Editing Leopold Mozart (section)

===Early music career===
[[File:Anna Maria Mozart.jpg|thumb|upright|Anna Maria Pertl Mozart, wife of Leopold]]
[[File:Wolfgang-amadeus-mozart 2.jpg|thumb|upright|W. A. Mozart in 1763]]
In 1740, Mozart began his career as a professional musician, becoming violinist and valet to one of the university's canons, Johann Baptist, Count of [[Thurn und Taxis|Thurn-Valsassina and Taxis]]. This was also the year of his first musical publication, the six Trio Sonatas, Opus 1.<ref name="Solomon 1995, 23" /> These were titled ''Sonate sei da chiesa e da camera''; Leopold did the work of copper engraving himself.<ref name=Grove-1 /> He continued to compose, producing a series of German Passion cantatas.<ref name=Grove-1 />{{Refn|In music a [[Passion (music)|Passion]] tells the story of the last days of Jesus, as in [[Johann Sebastian Bach|J. S. Bach]]'s ''[[St Matthew Passion]]''|group=n}}

In 1747, he married [[Anna Maria Mozart|Anna Maria Pertl]], who bore him seven children, although only two of them survived past infancy:<ref>[http://roglo.eu/roglo?lang=en;p=maria+anna;n=pertl;], [[GeneWeb|Genealogical database]] by [[:fr:Daniel de Rauglaudre|Daniel de Rauglaudre]]. (retrieved January 27, 2025)</ref>
* Johann Leopold Joachim (August 18, 1748 – February 2, 1749)<ref>[http://www.mozarteum.at/en/mozart-life-and-work/mozarts-calender.html?suche=&jahr=1748 Mozart Day by Day: 1748] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140225221342/http://www.mozarteum.at/en/mozart-life-and-work/mozarts-calender.html?suche=&jahr=1748 |date=February 25, 2014 }}, [[Mozarteum]]</ref><ref name=DbD1749>[http://www.mozarteum.at/en/mozart-life-and-work/mozarts-calender.html?suche=&jahr=1749 Mozart Day by Day: 1749] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140225221224/http://www.mozarteum.at/en/mozart-life-and-work/mozarts-calender.html?suche=&jahr=1749 |date=February 25, 2014 }}, Mozarteum</ref>
* Maria Anna Cordula (June 18, 1749 – June 24, 1749)<ref name=DbD1749 />
* Maria Anna Nepomucena Walpurgis (May 13, 1750 – July 29, 1750)<ref>[http://www.mozarteum.at/en/mozart-life-and-work/mozarts-calender.html?suche=&jahr=1750 Mozart Day by Day: 1750] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140225221339/http://www.mozarteum.at/en/mozart-life-and-work/mozarts-calender.html?suche=&jahr=1750 |date=February 25, 2014 }}, Mozarteum</ref>
* [[Maria Anna Mozart|Maria Anna Walburga Ignatia]], "Nannerl" (July 30, 1751 – October 29, 1829)
* Johann Karl Amadeus (November 4, 1752 – February 2, 1753)<ref>[http://www.mozarteum.at/en/mozart-life-and-work/mozarts-calender.html?suche=&jahr=1752 Mozart Day by Day: 1752] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140225221456/http://www.mozarteum.at/en/mozart-life-and-work/mozarts-calender.html?suche=&jahr=1752 |date=February 25, 2014 }}, Mozarteum</ref><ref>[http://www.mozarteum.at/en/mozart-life-and-work/mozarts-calender.html?suche=&jahr=1753 Mozart Day by Day: 1753] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140225221222/http://www.mozarteum.at/en/mozart-life-and-work/mozarts-calender.html?suche=&jahr=1753 |date=February 25, 2014 }}, Mozarteum</ref>
* Maria Crescentia Francisca de Paula (May 9, 1754 – June 27, 1754)<ref>[http://www.mozarteum.at/en/mozart-life-and-work/mozarts-calender.html?suche=&jahr=1754 Mozart Day by Day: 1754] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140225221227/http://www.mozarteum.at/en/mozart-life-and-work/mozarts-calender.html?suche=&jahr=1754 |date=February 25, 2014 }}, Mozarteum</ref>
* [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Johann Chrysostomus Wolfgang Theophilus]] (January 27, 1756 – December 5, 1791)

In 1743, Leopold Mozart was appointed to a position (fourth violinist) in the musical establishment of [[Count Leopold Anton von Firmian]], the ruling [[Archbishopric of Salzburg#Prince-Bishopric (1213–1803)|Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg]].<ref name=Grove-1 /> His duties included composition and the teaching of violin (later, piano) to the choirboys of the Salzburg cathedral. He was promoted to second violinist in 1758 and in 1763 to deputy [[Kapellmeister]].{{Refn|Leopold is sometimes described as having had the post of "court composer" at Salzburg. The ''[[Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians|Grove Dictionary]]'', addressing this, says "the title 'Hofkomponist' [court composer], used to describe Mozart in a 1757 report on Salzburg published in [[Friedrich Wilhelm Marpurg|F. W. Marpurg]]'s ''Historisch-kritische Beyträge zur Aufnahme der Musik'', had no official sanction."|group=n}} He rose no further; others were repeatedly promoted over him to the head position of Kapellmeister.{{sfn|Solomon|1995|p=28}}

The question of whether Leopold was successful as a composer (either in terms of artistic success or fame) is debated. The ''Grove Dictionary'' says that as of 1756, "Mozart was already well-known. His works circulated widely in German-speaking Europe." However, biographer [[Maynard Solomon]] asserts that he "failed to make his mark as a composer",<ref name="Solomon 1995, 32">{{harvnb|Solomon|1995|p=32}}</ref> and [[Alfred Einstein]] "judged him to be an undistinguished composer".{{sfn|Solomon|1995|p=33}}

Scholars agree, however, that Leopold was successful as a pedagogue. In 1755, he wrote his ''[[Versuch einer gründlichen Violinschule]]'', a comprehensive treatise on [[Playing the violin|violin playing]]. This work was published in 1756 (the year of Wolfgang's birth), and went through two further German editions (1769, 1787), as well as being translated into Dutch (1766) and French (1770).<ref name="Solomon 1995, 32" /> Today, the work is consulted by musicians interested in 18th-century performance practice; see [[Historically informed performance]]. This work made a reputation in Europe for Leopold, and his name begins to appear around this time in music dictionaries and other works of musical pedagogy.<ref name="Solomon 1995, 32" />

[[File:Louis Carrogis dit Carmontelle - Portrait de Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Salzbourg, 1756-Vienne, 1791) jouant à Paris avec son père Jean... - Google Art Project.jpg|thumb|The Mozart family on tour: Leopold, Wolfgang, and Nannerl. Watercolor by [[Louis Carrogis Carmontelle|Carmontelle]], ca.&nbsp;1763<ref name=Solomon1995/>]]