These traits continued into his adulthood. However, there is a lot of evidence that, as a child, he had a great sense of humor and loved a good pun. In one letter he wrote that their carriage driver was a “fine fellow” and that he found their carriage “cosy”.Īlthough much has been written about Wolfgang’s immature character, this seems mostly exaggerated. Once old enough to write letters, they were full of positivity and fun. Copies of his compositions were sold at the door.Īlthough this all seems like a difficult life for such a young child so focused on his skills and studies, young Wolfgang seems to have mostly enjoyed it. ![]() Wolfgang performed, improvised and played blindfolded or with his hands covered to increase the entertainment value. Leopold decided to invite the public to come and hear concerts at their London apartment – for a fee. He was constantly and quickly evolving as a musician with his education continuing on a daily basis. This gave Wolfgang a period of time to focus on his composition skills and study the works of J.S. In London, Leopold became ill with a bronchial infection which made them stay put for seven weeks longer than they had planned. Sickness was a constant threat to society in general at that time, but their many travels made the Mozarts particularly vulnerable to illness. These items held many times more value than the money they were given but were not easy to convert into cash. Many times they were presented with gifts such as jewelry and snuff-boxes rather than money. Unfortunately, the English nobility wasn’t as generous financially as the French had been. Later, while riding through a London park in his carriage, the King recognized little Wolfgang, walking with his father and sister and stopped the carriage to say hello to them from his open window. They gave a concert at Buckingham House (later expanded and renamed Buckingham Palace) to King George III and Queen Charlotte. Just as in Paris, they gave concerts in public venues as well as in private drawing rooms. In 1764 the Mozarts arrived in London and remained for a year and a half. It’s told that when Wolfgang tried to get a kiss from Madame de Pompadour, she refused, to which he stated “Who is this woman who will not kiss me? Why, the Empress herself kissed me!” An open-hearted and social boy, Wolfgang loved a hug and a kiss, and seemingly felt that this was his right. Wolfgang and Nannerl performed many concerts in private houses as well as in palaces, including Versailles. In November 1763 they arrived in Paris – at the time a blossoming metropolis of muddy roads and fashionable people. He went on to learn the piano and viola.Īfter the royal concerts in Vienna, the Mozart family returned home for six months before they took off again. At seven years old he was quite proficient enough on the violin to write for the instrument. It’s likely that his father notated this piece for him as Wolfgang’s penmanship probably wasn’t yet up to the task, but he very quickly began to notate his own music. He wrote his first Minuet and Trio when he was five. Wolfgang started to pick out notes on the clavier at a very tender age and was soon composing. During these times Leopold caught up with his letter writing, accounts, and his own musical compositions. Sometimes they had to stop at an inn for several days while Wolfgang or Nannerl recovered from a cold or sickness. There were many difficult journeys in coaches pulled by horses, on muddy roads with storms and illnesses that no doubt resulted from being cooped up for days in a damp coach, erratic bedtimes, and having to eat whatever was available on their travels. At first, payment for their concerts was meager, but as they pressed on with their European travels and concerts, word got around between members of the nobility and their income increased. They set out for Vienna in September of 1761 where the children performed for the prince bishop. ![]() Seeing an opportunity to not only educate and travel his children, but to make money off their abilities, he set out across Europe to show off their talent. As soon as possible he started to tutor his two children, Wolfgang and his older sister Nannerl, who was also a musical prodigy. His father, Leopold Mozart, was a respected composer and violinist of the Austrian court. Wolfgang learned the language of all the countries he visited, as they often stayed in each place for several months. His childhood involved years of traveling from one European city to another – Austria, Germany, France, Italy, and England. Although Salzburg was ‘home’, Wolfgang’s early life was not spent in any one place for very long.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |