Listen&Learn: Wolfgang Mozart

Learn about one of the greatest composers in history.

Pre-listening vocabulary

• composer: someone who writes musical pieces
• prodigy: someone who is unusually skilled, especially at a young age
• tour: to travel to different places to perform a show
• talented: having impressive abilities
• struggle: to have problems or difficulties
• financial: relating to money

Listening activity

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:16 — 1.2MB)

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Gapfill exercise

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was an Austrian composer. He was born in Salzburg in 1756. His father, Leopold, was a violinist, and he taught Mozart to play and write from a very young age. Mozart was a child prodigy. He began composing when he was only five years old. When he was seven, he began touring Europe with his older , who was also very talented. He composed over 600 pieces in his lifetime. Even though he was famous for his work, Mozart struggled financially later in his life. He also became while writing Requiem in D Minor, his final piece. He died when he was only 35, and Requiem in D Minor was left .

Comprehension questions

See answers below

1. Mozart was born in
   a. Salzburg
   b. Vienna
   c. Linz
   
2. Mozart’s father was a professional
   a. conductor
   b. violinist
   c. pianist
   
3. When Mozart was seven,
   a. he learned to play the piano
   b. he composed his first pieces
   c. he started touring Europe

Discussion/essay questions

1. Why do you think so many great artists fail to make money?
2. Wolfgang’s sister, Nannerl, was also a musical prodigy. However, because she was a woman, she had to give up her career once she was old enough to get married. Do you think the world would look very different today if women’s work was valued in history? Why or why not?

Transcript

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was an Austrian composer. He was born in Salzburg in 1756. His father, Leopold, was a professional violinist, and he taught Mozart to play and write music from a very young age. Mozart was a child prodigy. He began composing when he was only five years old. When he was seven, he began touring Europe with his older sister, who was also very talented. He composed over 600 pieces in his lifetime. Even though he was famous for his work, Mozart struggled financially later in his life. He also became ill while writing Requiem in D Minor, his final piece. He died when he was only 35, and Requiem in D Minor was left unfinished.

Answers to comprehension questions

1a 2b 3c