Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart (1791-1844)
Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart was the youngest child of the legendary composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his wife, Constanze. Born in Vienna on July 26, 1791, he was the younger of only two of their six children to survive into adulthood. His famous father died just five months after his birth, leaving him with a monumental legacy to bear.
Musical Education and Career
Recognizing his potential, his mother Constanze was determined to provide him with the finest musical education. He studied with some of the most respected musicians of the era, including Antonio Salieri and
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Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart (1791-1844)
Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart was the youngest child of the legendary composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his wife, Constanze. Born in Vienna on July 26, 1791, he was the younger of only two of their six children to survive into adulthood. His famous father died just five months after his birth, leaving him with a monumental legacy to bear.
Musical Education and Career
Recognizing his potential, his mother Constanze was determined to provide him with the finest musical education. He studied with some of the most respected musicians of the era, including Antonio Salieri and Johann Nepomuk Hummel. To capitalize on his heritage, he was often billed professionally as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Jr.
Franz Xaver became a talented composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher. He spent a significant portion of his career, from 1808 to 1838, working in Lemberg (now Lviv, Ukraine) and the surrounding region. There, he was a highly respected musical figure, founding the city's first secular school of music. He later returned to Vienna, where he continued to compose and teach.
Living in His Father's Shadow
His compositions, which include piano concertos, chamber music, and songs, are well-crafted pieces in a style that bridges the late Classical and early Romantic periods. However, he spent his entire life overshadowed by his father's genius. He was deeply aware of this, often feeling a mix of pride and pressure. A testament to this is how he sometimes signed his works: "W. A. Mozart, Fils" (son).
Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart never married and had no children. He died from stomach cancer on July 29, 1844, while visiting the spa town of Karlsbad (now Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic). With his death, the direct line of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart came to an end.
