Famous Austrians - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Today I have to switch from Germans to Austrians. But as Germans often consider Austria to be the 17th state of Germany, there seems to be no big difference. In winter Germans come over the Austrian ski slopes like grasshoppers and maybe there are more Germans in that country than Austrians in this time. As Austria has about 8,2 Mio. inhabitants about 10% of the German population would have to be skiing. Well, why not?

But my thoughts are drifting. I wanted to write about Mr. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. We will celebrate his 250th birthday on January 27th.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (January 27, 1756 – December 5, 1791) is among the most significant and enduringly popular composers of European classical music. His enormous output includes works that are widely acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music. Many of his works are part of the standard concert repertory and are widely recognized as masterpieces of the classical style. This is what Wikipedia has to say.

What can I say concerning personal experiences with Mozart?

I started playing clarinet when I was 12 years old and also played in a band for several years. So it was obvious that I discovered Mozart's clarinet concerto after a certain while.
It is number 622 of the famous Köchel catalogue of Mozart's compositions. I have listened to it several times and I absolutely adore it. Mozart composed it only three months before he died in Vienna.

I have visited Salzburg once, the town where he was born, and it breathes Mozart out of every pore. What better place to celebrate Mozart’s birthday then where everything started 250 years ago? In Salzburg, where the atmosphere and environment made Mozart’s development into a child prodigy possible. In Salzburg he composed more than 350 of his most riveting works.
You can try the famous Mozartkugel, Austria’s most renowned chocolate delicacy as well. Only if you like marzipan of course.

Maybe we should just listen to one of his famous operas once in a while and feel his genius that is still alive. After 250 years most of them still sound modern. The Zauberflöte is my favourite. Many of the melodies are highly familiar, and include the Papageno/Papagena duet and the coloratura aria, "Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen" ("The vengeance of Hell is in my heart"), often referred to as the "Queen of the Night" aria, which reaches a high f6. Whatever this means!