Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Musical prodigy, supreme melodist
Most quoted
"Since death, when we come to consider it closely, is the true goal of our existence, I have for the past few years made myself so familiar with this truest best friend of mankind that its image is not only no longer terrifying to me, but is indeed very soothing and consoling! And I thank my God for graciously granting me the opportunity of learning that death is the key which unlocks the door to our true happiness. I never lie down at night without reflecting that I may not see the next morning, and yet not one of all my acquaintances could say that I am morose or a bad companion. I daily thank my Creator for this happy disposition and heartily wish that all my fellow-creatures might enjoy it."
— from Letter to his father, 1787
"When I am traveling in a carriage, or walking after a good meal, or during the night when I cannot sleep; it is on such occasions that ideas flow best and most abundantly. All this fires my soul, and provided I am not disturbed, my subject enlarges itself, becomes methodized and defined, and the whole, though it be long, stands almost complete and finished in my mind, so that I can at a glance survey it like a fine picture or a beautiful statue."
— from Letter to his father
"I cannot write poetry; I am not a poet. I cannot arrange the parts of speech with such art as to produce effects of light and shade, for I am not a painter. Even by signs and gestures I cannot express my thoughts and feelings, for I am not a dancer. But I can do so by means of sounds, for I am a musician."
— from Attributed
All quotes by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (304)
The art of music is so simple and beautiful that it can be learned by anyone.
I have no money, no resources, and I am quite alone here.
Let us be thankful for the fools who make us laugh.
My work is my life, and my life is my work.
In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.
I am the king of composers.
Music should strike the listener in the heart.
I love to travel, but hate to arrive.
The genius of Mozart is the most formidable of all musical geniuses.
One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.
I am a vulgar man! But what is life without a little vulgarity?
My father is the greatest man I have ever known.
Composing is like breathing for me.
I wish you music to help with the burdens of life, and to help you release your happiness to others.
The magic is in the music, and the music is in the magic.
I have no enemies, except my own laziness.
Let the violins tremble with the archer's bow.
In death, as in life, I remain yours.
I never do anything without thinking about it. When I compose, I have the whole thing in my head.
When I am traveling in a carriage, or walking after a good meal, or in the night when I cannot sleep; it is on such occasions that ideas flow best and most abundantly.
Contemporaries of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Other Musics born within 50 years of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791).