衛武營國家藝術文化中心 National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying)

Photo © 陳建豪

by Pokey LIN

1. Born in 1756 in Salzburg at the present-day address of No. 9 Getreidegasse (third floor).
2. The most famous child prodigy of all time, he was brought by his father to the royal court in Munich to play at the mere age of six, for which he was paid handsomely.
3. With that experience, his father brought him to play in many towns and cities in Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, and England over the next two years and five months. 
4. At the age of eight, he met BACH's youngest son, J.C. BACH, which inspired him to write the first of his 41 symphonies.
5. At the age of 14, after hearing Miserere performed at the Vatican, he returned to his hotel room and wrote the entire score, revealing the music behind a piece the Holy See had kept secret for a century. 
6. From the age of six to 18, he only spent about four years at home, the rest of the time being on the road showing the world his talent and contributing to the family's livelihood.
7. As an adult, his shine faded. He had trouble finding good, stable work and had no choice but to stay as a musician with the Salzburg court. Still, he often took time off to look for work elsewhere and did freelance work to make extra income.
8. When he was 21, he met the Weber family in Mannheim and fell in love with Aloysia Weber, infuriating his father, after which he went to Paris to look for work.
9. While in Paris, he heard the popular song "Ah! vous dirai-je, maman," which he turned into 12 Variations on "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."
10. At 24, he finally freed himself from employment by the overbearing Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg (though he was kicked by the prince-archbishop's secretary upon leaving).
11. He settled in Vienna, making his way as the world's first freelance musician.
12. At 25, his German opera Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail debuted, pleasing the German Emperor but for this complaint: "That is too fine for my ears – there are too many notes."
13. At 26, he married Constanze Weber, a younger sister of Aloysia's, with whom he had six children, though only two survived: one became a civil servant and the other a musician. 
14. In 1783, he met the 52-year-old HAYDN, to whom he dedicated six quartets. (He never met BEETHOVEN.)
15. At 28, he joined the Freemasons, after which he wrote a piece inspired by them, Freimaurerkantate, which is now the melody for Austria’s national song.
16. At 30, he worked with librettist Lorenzo DA PONTE to write The Marriage of Figaro and, later, Don Giovanni and Così fan tutte.  
17. At 31, his father died. That same year, he was finally made a court composer but only given a low salary.
18. Though he earned much from his freelance work, the family also spent much. He went to Prague four times and Germany twice to earn more money.
19. He had always been weak and sickly, his list of afflictions including scarlet fever, smallpox, tonsillitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, typhoid, and rheumatism.
20. In 1791, he was commissioned by Austrian Count Franz VON WALSEGG to write Requiem. MOZART died before finishing the piece, and many of the rumors about its completion came from his wife.
21. Three months before his death, he began feeling unwell but pressed on to complete The Magic Flute and a clarinet concerto.
22. After two bedridden weeks, he died at about 1:00 a.m. on December 5. His death record says he died of "severe miliary fever."[1]
23. He was buried two days later in a public graveyard outside of town in accordance with the Viennese burial custom for non-aristocrats.
24. Though he only lived to the age of 35, he left the world with over 800 pieces of varied, outstanding music.

[1]Severe miliary fever was a term used to describe a type of tuberculosis.

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