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Listen&Learn: Wolfgang Mozart

Posted by: Jaksyn Peacock

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

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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

Written and recorded by Jaksyn Peacock for EnglishClub

© EnglishClub.com

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5 comments

• English Club Indonesia says:
  

  Many artists were famous in their time, but they didn’t know how to manage the money they had earned. Some of these were women artists. Most of these women had to give up their careers early because societal pressure dictated that they had to get married after a certain age. Their talent became wasted. Their names could have been as famous as other male artists if only they had kept continuing on their path.

• Lyudmila says:
  

  It was one of the greatest composers of the world. You feel it especially clear, if you listen to his music in your childhood. As I learned his works at teachers’ college, when I was 17 years old, I didn’t think about technik, the music fascinated me so much, that I was often sitting without any other thoughts and feelings, being highly impressed by charming melodies and their ideas.I sometimes try to play his music yet. I hope my granddaughter will like Mozart’s music, too, as much, as I did.

• Amal says:
  

  Honestly in the beginning I didn’t understand the article and don’t like it after few times I had listened I enjoyed so mush and I feel sorry for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart,he died in ab early age with ill .and he was poor . that’s mean even if the person has talent prodigy may will die without anything earned.

• Padmavathi says:
  

  After he died what happened to his sister

• Joseph GLON says:
  

  All famous person die without becoming rich It’s a sad destiny
  Life is rude for them
  thy don’t inherate the fruit of their talents
  A wink from France