(From the introduction to: Mozart and the Enlightenment, Truth, Virtue and Beauty in Mozart’s Operas: 1992 pg. 6. By Nicholas Till)

His father was Leopold Mozart, a composer of some note, an excellent violinist, court musician and chamber composer to the court of the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg. Leopold was also the author of "The Violin School," one of the best books of its time for the teaching and training of violinists. His mother, born Maria Anna Pertl, married Leopold in 1747 and gave birth to 6 children, of which only Wolfgang and his five-year-older sister Maria Anna (Nannerl) survived. Both children at an early age showed a remarkable musical talent and Leopold began to devote all his spare time and energy to further their skills for himself and the family. In the end, he surrendered his chances for advancement in his career, preferring to gamble on his children providing for the security of the family.

Nannerl was a skilled pianist by age 8 when the three-year-old Wolfgang began to spend hours at the clavier, exploring sounds, intervals and chords. Encouraged in this, he began to receive systematic training by Leopold and soon began to show amazing skills for improvising, playing at sight sheet music and the ability to create music on his own. By observing his father playing the violin, Wolfgang was able to pick up the rudiments of playing it himself, astonishing everyone at a musical gathering by playing at first sight a second violin part in a string trio. At five, Mozart was composing at the clavier and writing out (badly, at first) his works, Leopold then copying them over into more neat, musically correct forms (see, for example, K.1a, K.1b and K.1e for examples of the earliest works). Wolfgang quickly learned how to write down the music himself, but for many years Leopold would supervise, then correct and make a clean copy of the works. This led initially to people believing that Leopold was the true composer of many of the early works by Wolfgang, or at least was "improving" them.

Realizing that the gifts Nannerl and especially Wolfgang were exhibiting could take them far beyond the confines of Salzburg, Leopold requested leave from court duties and the entire family then went on tour, starting in mid-1763. To the Archbishop, the reasons that were given for touring were to make money and bring acclaim to the Salzburg court. Unspoken in all of this was Leopold’s quest to find a well paying post for Wolfgang and himself, so as to quit provincial Salzburg for better surroundings. Unhappy with his post and superiors there, Leopold strove at all times when on tour to gain a better circumstance for his family.

Initially, the family traveled to Munich then Vienna, there playing for the Habsburg royal family. Wolfgang astonished most of his audiences with his musical skills and his fame spread far ahead of their travels. The initial successes led Leopold to expand the duration and destinations of the tour; Paris and its royal family were the next goal, then in April 1764 it became London’s turn. Here, in 1764, Wolfgang composed his first symphony K.16 at age 7, although there may have been at least one other composed before this that is now lost. Received by royalty and wealthy people of station, the Mozart family continued to tour, visiting Holland, France again, then Switzerland, before finally returning to Salzburg in 1766, nearly three years after commencing the so-called Grand Tour. While no musical postings had been offered, the family had made a substantial profit from this trip and, more importantly, Wolfgang had grown greatly with his musical abilities.

Aside from keyboard antics and showpieces such as playing without mistakes on a cloth-covered keyboard, Wolfgang had expanded his instrumental skills by being able to play music at first sight on the piano, harpsichord, clavichord and organ. He was proficient on the violin and viola as well. He could improvise to great praise on any given theme, copy the style of other composers as needed and compose works that were equal to most of the other music masters of the time. If Leopold misled slightly by advertising the children’s ages as a year or younger than they really were, well, it only made the miracle that much more enticing a show.

The family was home only nine months before Leopold received permission to travel once again to Vienna, ostensibly to attend the Imperial Habsburg family at the marriage of a daughter. Again, the unstated reason was to seek a better post for the family. The Mozarts were well received initially, but an outbreak of smallpox killed the royal bride and very nearly Wolfgang as well. When recovered (and having lost income from not performing) Leopold attempted to get a royal commission for Wolfgang to produce an opera. He achieved a commission, but intrigues, jealousies and an ill-conceived complaint to the Royal family on all these problems by Leopold succeeded only in Wolfgang composing the work (the opera La finta semplice K.51). In the end it was not performed in Vienna, but most likely was later in Salzburg.

Upon returning to Salzburg, Wolfgang continued honing his skills while Leopold continued to seek out suitable projects to advance the family’s circumstances. He succeeded in the next few years in gaining contracts to compose operas for courts in Italy. Father and son made three journeys to Italy between 1770-73, with Wolfgang composing the operas Mitridate K.87 and Lucio Silla K.135 as well as other works of note. Wolfgang studied with Padre Giambattista Martini, one of the most learned musicians of the times there. By studying counterpoint with the padre, Mozart was able to pass a composition test and be acclaimed a member of the Bologna Philharmonic Society, any age requirements being waived.

In Rome, Wolfgang performed his famous feat of writing out complete a "Miserere" for double chorus after only one hearing, perhaps making a few corrections after hearing one other performance. This work was forbidden to be published or in manuscript outside of the Vatican (though it can be shown that a very few copies had been sent here and there. Padre Martini had one, for example). For this action, the Bologna award and in general for his skills at music, Pope Clement XIV awarded him the title of Knight of the Golden Order. This award now allowed him to be called "Cavaliere" or "Chevalier". For a while he (and his father for him) signed various scores, small and large, "Cavaliere", but apart from that, he never used this title and in the end tended to mock the use of it. This was quite contrary to the composer Gluck, who had the same title and used it extensively.

Everywhere they went, Wolfgang was honored for his playing and compositions. However, no posts were offered by the ruling Habsburg Archdukes of the Italian provinces. The Empress Maria Teresa advised one of her sons on engaging Wolfgang at his court: "what I say is intended only to prevent your burdening yourself with useless people and giving titles to people of that sort…if they are in your service it degrades that service when these people go about the world like beggars." Unknown to Leopold, his constant travels, concerts, requests for paid leave and complaints he had made to various authorities, gave him a bad reputation among members of the ruling elite. The Mozarts had fallen out of step with the times in thinking they could easily move from gentle servitude to independence. The family could acquire money and honor on these trips; Wolfgang could not gain a post and so was back in Salzburg by March 1773. He had again overstayed his leave of absence from the Archbishops service by many months.

Wolfgang immediately sat at his desk and began to produce compositions of even greater skill than before, turning out symphonies, quartets and a Mass according to the tastes of the Archbishop. Both Wolfgang and Leopold appeared to be settling into the routine of Salzburg at last. Then, by July 1773, the Archbishop decided to travel to Vienna to visit the Imperial family and his sick father. Leopold applied and received permission for himself and Wolfgang to go as well, again to officially bring honor to the Salzburg court, but the Hofkapellmeister in Vienna was gravely ill and Leopold had hoped to attain this post. Little else is known about the reasons for the trip; Leopold’s letters are careful to not raise the suspicions of the Salzburg court. In the end, no post was offered by the Viennese court and the Mozarts again returned home empty handed and late.

From 1774 to the middle of 1777 saw a greater outpouring of work by Wolfgang. He wrote a set of string quartets (K.168, K.169, K.170, K.171, K.172 and K.173) while in Vienna and, when back home, wrote a series of symphonies including # 29 K.201 in A and #25 K.183 in g minor, the earliest of his symphonies in the repertory. For the 1775 carnival season in Munich, he composed an opera La Finta Giardiniera K.196 that was a decided improvement over his previous opera efforts. In 1775 alone he composed at least four, perhaps five violin concertos (K.207, K.211, K.216, K.218, K.219), while over the course of the next few years came several piano concertos, more symphonies, six piano sonatas as well as church music. A new Archbishop had replaced the earlier, kinder one, and this Archbishop Colloredo was not indulgent of musicians aspiring beyond their class. Clashes occurred between the proud Mozarts and himself, but with no prospects of getting another post, Wolfgang and his father put up for now with what they perceived as the petty harassment he inflicted. By this time, Leopold was Vice-Kapellmeister at Salzburg, while Wolfgang was Konzertmeister.

By 1777, the family came again to the conclusion that with the limited opportunities in Salzburg for the gifted Wolfgang, it was time to attempt another tour and seek a post at another court. However, leave was not granted by the Archbishop; in the end Wolfgang gave up his post as Konzertmeister in order to go (in fact, his was officially dismissed from service), but Leopold, needing to provide for the rest of the family, had to stay. Wolfgang and his mother therefore set out on this last family tour. They went to Munich and then Mannheim, Mozart composing new works, performing in concerts that could be arranged and attempted to get accepted by the court at Mannheim. Four months were spent at this, to no lasting effect. In truth, neither Mozart or his mother were capable of effectively running a tour; that had always been Leopold’s job. Too much money and time were wasted chasing hopes that did not convert into either money or a job. The freedom from the dominant hold Leopold had upon the family also came into play; as Mozart dallied, acting at times more like a tourist than a job hunter. As well, he did not plan for the possibility of failure or poor receipts and his mother had no lasting positive effect upon his actions.

In Mannheim, Mozart fell in love with an aspiring opera singer named Aloysia Weber. He then wrote Leopold an ill-conceived letter about his plans to travel with her and her father Fridolin Weber, in order to write operas giving her starring roles (as a sample of what might-have-been, listen to the aria Popoli di Tessaglia K.316). Maria Anna would of course go home to Salzburg. Leopold, in one of the most famous of the Mozart family letters, replied emphatically that no such thing was going to happen, that mother and son were going to Paris to seek the family fortune: that was that! Begrudgingly, mother and son traveled to Paris, arriving in March 1778. Mozart threw himself into composing somewhat in the French style in order to make a name for himself. Two concerto works (K.297b and K.299), two ballets (K.299b and K.299c, a sketch only), a revision of a Miserie K.297a (lost) and the first great symphony, #31 K.297 in D the "Paris" were all composed within 13 weeks. However, there were many other problems. The nobles remembered Mozart as a child prodigy and did not immediately take to the lightly pockmarked German musician. Mozart, on his part, did not care for the French taste in music, was not prepared (or inclined) to teach and was thus ill equipped to compete with dozens of other composers flocking to Paris to achieve fame. Further, due to some intrigues, some of his contracted music was "lost" or misplaced, robbing him of the opportunity to advance his career with it. Finally, his mother became sick, then worsened and died. Mozart was shaken to the core by his loss and the remaining time spent in Paris after her death saw far less composing done.

Meanwhile, Leopold had spoken to many people of how well things were going for Wolfgang and had managed to convince the Salzburg court to rehire his talented son as Konzertmeister and give him a raise as well. Once Leopold recovered from the shock of Maria Anna’s death, he strove to get Wolfgang back to Salzburg to take up his new post as soon as possible. However, Wolfgang was very reluctant to put himself back into service there. A journey home from Paris that should have taken less than a month was stretched out to over four, as he dawdled along, attempting haphazardly to find another post or opportunity. As well, Mozart was savoring his last weeks of freedom from the control of both Leopold and Salzburg. This new delay did not sit well with the court officials at Salzburg. His budding love affair with Aloysia fell apart, as she had in fact become a success, while he had not. In a meeting that must have been painful, she told him that she was not in love with him, and that any hopes he might have there were for naught. Again crushed, Wolfgang made his way back (finally) to Salzburg, where he was awaited with open arms by his friends and family, and perhaps by side-long annoyed glances by the Court.

The years 1779-80 back home saw three more symphonies, various church works, 2 concertos and many serenades produced. But still it was opera that Mozart longed to succeed at and Salzburg did not boast of any such opportunities. Hence, when one such opportunity arrived in 1780 to write one for Carnival season in Munich, as he did in 1775, Wolfgang was highly interested. This time it was to be a serious opera, not buffa. The Mozarts accepted, Wolfgang went off to Munich, and the letters between him and his father back home are a rich source of information on how Mozart approached operatic composition. The work was Idomeneo K.366, perhaps the greatest opera seria written, a big success in which Mozart depicted serious, heroic emotion with great skill and richness by using vivid orchestral scoring with well-designed and expressive recitative. Idomeneo was one of Mozart’s finest creations, with its invocation of new dramatic devices, its Sturm und Drang intensity, its moments of compassion and pathos, along with the glorious music. For all its faults in terms of length and mediocre, old-fashioned writing by its librettist, this work has gained in esteem over the years, since it acts as a sort of "transition" from all that Mozart had learned in the past, to the new wonders he was to create in the future. As Julian Rushton puts it; "Idomeneo is an opera sui generis, occupying a special place in the affections of its composer who went on to other achievements as vital and significant, but never returned to its dignified, heroic, yet thoroughly human world." It was indeed a landmark work for him and helped re-establish his reputation, as well as providing a needed boost to his morale. It also reconfirmed his attitude towards his post in Salzburg, as he again overstayed his agreed leave time of six weeks in Munich.

From Munich, Mozart was summoned to Vienna, where the Salzburg court had gone on State business. Being late back from leave, it was probably expected that he would catch up with them by the end of February 1781. Instead, Mozart arrived in Vienna on March 16^th. He was immediately informed that he was to give a concert for guests that very night. The Archbishop made it clear to Mozart that he was in service to the court and should follow orders and procedures. His letters home to Leopold show an increasing frustration with the attitude of the Archbishop ("I hate the Archbishop to madness!") as well as clues that Mozart was seeking out possible patrons and opportunities so as to be able to quit Salzburg for good. Mozart was once again falling out of step with his world. The inevitable break came in May, with Mozart having had enough "abuse" and quitting the service of the Archbishop. Despite Leopold’s raging letters attempting to make him change his mind and not "abandon" the family, as of May 1781, Mozart was in Vienna for good.

While desiring a post, Mozart was initially content to undertake freelance work, as Vienna was "…the Land of the Clavier (piano)." The city offered many opportunities for a talented person such as Mozart, since he was able to compose piano sonatas and concertos, give concerts to show off both his playing and composing skills, sell his works to publishers, teach students and play in the salons of the nobles and wealthy personages of Vienna. In these early years, it was his subscription concerts for the string of piano concertos he composed that brought him renown and much money. The great Piano Concertos #17, 20, 21, 23 and 24 (K.453, K.466, K.467, K.488 and K.491) were the pinnacle of his 15 total piano concerto works premiered at this time. In fact, Mozart did very well from 1782 up until 1786, making the equivalent of at least $150,000 per year (in 2000 A.D. dollars) during this time frame. Truly, Vienna responded well to his offerings.

Mozart’s approach to composition changed as well through the vehicle of the piano concerto. In all of his music he had striven to insure that every work was accessible, in the best sense of the term, but not at the expense of compromising his standards and philosophy on music. He rarely sacrificed or conceded on these points. With those concertos he rarely "played up" to an audience, rather his intentions overall were to compel his listeners to follow him. Whether by beguiling themes or dramatic interplay (or both), Mozart was able to initially secure a concert base that provided him with a steady income. While pleasing to any ear, these works were marvels of composition to attentive listeners. The unfortunate part of Mozart’s life in Vienna was that there were far too few such listeners.

The brilliance and exquisiteness that are such striking features of Mozart’s piano concerti have often been compared to great, sublime poetry. The message inherent within them, coupled with a nicely refined lyrical approach caused several of these works to have an unprecedented emotional impact on those Vienna audiences. However, in the d and c minor concertos (K.466 and K.491 respectively), Mozart moved into a completely new area, that of dramatic, truly emotionally charged concert music. In fact, despite the change from Classical to Romantic eras, when most of Mozart’s music slipped from the repertoire, K.466, with its open pathos, conflicting moods, sudden contrasts and dynamic range, never was (or could be) withdrawn. With K.491 in c minor, noted music commentator John Burke states: "If Mozart could be said ever to have ignored his public in a concerto and followed completely his own inner promptings, it was here. It is his ultimate venture, his furthest exploration of the piano concerto." His operatic skills helped him to till this fertile new ground. The former "gallant" virtuosic contest between soloist and orchestra of the earlier, pre-Vienna works is resolved by Mozart, transforming it instead into a stark, dramatic contrast. The unusually austere, almost severe quality of the opening bars of the initial orchestral themes are contrasted with the soloists flexible, expressive melodies, which can be taken as nearly speech-like in nature. This is perhaps the most striking opera technique drawn on to enhance purely orchestral music.

As a result, Mozart instilled real symphonic developments in terms of depth and breadth into these concertos. Previously, the development area within concertos had been short, being essentially a stringing together of virtuosic passages. The entire structure of the concerto, with its contrasting comparison of movements as well as the contrast between the sonority of soloist and orchestra, now became fused as well with an encompassing strength of emotional depth. As with the best of Mozart’s works, the music all seems so simple and clear on the surface, but surprisingly great depths are encountered in the passage through them. Significantly, during the period of these works (15 piano concertos total from 1782-1786), Mozart composed only two symphonies (K.385 and K.425, both for other than Viennese venues), hence it was here in the concerto form that saw this blossoming occur. However, any true romantic content in classical era works was regarded with suspicion by many in the audiences of Vienna. In making these advancements, Mozart was again moving out of step with his times.

During this period, Mozart married Constanze Weber, younger sister of Aloysia, a move that Leopold opposed as well. Leopold and Nannerl seemingly never forgave his final "abandonment" of them by him. The surviving correspondence between Wolfgang and Leopold (and between Leopold and Nannerl; with nothing between Wolfgang and Nannerl once she married and moved from Salzburg as though the father wanted to stay the sole contact point between the family members to insure he could shape their opinions of one another) during the Vienna years reveals little remaining warmth (provided by love), but instead evolves into complaints and sour-tinged commentary by Leopold, politely answered by Wolfgang. Even in 1785, when visiting Wolfgang in Vienna, Leopold’s letters home paint a picture of life with his son tinged with admiration for his achievements and colored by chagrin and perhaps a touch of jealousy at how well things were going without him guiding Wolfgang’s life. Once back home in Salzburg, the correspondence between father and son grew even more widely spaced, with gaps of months appearing between contacts. In contrast, Nannerl received a constant flow of letters from Leopold offering advice and direction. Leopold reserved his parental warmth for his daughter, whereas Wolfgang and Constanze were coolly mentioned as "your brother" and "his wife" when mentioned at all.

Despite these family tribulations, the surviving letters we have show that Mozart loved his wife very much and she appears to have returned that affection, despite rumors over the years of infidelities on both their parts. Strangely enough, we have many surviving letters from Wolfgang to his wife, but not a single confirmed one from Constanze to him. (This may be due to the simple fact that Mozart needed to read them but once to remember them, and tossed them out once he did read them). Certain passages sited within these letters have led some to promote major problems between husband and wife at times, but only the rumors mentioned earlier, appearing to date from the early 1800’s, can be cited as "evidence." Rumored scandal and character assassination were not uncommon in Vienna throughout the 19^th century; no great personages were ever truly spared. What continues to come through these letters, even after 200+ years, is the love Mozart has for his wife, and the obvious affection they share for one another.

However, a notable lack of affection between Mozart and Court Composer Antonio Salieri has been brought down through the years via letters, report, plays and operas (let alone movies). Salieri was a well known, respected and well paid Court Composer on staff to the Austrian Court. As well, he was the favorite composer of Emperor Joseph II. The letters of Mozart and his father mentions "plots," "cabals" and intrigues wherein Salieri is credited with attempting to foil or spoil some enterprise of Wolfgang’s. As one of the directors of the opera in Vienna, it cannot be denied that he had a large amount of influence over areas that Mozart wished entrance into. Nor can it be denied that he would have had clout in any area of music via his contacts within Vienna. However, in none of the letters mentioned above do we know what occurred or how exactly Salieri may have influenced things against Mozart. In fact, we have no contemporary evidence to show anything other than the normal problems associated with competing composers dealing with a tightly scheduled opera season occurred at all regarding the two. With opera being the musical path most strewn with money and fame, such problems could get amplified beyond their true limits. Stories of friction between them came to prominence nearly 25 years after Mozart’s death. Significantly, such stories did not come from, nor were they supported by, Mozart’s widow.

With opera being one of Mozart’s true passions, and as mentioned, the opera stage being the most lucrative path to fame and fortune for a musician, it’s no surprise that he returned to this art form once on his own. Thus, he ended up composing a string of some of the greatest works of that genre. Starting in 1782 with the German opera Die Entführung aus dem Serail (The Abduction from the Seraglio K.384), Mozart composed a highly popular work that played all over Europe (and spawned the famous quote by Emperor Joseph II of "Too many notes, my dear Mozart"). Pairing up with the Court Poet Lorenzo Da Ponte, they transformed in 1785-6 a highly political play into the opera Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) K.492, one of the greatest operas ever written. Receiving in 1787 a commission from the National Theater in Prague (where Figaro was tremendously popular) for an opera, Mozart and Da Ponte responded with Don Giovanni K.527 (Don Juan), again one of the best operas ever written. Mozart treats Da Ponte’s skilled libretti of the interplay of sexual and social tensions with such finesse and insight into the human character that these works break out of the simpler comic mode they were originally conceived in. The people of Prague responded with great enthusiasm to both of these works. Finally, in 1789, they collaborated again for the Vienna theater and produced Così fan tutte K.588, a work of great beauty, but held critically to be a lesser effort than the works that preceded it, and thus not well received at the time.

Other works of great depth and beauty were constantly being produced by Mozart during his Vienna years. The "Haydn" String Quartets (K.387, K.421, K.428, K.458, K.464 and K.465), composed in honor of Mozart’s great fellow composer Joseph Haydn, 12 violin sonatas, 10 piano sonatas, 5 string quintets, scores of dances (Mozart loved to dance; see especially the dance sets K.509, K.609 and K.605) as well as many variations for piano on other composer’s works. Mozart, contrary to the legends, frequently did sketch out musical ideas and lay out drafts of works, as opposed to composing totally in his mind. He then completed the entire scores using these drafts and his prodigious memory. The sketches appear to be on short subjects that Mozart apparently was having some troubles over. They seem to have been his way of focusing his attention on a particular "problem" or idea. Drafts appear to be works that he started, but set aside for one reason or another. Most of the ones we have he never followed up on, but analysis of some completed works shows us that he initially started on the work, set it aside (sometimes for years) and then would go back and finished it.

However, it is no legend but fact that he was able to compose complete works within his mind and transfer it all to paper, and in a very short time as well; see the "Linz" Symphony K.425, a work composed and written out in no more than 4 days. From the total amount of material we have left, it has been estimated that he must have worked 6-8 hours every day (except perhaps Sundays) for years in order to achieve what has survived to this day. This, of course, precludes material that hasn’t survived. In fact, newly discovered works turn up every few years, adding to this already prodigious total. There are currently over 40 "lost" works still to discover, running the gamut from dances and marches to concerti and symphonies.

Mozart was always busy at either composing, teaching, organizing concerts or trying to close sales of his works. With no solid post and attached salary, he had to depend on his own efforts to pay his way through the world. With no copyright, he received a single payment when he sold a work. Once that work was sold, the new owner might make large sums of money from it, none of which saw its way into Mozart’s pockets. (The idea of copyright did not become a reality in Austria until over 30 years after his death). The purchaser, or even his own copyists, could duplicate these works by hand, sell them to publishers, and so collect money that might otherwise be rightfully his as well. Therefore, he guarded his manuscripts, especially the piano works for his own use at his subscription concerts, in order to earn the most money from them. These compositions could be given repeatedly by him alone, which is one probable reason why he never completely wrote out the piano part in some of those works.

Speaking of teaching, in the 1786-88 timeframe we see two future musical giants make their first appearances in connection with Mozart. In the early months of 1786, the eight-year old Johann Nepomuk Hummel was brought to Vienna by his father in hopes of receiving lessons from Mozart. So taken by the boy’s talents, Mozart is supposed to have said; "Agreed, I shall instruct the boy, but he has to live with me so that I can keep a constant eye on him. He will get everything free: instruction, room, board." For approximately two years then, Hummel lived with the Mozarts so as to take advantage of this opportunity. Finally, Hummel and his father left to tour Europe, much as Leopold and Wolfgang had done in the early years. Mozart may have crossed paths with Hummel one more time, as they both passed through Berlin in May of 1789; Mozart attempting to gain a commission or post with the King of Prussia, Hummel (now 10) giving a concert on the 23^rd of the month. Mozart stayed on in Berlin until the 28^th, so he may well have stopped in to check up on his former pupil. If so, this meeting sadly has gone unrecorded

On April 7 1787, the young Ludwig van Beethoven arrived in Vienna. It would appear that he did so in order to become a pupil of Mozart. The evidence here is anecdotal for the most part, though in later years Beethoven himself indicates that he at least was present when Mozart played the piano. Beethoven was in Vienna only two weeks, leaving after that due to receiving the word that his mother was extremely ill and probably dying. As well, we know Mozart was not well in that month of April, and further was preparing to move his family from their current lodgings to less expensive ones in the Landstrasse suburbs. So, it appears that any time spent with Mozart would have been fleeting. The famous anecdote of Mozart hearing Beethoven play the piano and then announcing that Ludwig would make a name for himself in the world is only that, an uncorroborated story.

As well, 1786-87 saw a stroke of luck materialize for Mozart. The great composer Christoph Willibald Gluck, honorary Imperial Court Composer to Joseph II, died in November of 1786, shocking the Court and people of Vienna. The Court in turn bestowed part of Gluck’s position and salary upon Mozart, naming him (dating from December 7 1787) Kammer-Kompositeur (Chamber Composer) at the salary of 800 gulden (circa $35,000) per annum, as opposed to the 2000 gulden (circa $90,000) Gluck received. This was no demotion; rather that Gluck had behind him five decades of musical accomplishment and Mozart "only" two and a half (at age 31!) and as well that Mozart could no doubt "grow" into the position and hence receive future salary increases. The Court must have looked upon this post as honorary, for it required nothing more out of Mozart than to supply dances during Carnival seasons. This was no slight in itself; Haydn furnished such royal dance music to the Court and Beethoven did so later as well. But of Court requests for operas, masses, concerti, chamber works or symphonies; nothing at all. Hence the belief by most in the anecdotal report of Mozart writing on a receipt of delivery for his salary from the Court: "Too much for what I do, too little for what I could do."

For all his industry and appointment, it appears that starting in 1787, Mozart and Constanze fell on harder times. He appears to have given fewer concerts, overall his income fell and commissions for works seem to have fallen off. Many reasons have been given for this, but the true facts remain partially hidden. Three reasons can, however be noted. First, reviews suggest that his popularity was on the wane as the public considered other composers superior, or at least their music was more accessible (Also, one can’t be sure the Viennese weren’t out looking for another composer to get "enthused" over). Second, a war with the Ottoman Empire sent the nobles out from Vienna to join their regiments in the field, which reduced the flow of money into all the arts and entertainment areas. Third, there is reason to believe that Mozart may have over-extended himself by losing at gambling, though we do not have firm details in this area. Fourth was that illness stalked the Mozart family, with both husband and wife suffering various ailments, not including pregnancy and childbirth costs.

The final capstone was the death of Leopold. Wolfgang’s last letter to him, upon hearing that his father was very sick, was one of love and respect. Whether or not there was a reply to this is lost to us, but the closing of this chapter in the lives of the Mozarts was not a happy one. His father had warned Wolfgang that if he married Constanze, they could expect to be left out of any will. Despite a small thaw in their relationship since the stormy early days, Leopold kept his word in this regard. Though the will is lost, we know that Wolfgang in fact got nothing bequeathed to him. All he received was part of the proceeds from the sale of Leopold’s personal effects at his death (after Nannerl selected various items to keep for her own family). Meanwhile, a savings total of three times that amount went solely to his sister ($125,000 approximately in a 2000 A.D. conversion), without Wolfgang’s knowledge (at least initially). Considering the fortune Wolfgang’s tours made for the family and all the gifts given and kept over the years, the strong speculation is that Mozart was angered by this final "rejection" engineered by his father and supported by his sister. Certainly, with Leopold’s death, the flow of correspondence between the two remaining households ceased. Neither Wolfgang or Nannerl appear to have made any efforts to keep in touch thereafter, thus completing the breech Mozart’s move to Vienna initiated.

The end result of these factors was that Mozart was forced to borrow money to keep up appearances (highly important in Vienna, where "dressing for success" was a near-art form) and was never fully able to pay off loans without borrowing more to cover the older ones. His "begging" letters from 1788 are almost heartbreaking when one sees what despair Mozart had fallen into to try and stay solvent, keeping his honor and reputation intact. Despite this, 1788 saw him compose his last three symphonies, #39, #40 "Great" and #41 "Jupiter" (K.543, K.550 and K.551), a proud statement in music of his self worth and skill at composing. There are no known commissions, concerts or publishers for these three works (though he probably was composing them for Artaria), yet Mozart spent no longer than 8 months on them (and probably less), producing his three greatest works in this field. While there are many clues otherwise, all three may not have seen the concert hall until after his death, though it is almost certain that the Symphony #40 in g ("Great") did have its premiere during his lifetime.

We have program notes from some concerts Mozart gave that state that a new, grand symphony is to be performed at them, with unfortunately no description of the work meant by the notes. However, there is evidence from one specific concert that would indicate that one of the last three was played; specifically K.550. Looking ahead about three years here, the Tonkünstler-Societät (the Society of Musicians) held two pairs of annual concerts to collect money to aid the widows and orphans of member musicians. In 1791, at the Lenten concerts, which took place on 16 and 17 April, the opening work was ‘Eine neue grosse Simphonie von Herrn Mozart.’ It is hardly likely that Mozart could or would try to palm off an older work on such an informed group of musicians. This description could, realistically, be any of the last four symphonies, if we include the "Prague."

However, each one of the last four symphonic works has a different wind arrangement devised by Mozart. As it turns out, we have the manuscript list of the Society’s performers for these two concerts in question. The orchestra included flutes, oboes and clarinets, the latter played by the Stadler brothers, both good friends of Mozart. Of the last four symphonies, only K.550 in its revised form utilizes all three of these instruments. He had originally composed this work without clarinets, but subsequently added them into the score, modifying the oboe parts in places to do so. While it is possible for Mozart to have offered any one of the last four symphonies for use here and hence leave out the unneeded woodwind players, would he have let his friends the Stadlers be the ones to sit this one out?

Therefore, it seems highly likely that an elegant and large Viennese audience, made up from the best well-heeled members of the upper crust, heard K.550 performed on these two dates, directed by—of all people—Antonio Salieri, one of the major directors of the Society. In fact, it may have been the last occasion at which Mozart heard such a large and professional orchestra perform any of his music. The Society’s concerts commanded an orchestra of around 100 musicians; triple that of the standard orchestras of the time. Further, since these were charity events, everyone contributed their time, efforts and music gratis, meaning that Mozart could only reap praise and gratitude for his work.

The final irony here was that Mozart was not a member of this Society, and hence his widow and children did not receive aid from the members after his death. Mozart had indeed applied for membership. Among the requirements for acceptance was that of supplying a copy of one’s birth certificate for review. Wolfgang had written his father asking for this document, but it appears that it never was sent, for whatever reason. If it was sent, this copy certainly never turned up in his effects after his death. In any case, a birth certificate was not presented, and so Mozart never became a member of the Tonkünstler-Societät; a loss to all parties concerned.

Mozart’s final year of 1791 saw many great works premiered. His music had been changing again over time and works from this last period are noted for their darker-hued tones, a simplicity without losing directness of purpose and their autumnal "feel", which has been described as portraying that everything in Mozart’s life was somehow winding down. He performed the last piano concerto # 27 (K.595) in B-flat as the third item on another performer’s concert bill. Mozart was writing music for playing on mechanical organs at a memorial to a dead war hero. His final wind concerto, the great Clarinet Concerto In A K.622, was written for a friend who owed him about $25,000 (2000 A. D. conversion) and never repaid that debt, despite Mozart’s pressing need for money throughout this time. For his friend Emmanuel Schikaneder, owner of a suburban theater in a lower middle class part of Vienna, Mozart was inspired to collaborate with the impresario and his troupe and so the German opera Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) K.620 came about. This work was immediately popular, first in Vienna and then throughout the German states, giving Mozart one last taste of recognition and honor.

By this time, after years of poor monetary luck, it seemed that things began to turn around for Mozart and his family (now with two sons). Mozart was appointed unpaid deputy Kapellmeister to St. Stephen’s cathedral in Vienna to help the sick composer in charge there. This put Mozart in line for the post, which paid about $100,000 a year (2000 A.D. conversion). An amateur musical group in Hungary was offering to buy new compositions from him on subscription as was one in Holland, totaling perhaps another $50,000+ yearly. He had received an offer to go to London and compose for theaters there for at least $120,000 for a year as well. Mozart had an understanding with Johann Peter Salomon, the impresario that had taken Joseph Haydn to England for a successful concert season, to go there as well in 1792. Haydn had made about $250,000 on his 1st tour and Mozart could thus expect a similar success. Other impresarios were offering opera texts for Mozart to compose music for. All that was required now was patience and the time to choose the most advantageous offers, as many of these could be accomplished simultaneously and without conflict. His musical timing had always been peerless; it now it was time for Mozart to get his life in step with these offers.

Mozart’s last major composition was a Requiem in d minor K.626, commissioned and prepaid by an unnamed messenger acting on behalf of an anonymous amateur composer named Count Franz Walsegg. The Count intended to pass off the work as his own, to honor his dead wife. Mozart had taken the work on despite these strange circumstances in the spring of 1791, believing he needed about six or eight weeks to complete it. It was due by the anniversary of the death of the Count’s wife, which would mean that Mozart had until January 1792 to complete the work. But, with other compositions such as the two operas crowding his schedule, Mozart worked intermittently at best on the Requiem. Finally, after the premier of The Magic Flute in September, he went back to work in earnest. He had a prepayment in hand, a delivery date set and could not afford to be late. By the middle of November, he had about 30% of it on paper when he fell sick.

Despite treatments by some of the best doctors in Vienna, Mozart’s condition became worse and was confined to bed, his joints swollen, the pain too great for him to move himself and subject to a high fever. In his sickness, Mozart said he had been writing the Requiem for himself, as well as the Anonymous Benefactor (as he was later called). Finally, the disease proved too great, and at about 1:00 AM on December 5^th 1791, after suddenly sitting up, then falling back, Mozart died. To this date, there is no firm conclusion of exactly what he died of, though the theories of poisoning and murder are discounted. There are well over a hundred speculative theories on exactly what (or who) caused Mozart’s death, with new ones cropping up every few years. With no new evidence surfacing to add clarity, experts generally incline towards kidney failure or complications from rheumatic fever as being the most likely culprits.

Wolfgang Amadé Mozart was buried in a suburban churchyard in an unmarked grave with little ceremony, as was the custom at the time. Because the family and/or admirers did not immediately seek out the grave sight, its location became lost. Today, the monument to Mozart in that graveyard is located at the approximate site where perhaps the greatest composer the world has yet seen rests.

Written by: Gary Smith Revised and expanded 12/31/03

Special Thanks for: Editorial Assistance by Agnes Selby

Editing/Proofing by Cheryl Duval & Ellen Smith

Sources: Very many, but the ones most consistently consulted were:

Braunbehrens, Volkmar Mozart in Vienna 1781-1791 Grove Weidenfeld, 1986

Burke, John N. Mozart and His Music Random House 1959

Gutman, Robert W. Mozart: A Cultural Biography Harcourt Brace & Co. 1999

Halliwell, Ruth The Mozart Family Claredon Press 1998

Morris, James A. (ed.) On Mozart Cambridge University 1994

Rushton, Julian W.A. Mozart Idomeneo Cambridge 1993

Sadie, Stanley The New Grove Mozart W.W. Norton & Co. 1983

Solomon, Maynard Mozart: A Life HarperCollins 1995

Stafford, William The Mozart Myths Stanford University 1991

Tchernaya, E. S. Mozart: His Life & Times Paganiniana Pub. 1984

Till, Nicholas Mozart and the Enlightenment W. W. Norton & Co. 1992

Zaslaw, Neal The Compleat Mozart W.W. Norton & Co. 1990