Wunderkind, genius, rebel: the short life of a great man In the whole history of classical music, is there anyone to equal Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Familiar with the pianoforte aged 3, composing at 5, if there is an argument for a genetic predisposition to genius, then surely this Austrian ""meister"" will be first on anyone's lips. His vast ?uvre is equalled only by his turbulent and colourful life. The stuff of legend, a player, composer and conductor, in 35 explosive years he threw out the rule book and changed every form he worked within. Who else has written tens of symphonies, and operas ? such as ""The Magic Flute"" and ""Cosi Fan Tutte"" ? that to those in the know are a match in their medium to Shakespeare. Whether in concertos, quartets or sonatas, Mozart imbued his scores with both a dazzling gaiety and an undercurrent of melancholy, the combination of which makes his music resound with the universal experience of being human. Despite suspicions surrounding his early death he lives on as one of the giants of sonic creativity, and was popularised for a new generation in the Oscar-winning ""Amadeus."" It's this simple: To many Mozart is music. We rest our case. The Author: Johannes Jansen (born 1958) has worked in Cologne as a journalist since his studies in musicology. He is the editor-in-chief of the music magazine ""Concerto."" He is also a freelance writer for radio and many publishers. His books include an opera and concert guide, a short biography of Mozart and an opera-made-easy course.