Happy birthday, Wolfgang!

Today is our favorite composer's birthday! To celebrate this special day, I decided to make free desktop and iPhone backgrounds for my readers. To use, simply click on the picture, then right click and select "Set as Desktop Background". Please share with your friends on Facebook and Twitter!

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Happy Birthday!

        Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart was born 258 years ago today to his father Leopold, his mother Anna Maria and his sister Nannerl. The child was small and sickly; many feared he wouldn't make it through the night. His mother had trouble delivering the placenta and almost died herself. Both grew stronger each day however; the baby growing to become one of the greatest composers this world has ever known.
        In Germany and Austria, especially back in the 18th century, birthdays were not celebrated so much as "Name Days," the feast of the child's patron Saint. Mozart most likely would have been given a greater celebration on October 31, the feast of Saint Wolfgang even though he was traditionally given the first name of the Saint on whose feast he was born, Saint John Chrysostom.
        Here is a brief video showing the apartment where Mozart was born. If you have been fortunate enough to have seen this in real life, I would love to hear about it! Please leave a comment below!

       

Mozart the Patriot

     Happy Independence Day! Although Mozart was not American, he was very much devoted to his own country and people. I thought that today would be a fitting day to share a bit of his patriotism.
     In a letter to his father, written on November 24, 1781, Mozart speaks of a concert he had recently given:

The two of us played a sonata [K. 381] that I had composed for the occasion, and which had a success. This sonata I shall send you by Herr von Daubrawaick, who said that he would feel proud to have it in his trunk; his son, who is a Salzburger, told me this. When the father went he said, quite loud, "I am proud to be your countryman. You are doing great honor to Salzburg; I hope that times will so change that we can have you amongst us, and then do not forget me." I answered: "My fatherland has always the first claim on me."

     Although German culture was not dominant during his time, Mozart nevertheless felt such a great sense of duty to and pride for his country, which he honored through his music. In a letter to his father, written on May 29, 1778 in Paris, he said:

Frequently I fall into a mood of complete listlessness and indifference; nothing gives me great pleasure. The most stimulating and encouraging thought is that you, dearest father, and my dear sister, are well, that I am an honest German, and that if I am not always permitted to talk I can think what I please; but that is all.

     No doubt Mozart's intense love for his country inspired some of his finest works and helped him to always strive to be the best musician he possibly could.

Happy Birthday, Wolfgang!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to the world's greatest composer,

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart!

Amadeus DVD Giveaway Drawing!

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Hurry...Contest ends January 22, 2012!

Merry Christmas!

May the Child Jesus bless you abundantly

this Christmas season and throughout the new year.

Christmas Dreams Come True...

A very special thank-you to my friend Meredith for this

incredibly awesome Christmas gift -- a Mozart PEZ dispenser!!!

You made one of my biggest dreams come true! 

:)

Happy Birthday, Salieri!

Today, Antonio Salieri would have been 261 years old!
He was 6 years older than Mozart.

       Antonio Salieri was an Italian composer who lived during the same time as Mozart. He was a great teacher, most notably in voice. In performance and composition, he trained some very famous people: Franz Liszt, Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert and Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart.

       While the play and 1984 film Amadeus fictionalizes almost every aspect of the real composer's life, one humorous fact that was kept as part of Salieri's character was his great love of sugar. Once as a child, Salieri ran away from home to hear his older brother play the violin at a church. His father told them that if he ran away again, he would lock him in his room for a whole day with nothing to eat but bread and water. This didn't scare Salieri; planning to run away yet again, he hid a sack of sugar in his room. As long as he had sugar, he was fine with being locked in his room! The plan didn't work out too well however, since before he left, he told his sister of his secret. His sister then told his mother, who told his father, who took the sugar out of his room before he came back. Poor Salieri found himself locked in his room for the day, with nothing but bread and water!

       When he was 24 years old, Salieri began to work as the imperial royal chamber composer for Emporer Joseph II of Austria. He was also appointed Kapellmeister to the Italian opera.

       In 1775, when he was 25 years old, Salieri met his future wife, Therese von Helfersdorfer. Before he could marry her, Salieri had to prove to her guardian (whom her deceased father had appointed) that he was able to care for her finacially. When Therese's guardian found that Salieri could only count on 100 ducats annually, he turned him down. Emporer Joseph II heard of Salieri's problem, and raised his salary to 300 ducats a year! Salieri returned to Therese's guardian, who then consented to the marriage, which eventually produced 8 children.

       In his lifetime, Salieri composed 37 operas; his most famous probably being Axur, re d'Ormus, which in its time was performed more times than Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro or Don Giovanni. He also composed concertos, Masses, and several other Sacred works.

       Contrary to what most people have been led to believe, Salieri was not a poor composer, nor was he jealous of Mozart's gifts (at least not jealous enough to plot murder!).

       It has been said that as an old man, Salieri confessed to the murder of Mozart and tried to commit suicide. If he ever did confess to such a crime, let it be noted that during this time, Salieri suffered dimentia and was admitted to a mental hospital.

       Salieri died on May 7, 1825.

Antonio Salieri - Axur re d'Ormus - Finale

(1788)

Mozart's Wedding Day

Wolfgang and Constanze were married on

August 4, 1782 in Vienna, at Saint Stephen's Cathedral.

Wolfgang and Constanze's marriage certificate.



Saint Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna.




The inside of Saint Stephen's Cathedral. 



They had a very happy marriage together. Wolfgang's letters to Constanze -- written either while he was out pursuing work, or while she was at the spa in Baden -- remain tender, loving, and even a bit silly up until the last one.

For instance, on April 13, 1789 while he was in Dresden, Wolfgang wrote a letter to Constanze and told her of all the silly things he would do with her little portrait while he was away from her:

If I were to tell you all the things that I do with your portrait, you would laugh heartily. For instance when I take it out of its prison house I say "God bless you, Stanzerl! God bless you, you little rascal, -- Krallerballer -- Sharpnose -- little Bagatelle!" And when I put it back I let it slip down slowly and gradually and say "Nu, -- Nu, -- Nu, -- Nu;" but with the emphasis which this highly significant word demands, and at the last, quickly: "Good-night, little Mouse, sleep well!" Now, I suppose, I have written down a lot of nonsense (at least so the world would think); but for us, who love each other so tenderly, it isn't altogether silly.

Then, on July 7, 1791, just five months before his death, Wolfgang wrote to his wife who was at the spa in Baden:

You can not imagine how slowly time goes when you are not with me! I can't describe the feeling; there is a sort of sense of emptiness, which hurts -- a certain longing which can not be satisfied, and hence never ends, but grows day by day. When I remember how childishly merry we were in Baden, and what mournful, tedious hours I pass here, my work gives me no pleasure, because it is not possible as was my wont, to chat a few words with you when stopping for a moment. If I go to the Clavier and sing something from the opera [Die Zauberflöte] I must stop at once because of my emotions. -- Basta!

No doubt, August 4, 1782 remained one of the happiest memories in Wolfgang and Constanze's lives.

Happy Birthday, Nannerl!

Nannerl in 1763, wearing a dress given to her by
Empress Maria Theresa when she and Wolfgang performed for her.

Mozart's sister, Maria Anna Walburga Ignatia Mozart, or Nannerl for short, was born on July 30, 1751 in Salzburg. She was the fourth child born to Leopold and Anna Maria Mozart, but the first to survive infancy.

Nannerl was one of Mozart's greatest heroes. As a child he would watch her play the piano and take lessons from Leopold, and then he would try to play her pieces. Like her brother, Nannerl was a child prodigy, but since she was a woman, she couldn't pursue a career like him. 

On August 23, 1783, Nannerl married twice-widowed Johann Baptist Franz von Berchtold zu Sonnenburg and moved to St. Gilgen (the town where her mother was born). She took care of his five children and eventually had three of her own, two daughters and one son. 

Nannerl in 1785.

Wolfgang often composed piano duets to perform with his sister while they were young. In 1765, at nine years old, he composed this piece, which the two performed together:

On October 29, 1829, Nannerl passed away in Salzburg, where she lived after her husband died in 1801. 

Happy Birthday, Wolfgang, Jr.!

Mozart's youngest son, Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart (also known as Wolfgang, Jr.), was born on July 26, 1791 in Vienna, around five months before his father's death. Franz Xaver's never really getting to know his father seemed to have no impact on his veneration for him. His whole life, Franz Xaver had a great devotion to his father's music. He not only inherited Mozart's love for music; he became a fine composer/musician himself, studying under several teachers...most notably Antonio Salieri. 

In this video, one can certainly hear whose son he is! This is Franz Xaver Mozart's Violin Sonata in B Flat Major, 3rd Movement, Presto.

Franz Xaver passed away on July 29, 1844 in Karlsbad. His veneration for his father was so great that his tombstone reads:

May the name of his father be his epitaph, as his veneration for him was the essence of his life.

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to all fathers everywhere!

Johann Georg Leopold Mozart

November 14, 1719 - May 28, 1787

Mozart's father Leopold was born on November 14, 1719 in Augsburg, Germany. He was very serious and extremely dedicated to his two children, especially his son. He was a very talented composer and violinist, and became famous throughout Europe when he published a book on how to play the instrument the same year that Wolfgang was born.

Leopold contributed greatly to his children's abilities, not just musically, but also academically, as he was both music instructor and teacher to his Wunderkinder as they toured all of Europe. 

In April of 1787, Leopold became seriously ill, and on May 28th of that year, he passed away in Salzburg, Austria.

Guten Appetit!

For a while now, I had been wanting to try wiener schnitzel to see how it tasted. Being an avid Mozart fan, I take great pride in my German and Austrian ancestry! I decided to celebrate my heritage and made wiener schnitzel and German potato salad for dinner. It was served with sparkling red grape juice -- a very cheap substitute for wine -- since Austria is known for its sweet red wine.

I decided to go all-traditional and made the schnitzel with veal cutlets.

I made breadcrumbs simply by toasting some hot dog buns and crumbling them up.

The schnitzel was ....... simply delicious.

The potato salad was delicious as well. I normally don't like

potato salad (or potatoes in general), but this salad had a wonderful taste.

The recipes...

I got these recipes by searching around online.

Wiener Schnitzel - Viennese Breaded Cutlet

Serves: 4 (1 per person)

Ingredients:

4 veal cutlets, pounded to 1/4" thickness (you can also use chicken or pork if you wish)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

2 eggs

Oil or lard for frying

Set up 3 shallow dishes. Place flour, salt and pepper in one, and breadcrumbs in another. Beat eggs well and place in the third dish.

Heat at least 1/4" oil in large frying pan to 350°F.

Working one at a time, dredge cutlets first in flour until the surface is completely dry. Dip in egg to coat, allow the excess to drip off for a few seconds and then roll quickly in the breadcrumbs until coated. Do not press breadcrumbs into the meat. The crust should not adhere completely, but form a loose shell around the schnitzel. Place meat immediately in the pan with the hot oil. Do not crowd the pan. Cook the schnitzel in batches, if necessary.

Fry the schnitzel for 3-4 minutes on one side. You may want to swish them around a little with your fork to make sure they are not sticking to the pan. Turn them over once and fry until both sides are golden brown. Remove from pan, allow the oil to drain off, place on a plate with lemon wedge and potato salad and serve.

German Potato Salad

Serves: 12-14

Ingredients:

8 medium potatoes

1 medium onion

1.5 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

2 tbsp vinegar (red wine or apple cider, to give it a better flavor)

1 tsp. sugar

1/2 - 3/4 cup boiled water

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. mayonnaise

Chives (to taste)

3 boiled eggs

Boil the potatoes in their skins and cook until they are still a little firm. Do not peel the potatoes before boiling them, as the flavor will disappear. While they are still hot, peel them, then finely slice them into a bowl. 

Add finely diced onion, salt, pepper, sugar and vinegar. Add boiled hot water. Mix together and leave to stand for at least 15 to 30 minutes.

The recipe says here to add enough boiled water so that there is a small amount of liquid visible in the bowl once everything has been mixed together. If too much water is added the potato salad will become soggy. Check for excess liquid halfway through standing time and drain off if necessary.

After the standing time, add two boiled and chopped eggs, olive oil and mayonnaise to the potato salad. Mix together.

Slice the remaining egg and garnish along with chives. Mix together just prior to serving.

**The longer the potato salad is left to stand, the better tasting it becomes!**

Guten Appetit!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all Mothers everywhere!

Anna Maria (Pertl) Mozart

December 25, 1720 – July 3, 1778

Mozart took after his mother Anna Maria. He resembled her in face and in character.

Anna Maria was born in Sankt Gilgen, Salzburg, and died in Paris, France while her son was there looking for employment.  

Hallelujah!

Happy Easter, everyone!
I don't think anyone can say this better, however, than Georg Friedrich Händel in his Hallelujah Chorus from his oratorio, Messiah...

The Seven Last Words of Christ

Today this show was being played on television in remembrance of Christ's Passion and death. I didn't catch the opening credits and therefore didn't know exactly who the composer was. As I listened, I thought, "This is either Händel or Haydn (a very good friend of Mozart's, who inspired him in many ways). Händel, because it is a religious theme, or Haydn, because it sounds like Mozart, but it isn't quite him." Soon I decided that it wasn't Händel because it didn't sound Baroque in the least. So, it must be Haydn...and it was!

This is Haydn's "The Seven Last Words of Christ".
I didn't upload these videos, but I gathered them into a playlist on YouTube for you to enjoy and meditate on.

May God bless you this Good Friday!

Happy Birthday, Bach!

Today is the birthday of the man I like to call the "Father of Music"...

Johann Sebastian Bach.

Johann Sebastian Bach was born 326 years ago in Germany. He had a very interesting life.

At a young age, his older brother taught him to play the organ. It wasn't long before Bach was better at playing than his brother!

At one point in his life, he was even imprisoned for writing music for one king while he was working for another.

He had 20 children -- seven with his first wife, Maria Barbara (who died in 1720), and thirteen with his second wife, Anna Magdalena (unfortunately, only six of these children would survive to adulthood). Two of his children became very famous composers themselves: Philipp Emanuel Bach and Johann Christian Bach, who would later teach young Mozart.

Due to illness Bach lost his sight shortly before he died and underwent an unsuccessful eye surgery to regain it. He died at the age of 65 in the year 1750.  

Below is a recent computer construction of what Bach may have really looked like:

Baptism!

On this day, 255 years ago, Mozart was baptized and received the name

Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart.

This is Saint Rupert Cathedral's record of the day. It shows his full name, and other information that is written in German (and I can't speak German...).

Happy Baptism Day, Mozart!

Happy 255th Birthday, Mozart!