) to Regine Susanna Bach (1742–1809), this musician stands out in a genuine dynasty of artists that dates back to the sixteenth century.

Johann Sebastian received his first musical lessons from his father, Johann Ambrosius, who was a musician in the city. Upon the death of his father, he went to live and study with his older brother, Johann Christoph, then the organist of Ohrdruff.

Career and Musical Contributions

Johann Sebastian Bach traveled throughout Europe during the 18th century, working as an organist and composer of the Baroque period. Although he also played the harpsichord and the violin, he primarily worked in the service of the church and of royalty. He was highly considered.

However, in Köthen, the residence in Saxony where Bach reached his highest social status in his capacity as court master, he was able to live and create on fertile ground from 1717 to 1723, producing many of his instrumental works.

He decided to become the successor of Johann Kuhnau, who died in 1722, as a cantor in the Church of St. Thomas in Leipzig. Despite annoying quarrels with the limited counselor of the city of Leipzig, Bach remained there until the end of his life. During this time, he was responsible for ecclesiastical music and the Collegium Musicum, which had been founded by his friend Telemann. Johann Sebastian Bach died in the year 1750.