January’s composer of the month is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Born: January 27, 1756
Died: December 5, 1791
Five facts:
• Mozart was baptized with the name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart. His parents and older sister called him "Wolfie" for short.
• Wolfgang could write music before he could write words. It is believed that he composed his first pieces at age four or five.
• The composer wrote over 600 pieces over the course of his life, including symphonic and chamber works, operas, and works for choir.
• The last opera Mozart composed was The Magic Flute, which premiered in September, 1791 — three months before his death.
• Researchers have come up with around 118 hypotheses as to what caused Mozart's death, including influenza, rheumatic fever, trichinosis, kidney failure, and mercury poisoning.
Three important works:
• Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major (1786)
• Don Giovanni (1787)
• Symphony No. 41 in C major ("Jupiter") (1788)
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