All the while, Leopold continued to promote his son to the Royal Court - which became a successful effort which allowed for a minor stability of income (which was supplemented by private lessons). but, by 1778, Mozart was exceptionally tired of Salzburg and yearned for larger cities and more opportunities. Mozart demonstrated a fickle music taste - writing in highly prolific bursts the same types of music until he became tired of them and then would move on to newer forms and to breaking the "rules" of compositions win interesting and challenging ways. Despite his successes, Mozart was never truly independent in anything other than his music. He was interested in a variety of positions in France and Germany but his father dissuaded him because none of the positions offered were high enough to properly reflect the talents of his son.

Wolfgang gave up Salzburg in 1781 where he promptly moved to Munich for a staging of his opera, Idomeneo. While the opera was a success, apparent jealousy in local composers and from within the court talked his skills down and got in the way of finding a more permanent job. He got into direct conflicts with the Archbishop of Munich over refusals of the Archbishop to allow Mozart to play in a variety of venues (Ratner, 191). The verbal conflict escalated until Mozart was dismissed.

In 1786, Mozart left Munich in disgust and landed in Vienna. This was during a period of war and musicians were struggling throughout the capital. Mozart began to need to borrow from friends and family and by mid-1788 had hit a level of deep personal despair. It was during this year that Mozart wrote the final three of his symphonies. In 1791, Mozart became exceptionally ill and was simultaneously...

While is finances began to improve, his health began to fail. By September of 1791, Mozart was bedridden and no longer able to work at his normal capacity. The final work was his Requiem (which was commissioned for another patron, but which has since become synonymous with his own death. His death to "consumption" came in the morning of December 5th, 1791. Few people attended his funeral (Standford, 76)
Mozart was a prolific and gifted composer and musician who delighted in the challenge of music. He would write a series of pieces of a particular kind before leaving that style behind and moving on. His father would prove to be both the great motivator and the great hindrance of the first half of his career. Over the course of his thirty-five years, Mozart did not receive the kind of instant recognition that he does now, because without radio or recordings, people could only hear a Mozart piece in performance. He died with his wife at his side and deeply in debt - but with an infinite wealth of music that would be enjoyed for countless generations to come.

Lucano, Ralph. "Overview: Mozart Operas." American Record Guide, Jan/Feb2002, Vol. 65 Issue 1, p53 (8).

May, Mike. "Did Mozart use the Golden Section?" American Scientist. Mar - Apr, 1996. v84. n2. p118(2).

Parsons, Charles H. "Guide to Records: Lortzing." American Record Guide. Jan/Feb2002, Vol. 65 Issue 1, p131.

Ratner, Leonard. "Mozart's Parting Gifts." The Journal of Musicology. Winter, 2001. v18. i1. p189(23).

Standford,…