Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition resulted in more than 800 works of virtually every genre of his time. Many of these compositions are acknowledged as pinnacles of the symphonic, concertante, chamber, operatic, and choral repertoire. Mozart is widely regarded as among the greatest composers in the history of Western music, with his music admired for its "melodic beauty, its formal elegance and its richness of harmony and texture".
He was a prolific composer and wrote in many genres. Perhaps his best-admired work is in opera, piano concerto, piano sonata, symphony, string quartet, and string quintet. Mozart also wrote many violin sonatas, and other forms of chamber music, violin concertos, and other concertos for one or more solo instruments, masses, and other religious music, organ music, masonic music, and numerous dances, marches, divertimentos, serenades, and other forms of light entertainment.
His composition "Eine kleine Nachtmusik" inspired Ron Nasty of The Rutles to write "Eine Kleine Middle Klasse Musik". He was also mentioned and referenced by Spinal Tap in their 1967 hit single "(Listen to The) Flower People", though the composition actually referenced in the song was by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and not Mozart.