The Downfall of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Mozart is still recognized as one of the greatest musicians of all times, but his lack of discipline as a child led to his downfall. The pinnacle of Mozart’s success ended at an early age, but even earlier, he was thought to be a melodious mastermind. For such a gifted man with such a caring father, he made many terrible decisions throughout his life. Mozart’s unpopularity was caused by his musical genius. Though greatly appreciated today, in his time, the pieces he performed were very divisive.

Touring Europe as a child, the young and talented Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was observed to be a musical mastermind because of his gifts as a piano player and as a composer. He traveled around Europe with his father, Leopold Mozart, and his sister, Maria Anna, who was also a child prodigy. Wolfgang began writing his own music at a very young age: at the age of four, Mozart wrote his first concerto, age seven, his first symphony, and at age 12, his first opera, which is said to be “Apollo et Hyacinthus.” After performing an opera, “La Finta Semplice” (The Simple Pretense), at the palace of the Archbishop of Salzburg, he was appointed concertmaster. Moreover, Mozart never made copies of his work. He would simply hear music in his head, and write it down, making no corrections. This ingenious gift, made him a bit to cocky for his own good.

Though he was given opportunities many would dream for, he was a very careless and somewhat a smug chap. Much of his pride led him to his money problems. He believed he should be given jobs without questioning. He was unwilling to apply for a position; he thought he was the best man for the job. Also, Mozart was to some extent a womanizer. This made him unpopular with some of the female society. In particular, he had a serious drug and alcohol problem. He always seemed to be out drinking and partying. Many of his problems led to his early death at age thirty-five. A person should be grateful for the gifts they have. It is a common courtesy, but Mozart left a bad impression upon many people in his day because of his cockiness.

Today, Mozart’s works are greatly appreciated, but during his time they were considered to be very controversial, which drove the public away. One of the operas he composed, “The Marriage of Figaro,” was banned in the country he wanted to compose in, but this did not stop him from performing it anyway. This angered many of the people. That opera, Don Giovanni, was said to have been written by Mozart, partly to portray the death of his father. The opera was very long, and bored many people. In the end, it was performed only five times. Mozart became so unpopular with the aristocratic class; he was reduced to performing in theaters for the common people. He went from a high roller, to a low class composer in a matter of months. No matter what he was told, he refused to listen, even as an adult, Mozart still acted like a child when he refused to listen to people’s helpful advice.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born a child prodigy, and died a penny-less pauper. Thanks to the guidance of his father, he could be recognized as a brilliant person from the time of his childhood. He was so lucky to have what he had, but he struggled throughout his life due to his carelessness. Mozart’s music is loved by many today, but since his mind was set ahead of his times when he was alive, his works grew most unpopular with the well paying class. Great people come and go, but it is ashamed he his unsuccessfulness was due to his lack of discipline when he was a child.