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Michael D. Gillespie II
Prof. Witherspoon
English 102-01
5 November, 2014
Mozart a True Visionary
When it comes to music one name that will forever be brought up in conversation is
Mozart. His style of music affected many different genres, yet his most respected genre was
classical music. Like Bach, Haydn, and Beethoven, Mozart was a musical genius. Though his
music did not just stop when he died his music continues to be used and sampled my modern day
artists. His music is one of the must knows for any type of musician. For Mozart is one of the
fathers of classical music.
Mozart created many different compositions during his life span, such as operas,
sonatas, even symphonies. He was and still is one of the greatest musicians ever to be alive.
From a day today basis his music is used amongst many genres of music, from rap, rock, latin,
and even gospel. During his time there were only every two other men that could be thought to
be superior to him, Bach and Haydn both geniuses during their own time and many years
afterwards. At a very young age Mozart started playing and by the age of four he could play the
Clavier (Sherrane Robert). Though he was not the only person in his family to play an
instrument, his father Leopold played the violin, and his sister Nannerl was also a talented child
though her story ends quickly for she reached an age where she could no longer publicly
perform. Though Mozart did tour Europe while he was young with his father, where he
preformed for different venues ranging from apartments, to large room, to even music halls. The
money was not all that great, but it did not last for long.

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At the age of fifteen Mozart had already written twenty-five symphonies. This was just
the first sign that Mozart was on his way to great and better beginnings. He wrote many operas
that we still have and hear of some including, The Magic Flute, which Mozart actually created
while on a tour in Italy. He took in many of the different cultures styles and techniques into
mind while creating many of his operas, masses, and concertos (Taruskin, Richard) just going
to show the way that he adapted to a change in venue and area. Some time he performed in
courts for Royalty, other times he might play for a group of average Joes. In return he
incorporated so many expressions and different culture in to the music or composition that he
was performing.
Later in his life Mozart would meet with one of the other fathers of Classical music,
Haydn one of the only other men alive during this time to out shine Mozart. Though Haydn from
the point that he heard Mozart played he knew that Mozart would be one of the greats. Haydn
even stated, Before God and as an honest man I tell you that your son is the greatest composer
known to me in person or by name (The Composers) therefore if one of the greatest musician,
composer, and person in music gave a statement that not every man was told on a daily basis.
This statement just another way to show how Mozart himself would come to having an important
role into the history of music, even more so into the soul or embodiment of classical
music.Though unlike Bachs harmonic and radical style of music, Mozarts was thought to have
a natural flow that was not common in this time periods type of music, even more so the genre of
music that was being written. When looked at a natural flow can be seen in all modern day
music. Though can it be said that Mozarts style and work is what gave this natural flow in music
to todays music? Many would agree that his work in classical music could have a connection

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with how once radical music transformed into a way of smooth and connected harmonys filled
with emotions and expression.
With his fame from his operas, symphonies, concertos, choral works Mozart had become
an idol for inspiring composers, and young musicians. For example Beethoven was given two
weeks of lessons by Mozart (Interesting Facts), so now one father began to give a future father
of classical music lessons. It has also been seen that many of Mozarts styles had been projected
and passed on to Beethoven after their encounter. Yet another way of how Mozart would lead a
legacy behind him once he had gone from the world, just as Mozart was the legacy of Bach, and
Haydn.
Therefore Mozart was seen, and still is seen as one of the fathers of classical
composition, he was an Alpha in his genre of music. From the 1700s Mozarts music and style
has followed him through the centuries, and will continue to in the future. For as long as music
continues to evolve and expand the ideas that Mozart had taught and created evolves along with
the new styles. So while there may be other and copy cats of Mozart he will always be one of the
fathers of Classical music.

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Works Cited
Sherrane, Robert. "Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart." Music History 102. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Nov.
2014.
Taruskin, Richard. "Why Mozart Has Become an Icon for Today." The New York Times. The
New York Times, 08 Sept. 1990. Web. 07 Nov. 2014.
The Composers Voice: Mozart (n.d.): n. pag. Web.
<http://global.oup.com/us/companion.websites/9780195097627/pdf/sample_chapter_14.p
df.
"Interesting Facts About Mozart -." Biography Online. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.biographyonline.net/music/facts-mozart.html>