Mozart – The child genius

 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born January 1756 in Salzburg. He started playing the piano at a very early age and it turned out he was pretty good at what he was doing. Wolfgang turned out to be so good that already at the age of six his father took him on a tour around Europe. Not only did he play well but he was also good at composing symphonies and sonatas etc. One of his first compositions is the symphony no.1 in E-flat major. I got quite astonished by listening to this composition and realizing that Mozart was only eight years old when composed it.

Now the question is, is it morally right to make a child travel around the world and playing music? Or would it be ok if the child agrees to it and actually likes it?

First of all I think that by being able to do all of this you must have an interest for it. I don’t think that his father forced him to keep playing against his will, although he might have been pushed to practice both consistently and frequently. Another sign of that he enjoyed playing and composing is that he did it throughout his life. Then negative to this is that he didn’t have much of a youth, since he started “working” at a very early age.

So was it a good or a bad thing letting Mozart become a professional composer at a early age? I think that it was good, there wouldn’t be any of his early compositions if he wouldn’t have started at that early age. Perhaps he might even not have become a composer if he wouldn’t have started early. Mozart is in my opinion one of the greatest composers ever (just after Beethoven).

/Daniel S Wong


Kommentarer
Postat av: Lia

Very nice article!

I think that to the rest of the world at least, it was good that he started composing etc. at such an early age, as we would never have been able to enjoy his music otherwise(at least not all of it)!

However, I don't think it's right to push such a young kid to such an extent. Mozart probably enjoyed composing music and playing etc., but there are many parents who puch their kids to be the best at something which the parents like, but which the kids doesn't like. This can be a sort of abuse, since the parent often "mold" their child's life in order to fit it around this interest, in Mozart's case composing. However, there is no way for us to know for sure if Mozart actually wanted this himself or if his parents simply wanted it!

Again, excellent article!

2011-04-06 @ 11:59:43
Postat av: Sebastian C

My opinion is that it is okay, as long as the child agrees on doing it, and enjoys it. But it is vital for the child to get an education as well. You wrote that he clearly enjoyed it as he played throughout his life, but what if he only kept going because it was the only thing he was capable of? If he didn't get an education maybe he was too afraid to start on something new, and kept playing because it was the only way for him to make a living.



In this case I am kind of glad that he traveled around Europe and made his name famous, because he is indeed one of the greatest composers of all time. I think that classical music have a higher standard than todays music. If you compare a classical piece of music sheet and a work from today you will notice the difference, it is sad that the standard have sunken so deep.



Great article btw!

2011-04-06 @ 12:06:51
Postat av: Olof

Very good article Daniel!



My opinion is that Mozart was an extraordinary boy with a gift beyond reckoning. When he lived, it was acceptable that he went all over Europe to perform, but with today’s eyes, I am not sure. It is quite harsh to push a young child to the limit. We have to remember that Mozart’s career was quite short, and he died at a young age, after he had been suffering with a poor economy for a while. If he had had a real education, maybe he would have learnt how to take care of himself and how to not behave. If this had happened, maybe we would have even more music around us from Mozart nowadays. So in the long term, I think it is better to have an education, and I think Mozart is a great example of that. What do you think?

2011-04-07 @ 17:04:10
Postat av: Daniel

Thank you for your replies!

I agree with that he might have survived longer if he had got an education and would have been able to write more music, but then still the songs he wrote at a young age would be gone and perhaps he wouldn't have had the same "music spirit" if he would've studied before starting to work as a composer.

2011-04-07 @ 20:04:56
Postat av: Sebastian C

Olof, even though he died at a young age, he wrote over 1000 works. And as Daniel says, if he would have written even more the works from his youth might have been forgotten.

Of course I do not wish any human being's death, but what if his reputation would have been destroyed if he had lived longer, and lowered his standard because he became tired of composing and had no education to lean back on?

2011-04-08 @ 11:31:58
Postat av: jakob lundén

Everyone that have reached the top in all kind of branches has put a lot of affort to actually reach it. I think there were much more people than Mozart that practised that much but while he were something special he could write a first composition that early. Some people just have it even if practise also is important is Talent something you should take care of and not waste away and therefore am I in the same opinion that it isn't wrong to start in that young age.

2011-04-13 @ 14:07:34

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