‘Bastien und Bastienne:’ Mozart’s First Opera

Commentary Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is remembered as one of the greatest musical geniuses of all time. His compositions are still revered as among the best classical music ever written. Part of Mozart’s legacy surrounds his early death, which makes his tremendous output even more impressive. It’s not surprising that he wrote so much during his 35 years of life, however, when you consider how early he started. Mozart is one of the foremost examples of a child prodigy. Since he came from a musical family, his genius was recognized earlier than it might have been under different circumstances. His father, Leopold Mozart, was a composer himself, as well as a violinist and music teacher. Wolfgang Amadeus was the youngest of seven children, but he and his sister Maria, better known as Nannerl, were the only ones to survive past infancy....