Carl Stamitz was born in Mannheim in 1745. He was the oldest son of Jan Stamitz, who had made the orchestra of the Elector one of the most highly regarded of its day. Continuing in the tradition of his father, Carl Stamitz forged a distinctive Mannheim style, characterised by simple melodic lines and uncomplicated forms. The renowned Mannheim court orchestra also had a legendary - almost militaristic - discipline that greatly impressed Leopold Mozart and the English musicologist Charles Burney.

Stations in life:
Mannheim

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg in 1756. Accompanied by his father Leopold, in 1763 he undertook a grand tour of Munich, Augsburg, Schwetzingen, Mainz, Frankfurt, Koblenz, Aachen, Brussels and Paris. Everywhere the pair went, the prodigious young Wolfgang Amadeus amazed the audience. Barely seven years old, he played the violin, the harpsichord and the organ; later in life, he went on to compose the most divine music.

Stations in life:
Salzburg, child prodigy tours Munich 1762, Munich 1763, Mannheim