W.+A.+Mozart


 * [[image:Mozart.jpg width="128" height="189" align="left" caption="W.A. Mozart"]][|Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart]** was known as a musical genius or in German //Wunderkind// which means “wonder-child or child prodigy”. He started playing the keyboard at the age of three and he was already composing music while other children were just learning to read. When he was five he composed piano pieces. By nine years of age he was writing symphonies, and he completed his first opera at the age of twelve.

Mozart was born in Salzburg, Austria in 1756. His father whose name was Leopold was also a composer and a violin teacher. Mozart never went to school but his father home-schooled him, teaching him languages (English, French, Latin and Italian) as well as geography, history, math. Mozart really liked math – and of course, music!

Mozart had a sister whose name was Nannerl. He liked playing duets on the keyboard with her. He was very close to his mother and when he went away he wrote her many letters.

=__Mozart’s Favourite Hobbies and Games__= Mozart loved games of all sorts. He knew many card tricks and he also liked card playing, bowling, charades, fencing, and hose back riding. He liked to keep dogs, cats, and birds as pets. He once owned a starling who could sing the main tune from one of his piano concertos.

=__Featured work: “Ah, Que je dirais maman”__= You will all recognize the theme of this composition as being the folk song. “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”. Mozart used this melody as the basis of his Theme and Variations. In a theme and variations, the melody is altered or changed. One could alter a melody by: [|Tour Mozart's Birthplace] Check out the National Arts Center Orchestra and their pages on [|Mozart.] media type="custom" key="541833" width="228" height="132" media type="custom" key="541849" width="224" height="123" [|Radio Broadcasts about Mozart]
 * Changing the tempo by making it faster or slower.
 * Changing the dynamics by making it louder (forte) or softer (piano)
 * Altering the articulation by making it smooth (legato) or jumpy (staccato)
 * Changing the key from major to minor
 * Changing the instruments that play
 * Ornamenting the melody (adding trills)
 * Adding different kinds of accompaniments (chordal or alberti bass)
 * Changing the time signature