Composers
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Born: January 27, 1756. Salzburg, Austria
Died: December 5, 1791. Vienna, Austria
Brummitt-Taylor Music Listening Program Piece of the Week:
Serenade in G Major "Eine kleine Nachtmusik" 1. Allegro Page 143 in your binder...
Piece with narration by Mr. Jamesbarry...
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"Neither a lofty degree of intelligence nor imagination nor both together go to the making of genius. Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius."
From Classics for Kids
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg, Austria, where his father Leopold was a violinist and composer. Wolfgang (or Wolferl, as his family called him) was a child prodigy. He composed his first piece of music at age five; he had his first piece published when he was seven; and he wrote his first opera when he was twelve. By the time Wolfgang was 6, he was an excellent pianist and violinist. He and his sister Maria Anna (known as Nannerl) traveled all over Europe performing for royalty.
When he grew up, Mozart moved to Vienna, and tried to earn a living as a pianist and composer. But he had a lot of trouble handling the fact that he was no longer a child prodigy. Mozart was still a musical genius, but after he stopped being a cute kid, people stopped making a big fuss over him. Back then, musicians were treated like servants, but Mozart did not, and could not think of himself as a servant.
Mozart was only 35 when he died. During his short life, he composed in all different musical forms, including operas, symphonies, concertos, masses, and chamber music. Today, he is still considered a genius!
You can start learning about this composer right here!!
Just follow some of the links below. You can read about his life and listen to some of his works.
Whether you have a fast or slow Internet connection, the Classics for Kids web site has informative radio shows that you can listen to right from you home computer. The shows range in topic from The Magic Flute to About Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to What is a Rondo.
The Mozart Project site has everything you could hope for. You can read a very detailed biography of the composer. There is also a complete list of compositions, and if you have Real Audio Player installed you can listen to short example. There is even bibliography for continued learning.
The W.A. Mozart site from Classical Music Pages has more limited biographical information, but also contains musical examples in mp3 format with will play from most any browser.
The Essentials of Music site also has a Mozart page with biographical information along with a limited selection of music streams that you will need Real Audio Player to hear.
To learn more about the orchestra and live performances of classical music, check out these sites...
San Francisco Symphony for Kids
The New York Philharmonic for Kids
NPR Performance Today
Technorati Tags: Composers
Franz Joseph Haydn
Born: March 31, 1732. Rohrao, Austria
Died: May 31, 1809. Vienna, Austria
Brummitt-Taylor Music Listening Program Piece of the Week:
Symphony No. 6 "Le Martin"; 4th Movement
Composer Podcast
From the Classics for Kids website...
Franz Joseph Haydn was the most famous composer of his time. He helped develop new musical forms, like the string quartet and the symphony. In fact, even though he didn't invent it, Haydn is known as the "Father of the Symphony."
Haydn was born in the tiny Austrian town of Rohrau, where his father made huge wooden carts and wagonwheels. His mother was a cook. When he was 8, Joseph (he didn't go by Franz) went to Vienna to sing in the choir at St. Stephen's Cathedral, and to attend the choir school. His younger brother Michael joined him a short time later. Joseph could never resist a playing a joke, which got him in trouble at school. Since Michael Haydn was much better behaved than his brother, everyone thought he would be the more successful musician. Wrong!
At first, Haydn struggled to earn a living as a composer. Then, he got a job with a rich, powerful family named Esterhazy. It was Haydn's job to write music for the Esterhazy princes, and to conduct their orchestra. Haydn composed symphonies, operas, string quartets, and all kinds of other music for performance at the Esterhazy court.
Haydn was also a good businessman. Music publishing made him and his music famous all over Europe. After he retired from working for the Esterhazy family, Haydn made two very successful trips to England, where audiences at concerts of his music treated him like a superstar.
Follow the links below to learn more about Franz Joseph Haydn. You can listen to radio shows about the composer and his works, see pictures of his home and compositions. There's more biographical and historical information along with listening samples of his music.
Classics for Kids - Haydn Radio Shows and Biography
Karadar's Haydn Page - this has bio, works, operas, and photos.
Classical Music Pages has Haydn's biography along with mp3 of some of his Symphonies.
Haydn's pages at Wikipedia, Classical Net and Essentials of Music have more on this influential and prolific composer.
To learn more about the orchestra and live performances of classical music, check out these sites...
San Francisco Symphony for Kids
The New York Philharmonic for Kids
NPR Performance Today
Finally check out what kids around the country are doing with classical music. The NPR podcast Classicool Kids is taken from highlights from the NPR radio show From the Top, which showcases young musicians and artists. If you wish to subscribe to the weekly podcast (it's free) click here.
To see an RSS feed and play episodes through you web browser or down load to you desktop click here.
Or find out when and where you can list to the radio broadcast of From the Top.
Benjamin Britten
Born: November 22, 1913 Lowestoft, Suffolk England
Died: December 4, 1976 Aldeburgh, Suffolk England
Music Listening Program Piece of the Week:
Four Sea Interludes No. 2 Sunday Morning on page 89 in your binder.
Piece with narration by Mr. Jamesbarry...
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From Classics For Kids
Benjamin Britten was an expert in three different musical fields -- conducting, composing and playing the piano. Britten was born in Lowestoft, a town on the English seacoast. (His birthday, November 22nd, happens to be the saint day of the patron saint of music, St. Cecilia.) Benjamin's father was a dentist; his mother loved to sing, and regularly held concerts in their home.
From the moment he started playing the piano, Britten knew he wanted to earn his living as a composer. His first paying job was writing music for films.
Britten was a pacifist -- he didn't believe in fighting wars. So when it became obvious that England would go to war with Germany in 1939, Britten left for America. But it was impossible to take the “Brit” out of Britten. In the middle of World War II, he sailed back to his native country.
When the war was over, the biggest opera company in England held a gala reopening, and commissioned Britten to write a new opera for the occasion. Britten was also asked to compose an opera when Elizabeth II was crowned Queen of England.
Follow the links below to learn more about Benjamin Britten. You can listen to radio shows about the composer, learn about his works, and see pictures of his home and compositions. There's more biographical and historical information along with listening samples of his music.
The Classics for KIds sites has produced several informative and entertaining radio shows that you can listen to.
Other links to Benjamin Britten
Dallas Symphony's Britten Page
To learn more about the orchestra and live performances of classical music, check out these sites...
San Francisco Symphony for Kids
The New York Philharmonic for Kids
NPR Performance Today
Finally check out what kids around the country are doing with classical music. The NPR podcast Classicool Kids is taken from highlights from the NPR radio show From the Top, which showcases young musicians and artists.
If you wish to subscribe to the weekly podcast click here.
To see an RSS feed and play episodes through you web browser or down load to you desktop click here.
Or find out when and where you can list to the radio broadcast of From the Top.
Antonio Vivaldi
Born: March 4, 1678. Venice, Italy
Died: July 28, 1741. Vienna, Austria
Music Listening Program Piece of the Week:
Spring from The Four Seasons, ;page 168 in your binder
Piece with narration by Mr. Jamesbarry...
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From Classics for Kids
Antonio Vivaldi was born in Venice, Italy, which is where he spent most of his life. His father taught him to play the violin, and the two would often perform together.
Antonio continued to study and practice the violin, even after he became a priest. He was called the "Red Priest" because of his flaming red hair. However, after a while, his bad asthma kept Antonio from saying Mass.
After that, Vivaldi spent all his time writing music and teaching. He taught at an orphanage for girls, and wrote a lot of music for the girls to play. People came from miles around to hear Vivaldi's talented students perform the beautiful music he had written.
Many people think Vivaldi was the best Italian composer of his time. He wrote concertos, operas, church music and many other compositions. In all, Antonio wrote over 500 concertos. His most famous set of concertos is The Four Seasons.
Follow the links below to learn more about Antonio Vivaldi. You can listen to radio shows about the composer, learn about his works, and see pictures of his home and compositions. There''s more biographical and historical information along with listening samples of his music.
The Classics for KIds sites has produced several informative and entertaining radio shows that you can listen to.
For more listening examples the Classical Music Pages site offers some great excepts of The Four Season, one of Vivaldi's best know works, along with some pictures and bibliography.
The Essentials of Music site has a more in depth biography and the Classical Net site offers a list of all the composer's works.
Finally check out Wikipeada's site for all sorts of information about the the composer along with several live performances of his work and still more links.
To learn more about the orchestra and live performances of classical music, check out these sites...
San Francisco Symphony for Kids
The New York Philharmonic for Kids
NPR Performance Today
Finally check out what kids around the country are doing with classical music. The NPR podcast Classicool Kids is taken from highlights from the NPR radio show From the Top, which showcases young musicians and artists.
If you wish to subscribe to the weekly podcast (it's free) click here.
To see an RSS feed and play episodes through you web browser or down load to you desktop click here.
Or find out when and where you can list to the radio broadcast of From the Top.
Johann Sebastian Bach
Born: March 21, 1685. Eisenach, Germany
Died: July 28, 1750. Leipzig, Germany
Brummitt-Taylor Music Listening Program Piece of the Week:
Fragments from Anna Magdalena's Notebook Page 71 in your binder...
Piece with narration by Mr. Jamesbarry...
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• Tuesday
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• Friday
From Classics for Kids Bach Page:
Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany, where his father was a town musician. Bach came from a long line of composers - over 300 years' worth of Bachs all worked as professional musicians. By the time Johann was 10, both his parents had died, so he was brought up by his older brother, who was a church organist. Johann became a very good organist, too.
Johann Sebastian Bach held three major jobs in his life: first he worked for a duke, then for a prince, and finally, he became director of music at the St. Thomas Church and School in Leipzig, Germany. Even though his job in Leipzig kept him very busy, in his spare time, Bach conducted a group of musicians who liked to get together to perform at a local coffee house.
During his lifetime, people thought of Bach as just an ordinary working musician. No one really knew much about his music until 100 years after his death, when another composer, Felix Mendelssohn, conducted a performance of Bach's St. Matthew Passion.
Bach is now seen as one of the greatest geniuses in music history. He wrote all kinds of music -- for organ and other keyboard instruments, orchestras, choirs, and concertos for many different instrumental combinations.
Follow the links below to learn more about J.S. Bach. You can listen to radio shows about the composer, learn about his works, and see pictures of his home and compositions. There's more biographical and historical information along with listening samples of his music.
J. S Bach at Classical Music Pages
Radio Shows at Classics for Kids
J.S. Bach at Essentials of Music
Wikipedia's J.S. Bach Page
HOASM two pages: J.S. Bach Biography and The Bach Family
To learn more about the orchestra and live performances of classical music, check out these sites...
San Francisco Symphony for Kids
The New York Philharmonic for Kids
NPR Performance Today
Finally check out what kids around the country are doing with classical music. The NPR podcast Classicool Kids is taken from highlights from the NPR radio show From the Top, which showcases young musicians and artists.
If you wish to subscribe to the weekly podcast (it's free) click here.
To see an RSS feed and play episodes through you web browser or down load to you desktop click here.
Or find out when and where you can list to the radio broadcast of From the Top.
Johann Sebastian Bach
Born: March 21, 1685. Eisenach, Germany
Died: July 28, 1750. Leipzig, Germany
Brummitt-Taylor Music Listening Program Piece of the Week:
Fragments from Anna Magdalena's Notebook Page 71 in your binder...
Piece with narration by Mr. Jamesbarry...
• Monday
• Tuesday
• Wednesday
• Thursday
• Friday
From Classics for Kids Bach Page:
Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany, where his father was a town musician. Bach came from a long line of composers - over 300 years' worth of Bachs all worked as professional musicians. By the time Johann was 10, both his parents had died, so he was brought up by his older brother, who was a church organist. Johann became a very good organist, too.
Johann Sebastian Bach held three major jobs in his life: first he worked for a duke, then for a prince, and finally, he became director of music at the St. Thomas Church and School in Leipzig, Germany. Even though his job in Leipzig kept him very busy, in his spare time, Bach conducted a group of musicians who liked to get together to perform at a local coffee house.
During his lifetime, people thought of Bach as just an ordinary working musician. No one really knew much about his music until 100 years after his death, when another composer, Felix Mendelssohn, conducted a performance of Bach's St. Matthew Passion.
Bach is now seen as one of the greatest geniuses in music history. He wrote all kinds of music -- for organ and other keyboard instruments, orchestras, choirs, and concertos for many different instrumental combinations.
Follow the links below to learn more about J.S. Bach. You can listen to radio shows about the composer, learn about his works, and see pictures of his home and compositions. There's more biographical and historical information along with listening samples of his music.
J. S Bach at Classical Music Pages
Radio Shows at Classics for Kids
J.S. Bach at Essentials of Music
Wikipedia's J.S. Bach Page
HOASM two pages: J.S. Bach Biography and The Bach Family
To learn more about the orchestra and live performances of classical music, check out these sites...
San Francisco Symphony for Kids
The New York Philharmonic for Kids
NPR Performance Today
Finally check out what kids around the country are doing with classical music. The NPR podcast Classicool Kids is taken from highlights from the NPR radio show From the Top, which showcases young musicians and artists.
If you wish to subscribe to the weekly podcast (it's free) click here.
To see an RSS feed and play episodes through you web browser or down load to you desktop click here.
Or find out when and where you can list to the radio broadcast of From the Top.
Johann Sebastian Bach
Born: March 21, 1685. Eisenach, Germany
Died: July 28, 1750. Leipzig, Germany
Brummitt-Taylor Music Listening Program Piece of the Week:
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major; 3. Allegro Page 68 in your binder...
Piece with narration by Mr. Jamesbarry...
• Monday
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• Friday
From Classics for Kids Bach Page:
Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany, where his father was a town musician. Bach came from a long line of composers - over 300 years' worth of Bachs all worked as professional musicians. By the time Johann was 10, both his parents had died, so he was brought up by his older brother, who was a church organist. Johann became a very good organist, too.
Johann Sebastian Bach held three major jobs in his life: first he worked for a duke, then for a prince, and finally, he became director of music at the St. Thomas Church and School in Leipzig, Germany. Even though his job in Leipzig kept him very busy, in his spare time, Bach conducted a group of musicians who liked to get together to perform at a local coffee house.
During his lifetime, people thought of Bach as just an ordinary working musician. No one really knew much about his music until 100 years after his death, when another composer, Felix Mendelssohn, conducted a performance of Bach's St. Matthew Passion.
Bach is now seen as one of the greatest geniuses in music history. He wrote all kinds of music -- for organ and other keyboard instruments, orchestras, choirs, and concertos for many different instrumental combinations.
Follow the links below to learn more about J.S. Bach. You can listen to radio shows about the composer, learn about his works, and see pictures of his home and compositions. There's more biographical and historical information along with listening samples of his music.
J. S Bach at Classical Music Pages
Radio Shows at Classics for Kids
J.S. Bach at Essentials of Music
Wikipedia's J.S. Bach Page
HOASM two pages: J.S. Bach Biography and The Bach Family
To learn more about the orchestra and live performances of classical music, check out these sites...
San Francisco Symphony for Kids
The New York Philharmonic for Kids
NPR Performance Today
Finally check out what kids around the country are doing with classical music. The NPR podcast Classicool Kids is taken from highlights from the NPR radio show From the Top, which showcases young musicians and artists.
If you wish to subscribe to the weekly podcast (it's free) click here.
To see an RSS feed and play episodes through you web browser or down load to you desktop click here.
Or find out when and where you can list to the radio broadcast of From the Top.
Johann Sebastian Bach
Born: March 21, 1685. Eisenach, Germany
Died: July 28, 1750. Leipzig, Germany
Brummitt-Taylor Music Listening Program Piece of the Week:
Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major; 3. Allegro assai Page 67 in your binder...
Piece with narration by Mr. Jamesbarry...
• Monday
• Tuesday
• Wednesday
• Thursday
• Friday
From Classics for Kids Bach Page:
Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany, where his father was a town musician. Bach came from a long line of composers - over 300 years' worth of Bachs all worked as professional musicians. By the time Johann was 10, both his parents had died, so he was brought up by his older brother, who was a church organist. Johann became a very good organist, too.
Johann Sebastian Bach held three major jobs in his life: first he worked for a duke, then for a prince, and finally, he became director of music at the St. Thomas Church and School in Leipzig, Germany. Even though his job in Leipzig kept him very busy, in his spare time, Bach conducted a group of musicians who liked to get together to perform at a local coffee house.
During his lifetime, people thought of Bach as just an ordinary working musician. No one really knew much about his music until 100 years after his death, when another composer, Felix Mendelssohn, conducted a performance of Bach's St. Matthew Passion.
Bach is now seen as one of the greatest geniuses in music history. He wrote all kinds of music -- for organ and other keyboard instruments, orchestras, choirs, and concertos for many different instrumental combinations.
Follow the links below to learn more about J.S. Bach. You can listen to radio shows about the composer, learn about his works, and see pictures of his home and compositions. There's more biographical and historical information along with listening samples of his music.
J. S Bach at Classical Music Pages
Radio Shows at Classics for Kids
J.S. Bach at Essentials of Music
Wikipedia's J.S. Bach Page
HOASM two pages: J.S. Bach Biography and The Bach Family
To learn more about the orchestra and live performances of classical music, check out these sites...
San Francisco Symphony for Kids
The New York Philharmonic for Kids
NPR Performance Today
Finally check out what kids around the country are doing with classical music. The NPR podcast Classicool Kids is taken from highlights from the NPR radio show From the Top, which showcases young musicians and artists.
If you wish to subscribe to the weekly podcast (it's free) click here.
To see an RSS feed and play episodes through you web browser or down load to you desktop click here.
Or find out when and where you can list to the radio broadcast of From the Top.
Johann Sebastian Bach
Born: March 21, 1685. Eisenach, Germany
Died: July 28, 1750. Leipzig, Germany
Brummitt-Taylor Music Listening Program Piece of the Week:
Suite No. 3 in D Major; 2. Air Page 77 in your binder...
Piece with narration by Mr. Jamesbarry...
• Monday
• Tuesday
• Wednesday
• Thursday
• Friday
From Classics for Kids Bach Page:
Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany, where his father was a town musician. Bach came from a long line of composers - over 300 years' worth of Bachs all worked as professional musicians. By the time Johann was 10, both his parents had died, so he was brought up by his older brother, who was a church organist. Johann became a very good organist, too.
Johann Sebastian Bach held three major jobs in his life: first he worked for a duke, then for a prince, and finally, he became director of music at the St. Thomas Church and School in Leipzig, Germany. Even though his job in Leipzig kept him very busy, in his spare time, Bach conducted a group of musicians who liked to get together to perform at a local coffee house.
During his lifetime, people thought of Bach as just an ordinary working musician. No one really knew much about his music until 100 years after his death, when another composer, Felix Mendelssohn, conducted a performance of Bach's St. Matthew Passion.
Bach is now seen as one of the greatest geniuses in music history. He wrote all kinds of music -- for organ and other keyboard instruments, orchestras, choirs, and concertos for many different instrumental combinations.
Follow the links below to learn more about J.S. Bach. You can listen to radio shows about the composer, learn about his works, and see pictures of his home and compositions. There's more biographical and historical information along with listening samples of his music.
J. S Bach at Classical Music Pages
Radio Shows at Classics for Kids
J.S. Bach at Essentials of Music
Wikipedia's J.S. Bach Page
HOASM two pages: J.S. Bach Biography and The Bach Family
To learn more about the orchestra and live performances of classical music, check out these sites...
San Francisco Symphony for Kids
The New York Philharmonic for Kids
NPR Performance Today
Finally check out what kids around the country are doing with classical music. The NPR podcast Classicool Kids is taken from highlights from the NPR radio show From the Top, which showcases young musicians and artists.
If you wish to subscribe to the weekly podcast (it's free) click here.
To see an RSS feed and play episodes through you web browser or down load to you desktop click here.
Or find out when and where you can list to the radio broadcast of From the Top.
Johann Sebastian Bach
Born: March 21, 1685. Eisenach, Germany
Died: July 28, 1750. Leipzig, Germany
Brummitt-Taylor Music Listening Program Piece of the Week:
Invention No. 14 in B Flat Major Page 74 in your binder...
Piece with narration by Mr. Jamesbarry...
• Monday
• Tuesday
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• Friday
From Classics for Kids Bach Page:
Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany, where his father was a town musician. Bach came from a long line of composers - over 300 years' worth of Bachs all worked as professional musicians. By the time Johann was 10, both his parents had died, so he was brought up by his older brother, who was a church organist. Johann became a very good organist, too.
Johann Sebastian Bach held three major jobs in his life: first he worked for a duke, then for a prince, and finally, he became director of music at the St. Thomas Church and School in Leipzig, Germany. Even though his job in Leipzig kept him very busy, in his spare time, Bach conducted a group of musicians who liked to get together to perform at a local coffee house.
During his lifetime, people thought of Bach as just an ordinary working musician. No one really knew much about his music until 100 years after his death, when another composer, Felix Mendelssohn, conducted a performance of Bach's St. Matthew Passion.
Bach is now seen as one of the greatest geniuses in music history. He wrote all kinds of music -- for organ and other keyboard instruments, orchestras, choirs, and concertos for many different instrumental combinations.
Follow the links below to learn more about J.S. Bach. You can listen to radio shows about the composer, learn about his works, and see pictures of his home and compositions. There's more biographical and historical information along with listening samples of his music.
J. S Bach at Classical Music Pages
Radio Shows at Classics for Kids
J.S. Bach at Essentials of Music
Wikipedia's J.S. Bach Page
HOASM two pages: J.S. Bach Biography and The Bach Family
To learn more about the orchestra and live performances of classical music, check out these sites...
San Francisco Symphony for Kids
The New York Philharmonic for Kids
NPR Performance Today
Finally check out what kids around the country are doing with classical music. The NPR podcast Classicool Kids is taken from highlights from the NPR radio show From the Top, which showcases young musicians and artists.
If you wish to subscribe to the weekly podcast (it's free) click here.
To see an RSS feed and play episodes through you web browser or down load to you desktop click here.
Or find out when and where you can list to the radio broadcast of From the Top.
Benjamin Britten
Born: November 22, 1913 Lowestoft, Suffolk England
Died: December 4, 1976 Aldeburgh, Suffolk England
Music Listening Program Piece of the Week:
Variations on a Theme by Frank Bridge, No. 5 Aria on page 93 in your binder.
Piece with narration by Mr. Jamesbarry...
• Monday
• Tuesday
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• Friday
From Classics For Kids
Benjamin Britten was an expert in three different musical fields -- conducting, composing and playing the piano. Britten was born in Lowestoft, a town on the English seacoast. (His birthday, November 22nd, happens to be the saint day of the patron saint of music, St. Cecilia.) Benjamin's father was a dentist; his mother loved to sing, and regularly held concerts in their home.
From the moment he started playing the piano, Britten knew he wanted to earn his living as a composer. His first paying job was writing music for films.
Britten was a pacifist -- he didn't believe in fighting wars. So when it became obvious that England would go to war with Germany in 1939, Britten left for America. But it was impossible to take the “Brit” out of Britten. In the middle of World War II, he sailed back to his native country.
When the war was over, the biggest opera company in England held a gala reopening, and commissioned Britten to write a new opera for the occasion. Britten was also asked to compose an opera when Elizabeth II was crowned Queen of England.
Follow the links below to learn more about Benjamin Britten. You can listen to radio shows about the composer, learn about his works, and see pictures of his home and compositions. There's more biographical and historical information along with listening samples of his music.
The Classics for KIds sites has produced several informative and entertaining radio shows that you can listen to.
Other links to Benjamin Britten
Dallas Symphony's Britten Page
To learn more about the orchestra and live performances of classical music, check out these sites...
San Francisco Symphony for Kids
The New York Philharmonic for Kids
NPR Performance Today
Finally check out what kids around the country are doing with classical music. The NPR podcast Classicool Kids is taken from highlights from the NPR radio show From the Top, which showcases young musicians and artists.
If you wish to subscribe to the weekly podcast click here.
To see an RSS feed and play episodes through you web browser or down load to you desktop click here.
Or find out when and where you can list to the radio broadcast of From the Top.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Born: January 27, 1756. Salzburg, Austria
Died: December 5, 1791. Vienna, Austria
Brummitt-Taylor Music Listening Program Piece of the Week:
Sinfonia Concertante 3rd Movement Andantino con Variazioni Page 147 in your binder...
Piece with narration by Mr. Jamesbarry...
• Monday
• Tuesday
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• Friday
"Neither a lofty degree of intelligence nor imagination nor both together go to the making of genius. Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius."
From Classics for Kids
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg, Austria, where his father Leopold was a violinist and composer. Wolfgang (or Wolferl, as his family called him) was a child prodigy. He composed his first piece of music at age five; he had his first piece published when he was seven; and he wrote his first opera when he was twelve. By the time Wolfgang was 6, he was an excellent pianist and violinist. He and his sister Maria Anna (known as Nannerl) traveled all over Europe performing for royalty.
When he grew up, Mozart moved to Vienna, and tried to earn a living as a pianist and composer. But he had a lot of trouble handling the fact that he was no longer a child prodigy. Mozart was still a musical genius, but after he stopped being a cute kid, people stopped making a big fuss over him. Back then, musicians were treated like servants, but Mozart did not, and could not think of himself as a servant.
Mozart was only 35 when he died. During his short life, he composed in all different musical forms, including operas, symphonies, concertos, masses, and chamber music. Today, he is still considered a genius!
You can start learning about this composer right here!!
Just follow some of the links below. You can read about his life and listen to some of his works.
Whether you have a fast or slow Internet connection, the Classics for Kids web site has informative radio shows that you can listen to right from you home computer. The shows range in topic from The Magic Flute to About Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to What is a Rondo.
The Mozart Project site has everything you could hope for. You can read a very detailed biography of the composer. There is also a complete list of compositions, and if you have Real Audio Player installed you can listen to short example. There is even bibliography for continued learning.
The W.A. Mozart site from Classical Music Pages has more limited biographical information, but also contains musical examples in mp3 format with will play from most any browser.
The Essentials of Music site also has a Mozart page with biographical information along with a limited selection of music streams that you will need Real Audio Player to hear.
To learn more about the orchestra and live performances of classical music, check out these sites...
San Francisco Symphony for Kids
The New York Philharmonic for Kids
NPR Performance Today
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