You may know that today, January 27, 2006 is the 250th anniversary of the birth of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Most folks are at least vaguely familiar with Mozart's life as a child prodigy, his adult life as a professional musician and composer, and his tragic death at the age of 35 years old.
It's hard to believe that in his short life, Mr. M. composed over 600 compositions, many of them masterpieces. He was proficient in all forms of classical composition: keyboard sonatas, chamber music, concertos, dance and ballet music, songs, marches, operas, oratorios, and sacred music such as Masses and his infamous Requiem. Oh yes, he also wrote dozens of symphonies -- at least 30 of them by age 20!
I had the great privilege during my early musical career to sing tenor with a professional orchestra for Mozart's final and most haunting composition, the Requiem. It was an extremely challenging and emotional experience, considering that Mozart wrote it for himself during the illness that would end his life. Although he was unable to finish the piece alone (a student of his completed the orchestration), it remains one of his most inspiring pieces.
For more information about W.A. Mozart's life and music, check out the Mozart Project.
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