Mozart, Franz Xaver Wolfgang
Mozart, Franz Xaver Wolfgang
Mozart, Franz Xaver Wolfgang, Austrian pianist and composer, son of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and often called by his father’s name; b. Vienna, July 26, 1791; d. Carlsbad, July 29, 1844. He studied piano with F. Niemetschek in Prague while living with the Dusek family, then continued his training with S. Neukomm, Andreas Steicher, Hummel, Salieri, G. Vogler, and Albrechtsberger in Vienna. After a period as a teacher in Lemberg and environs (1807–19), he embarked upon a major tour of Europe as a pianist (1819–21). He then returned to Lemberg as a teacher (1822), receiving additional instruction in counterpoint from Johann Mederitsch or Gallus (1826); that same year he organized the Lemberg Cäcilien-Chor. He settled in Vienna (1838) and was named honorary Kapellmeister of the Dom-Musik- Verein and the Mozarteum in Salzburg (1841); was made maestro compositore onorario of Rome’s Congregazione ed Accademica Santa Cecilia (1842). As a composer, he revealed a gift for pianistic writing.
Works
orch.: 2 piano concertos: C major, op.14 (publ in Leipzig, 1809; ed. by R. Angermüller, Salzburg, 1972), and E-flat major, op.25 (publ, in Leipzig, 1818); Konzertvariationen for Piano and Orch. (1820); Sinfonia in D major; 12 Minuets and Trios (1808). chamber: Piano Quintet, op.l (1802; ed. in Diletto musicale, no. 180, Vienna, 1966); Sei piccoli pezzi for Flute and 2 Horns, op. 11 (1808); 2 violin sonatas: B-flat major, op.7 (1808), and F major, op.15 (1813); Grande Sonate in E major for Violin or Cello, and Piano, op.19 (1820; ed. by W. Boettcher for Cello, Mainz, 1969); Rondo (Sonate) for Flute and Piano (ed. by R. Ermeler, Wilhelmshaven, 1962). piano: Sonata, op.10 (1808); 12 Polonaises, op.17 (c. 1815), op.22 (1820), and op.26 (c. 1821); 11 sets of variations; also 4 cantatas, including 1 for Haydn’s birthday (1805; not extant); several unaccompanied choral pieces; songs.
Bibliography
J. Fischer, W.A. M. (Sohn): Eine biographische Skizze, sowie zwei bisher unbekannte Briefe Mozart’s (Vater)(Carlsbad, c. 1888).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis Mclntire