Mozart's childhood: how genius was formed

To better understand what influenced Wolfgang Amadeus’s personality, you need to find out how his childhood passed. After all, it is the tender age that determines how a person will become, and this, in turn, is reflected in creativity.

Leopold - the evil genius or guardian angel

It is difficult to exaggerate the role that the personality of the father, Leopold Mozart, had on the formation of the little genius.

Time forces scientists to reconsider their views on historical figures. So, Leopold was initially considered almost as a saint, completely abandoning his own life in favor of his son. Then they began to see him in a strictly negative light: take at least an image in the movie Miloš Forman. It is an overhanging black shadow that has brought its wing over the young life ...

But most likely, Leopold Mozart was not the embodiment of any of these extremes. Of course, he had his shortcomings - for example, hot-tempered character. But possessed and merits. Leopold had a very wide range of interests, from philosophy to politics. This allowed him to raise his son as a person, and not just a simple craftsman. His performance, organization also passed to his son.

Leopold himself was a pretty good composer, and an outstanding teacher. So, he wrote a violin teaching manual - “The Experience of a Basic Violin School” (1756), by which today's specialists will learn about how children used to be taught music.

Giving a lot of strength to their children, also "laid out" in everything he did. To this he was obliged by conscience.

That father inspired and showed by example that work is the only way to success and even a duty that is given along with talent. It was a big mistake to believe that the innate genius, witnessed by many respected contemporaries, did not require any effort from Mozart.

Childhood

What allowed Wolfgang to grow freely in his gift? This, above all, is a morally healthy family environment, created by the efforts of both parents. Leopold and Anna had true respect for each other. Mother, knowing the shortcomings of her husband, covered them with her love.

Wolfgang adored his father, putting him in second place after God. The little son promised to keep his father in his box when he was old.

He loved his sister too, spending hours watching her lessons on the clavier. Preserved his poem, written for Marianna's birthday.
Of the seven children, only two survived by the Mozart couple, so the family was small. Perhaps this is what allowed Leopold, overloaded with official duties, to fully engage in the development of the talents of his offspring.

Older sister

Nannerl, who, in fact, was called Maria Anna, although often fades into the background next to her brother, was also an outstanding person. Not inferior to the best performers of his time, while still a girl. It was her many hours of music lessons under the guidance of her father that aroused an interest in music in little Wolfgang.

At first it was thought that children were equally gifted. But as time went on, Marianna did not write a single essay, and Wolfgang had already begun to be published. Then the father decided that the musical career was not for his daughter, he married her. After marriage, her path broke up with Wolfgang.

Mozart loved and respected his sister very much, for her career as a music teacher, good money. After the death of her husband, she did it, returning to Salzburg. In general, the life of Nannerl was not bad, although it was not cloudless. It was thanks to her letters that the researchers received numerous material about the life of the great brother.

Travels

Mozart - junior became known as a genius thanks to concerts, which took place in noble houses, even at the courts of various royal dynasties. But do not forget what traveling meant at that time. Shaking for days in a cold carriage to earn a living is an ordeal. A modern man, pampered by civilization, would hardly have survived even a month of such a life, and little Wolfgang lived for almost a decade. Such a lifestyle often provoked the illnesses of children, but travel continued.

Such an attitude today may even seem cruel, but the father of the family pursued a good goal: the son must gain a rich patron who will provide him with work until the end of his life. After all, then the musicians were not free creators, they wrote what they were ordered, and each piece had to correspond to the rigid framework of musical forms.

Hard way

Even very gifted people should try to preserve and develop their given abilities. This applied to Wolfgang Mozart. It was his family, especially his father, who raised in him a reverent attitude to his work. And the fact that the listener does not notice the work invested by the composer makes his legacy even more valuable.

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