| 1718 |
Grandfather Johann Georg Mozart, bookbinder in Augsburg, marries Anna Maria Sulzer. |
| 1719 |
Mozarts father Leopold is born as the son of this couple in Augsburg. |
| 1720 |
Mozarts mother Anna Maria Pertl is born at St.Gilgen, a village near Lake Wolfgang , not far from Salzburg.
|
| 1737 |
Leopold Mozart settles in Salzburg.
|
| 1747 |
Leopold Mozart marries Anna Maria Pertl in the Cathedral of Salzburg.
|
| 1751 |
On July 30th Maria Anna Walpurga Ignatia is born as the fourth child of the couple. She is nicknamed "Nannerl".
|
| 1756 |
On January 27th, the seventh child of the couple is born in Getreidegasse. His complete name is: Johannes
Chrysostomus Wolfgang Gottlieb Mozart. Gottlieb was later changed - according to ist meaning - into Amadeus.
|
| 1760 |
Mozarts father mentions Wolfgangs earliest compositions. Wolfgang grows up in a harmonious family
atmosphere.
|
| 1762 |
Konstanze Weber born, Mozarts wife of 20 years later. First artistic tour with father and sister to
Munich (January). Second tour (September), this time to Vienna.
|
| 1763 |
June 9th :journey of the whole family (father, mother, Nannerl, Wolfgang) to Germany and France.
|
| 1764 |
From France the journey is continued to England, with numerous concerts. Compositions (started in
1762) are carried on. Mozart writes his earliest symphony. First meeting with Johann Christian Bach, the
youngest son of Thomas-Kantor J.S.Bach (died 14 years before), who reaches the climax of his career in London
and deeply impresses and influences young Mozart. Mozart gets acquainted with the
Italian symphony and opera.
|
| 1765 |
From England to France and the Netherlands.
|
| 1766 |
From the Netherlands via France to Switzerland, to Germany and back to Salzburg (November 30th),
three and a half years after their departure.
|
| 1767 |
The family travels to Vienna (September) where the boy is infected by smallpox. In Vienna Mozart
composes the music for the musical comedy "Bastien and Bastienne".
First performance: Vienna, 1767.
|
| 1769 |
Return to Salzburg. Appointment as unpaid concert master of the Archiepiscopal Court Music. Departure
for Italy (with his father) on the first of three extensive Italian journeys that took them as far as Naples. On their
journey the boy could increase his knowledge of Italian music. His first public appearance in Innsbruck, Verona, Mantua, Milano, Bologna, Florence and Rome was a triumphal success.
|
| 1770 |
In Bologna Mozart got instruction from the famous music theoretician Padre Martini. On the return
journey he was received into the "Philharmonic Academy". In Rome the Pope awarded him the "Order of the
Golden Spur" which was linked with the title of Cavaliere.
|
| 1771 |
Second journey to Italy.
|
| 1772 |
For the inauguration of the new Archbishop Hieronymus Count Colloredo Mozart composes the cantata
"Il sogno di Scipione". He becomes concert master of the Court Chapel and starts his last Italian journey.
|
| 1773 |
Negotiations about an employment in Florence and Vienna break down.
|
| 1776 |
Increasing tensions in the Archbishops service.
|
| 1777 |
Departure with his mother to Mozarts cousin Maria Anna (Bäsle), then to Mannheim where Mozart
has a first serious love entanglement. It is Aloysia Weber, the sister of his later wife. His father protests
vehemently against any eventual plans of marriage. In Mannheim Mozart is received kindly by Johann Christian
Cannabich, the director of the famous Mannheim Orchestra and the Mannheim attempts at creating a German
opera were very influential for Mozart.
|
| 1778 |
The Mozarts leave Mannheim and travel to Paris. Mozarts mother dies there on July 3rd.
|
| 1779 |
Return to Salzburg where Mozart is appointed Court and Cathedral organist.
|
| 1781 |
Mozart is ordered to go to Vienna where the Grandes of the Habsburg Empire have assembled on the
occasion of Joseph IIs enthronement and Salzburgs Archbishop wants to present his orchestra. But as Mozart
wants to play a concert on his own, this leads to a clash and Mozart is dismissed from the Archiepiscopal service.
A final meeting with Count Arco, Lord Chamberlain, ends with a kick-out for the unruly musician. In this way
Mozart ended his position of being "in service" - which was the usual one for most contemporary musicians - and
had to depend on earning his living as a free-lance artist. He settles in Vienna and is given a royal commission for
an opera. He gets into closer contact with Konstanze Weber, Aloysias sister.
|
| 1782 |
First performance of Mozarts Singspiel "Die Entführung aus dem Serail" ( = The Seraglio) on July 16th.
On August 4th he marries Konstanze. His wife was somewhat superficial and pleasure-loving. Although she was
not without interest in music, she was not aware of Mozarts genius, right until his death.
|
| 1783 |
Mozarts activities as a free-lance artist seem to be promising. The first Vienna years were very fertile. He
gave piano lessons, played in concerts and organised his own "academies".
|
| 1784 |
Mozart becomes a member of the Freemasons Lodge "Zur Wohlfahrt" ("Welfare") for which he wrote
several compositions. He frequently gives concerts in public halls and in palaces of the nobility.
|
| 1785 |
Father Leopold visits his son in Vienna. Mozart makes friends with Haydn to whom he dedicates six
string quartets.
|
| 1786 |
First performance of the opera "Le nozze di Figaro" ("The marriage of Figaro") on May 1st in Vienna.
|
| 1787 |
Mozart travels to Prague where his "Figaro" finds great recognition. He conducts it there himself for
once, gets a commission for an opera and returns to Vienna. His father dies in Salzburg. He is appointed
"Imperial Chamber Musician" in the place of the late Christoph Willibald Gluck. On August 29th "Kleine Nachtmusik" is finished. On October 29th Don Giovanni is first produced in Prague.
Cf.: Mozarts life in 1787.
|
| 1788 |
The Viennese first performance of Don Giovanni does not get the same triumphal reception as at Prague.
In summer Mozart composes his last three symphonies in just 3 weeks, i.e.: E-flat major, K 543, G minor, K 550
and C major, K 551 (Jupiter Symphony). Mozarts financial situation deteriorates constantly although his income
would be sufficient.
|
| 1789 |
The financial problems of Mozart increase, he writes begging letters to a Lodge brother.
|
| 1790 |
He composes Cosi fan tutte, an opera commissioned by the Emperor. The performances are not very
successful and soon disappear from the repertory; this may be partly due to the Emperors death. Mozart journeys
to the new Emperors Coronation at Frankfurt, at his own expense. He gets into closer contact with Emanuel
Schikaneder, an actor, singer and theatre manager whom he had known for years.
|
| 1791 |
Schikaneder gives Mozart a commission for a "magic opera" (i.e. "The Magic Flute"). In July he is
commissioned to write a Requiem Mass. The patron is Count Franz Walsegg of Stuppach. This is Mozarts last
(unfinished) composition. On September 30th the Magic Flute is produced with great success at Schikaneders
Theater an der Wien (or Freihaustheater). The success increases from from performance to performance. In the
end it is this opera which contributed most of all to Mozarts world-wide fame. After a few days of severe illness
Mozart dies on December 5th. Konstanze was at Baden, taking a cure at the spa. The funeral service at
St.Stephens on the following day was attended by a few friends only, but nobody accompanied the hearse taking
the body to the cemetery of St.Marx. He was interred in a paupers grave with a few others and without a
tombstone, according to the customs of the time, so that his final resting place can only be guessed. In memory of
Mozarts tomb a statue has been placed at St.Marx cemetery.
|
| 1842 |
Setting up of a Mozart memorial in Salzburg.
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