5 little known facts about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s name is ubiquitous in the realm of classical music. However, there’s a lot you are unlikely to have known about the man himself.
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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is one of history’s most iconic classical composers. He was born on 27th January 1756 in Salzburg (a major Austrian city today, but back then part of the now long-defunct Holy Roman Empire).
Mozart was prolific in his lifetime, producing hundreds of acclaimed musical works, including symphonies, masses and concertos. No genre in Western classical music during the period was left untouched by his genius.
However, despite all these superlatives, there’s still a lot you might be surprised you didn’t know about Mozart. Here are just some unjustly overlooked titbits about the 18th-century maestro’s life, music and legacy.
1. Empress Maria Theresa called him useless
Thought Justin Bieber was young when he first hit the big time? Mozart started composing music by the age of five – and, at the age of seven, was touring across Europe. Not by himself, of course – his father Leopold essentially acted as his tour manager.
Mozart also, like the music superstars of today, mingled with royalty. At one point, Archduke Ferdinand – the son of Holy Roman Emperor Franz I – even considered appointing Mozart as a professional composer to his court.
Unfortunately for Mozart, this idea was scotched by Ferdinand’s mother, Empress Maria Theresa, who wasn’t interested in employing – in her words – 'useless people'. Savage. Still, perhaps Mozart himself should secretly have been flattered. As we know today, all the musical greats have their haters.
2. Mozart also had a talented sister
She was born four years earlier than her brother, and her name was Maria Anna. Nannerl (as she was nicknamed) was reportedly a very promising composer in her own right, and even joined Amadeus on his early concert tours.
Tragically, though, her time as a touring musician was cut short as she approached adulthood. Becoming a famous composer just wasn’t a viable option for a woman in this era, so she was encouraged to pursue marriage instead.
Imagine Taylor Swift having to give up her musical stardom to marry Travis Kelce. What happened to Nannerl was like the 18th-century equivalent. Actually, it was even worse, as Nannerl’s own music career had barely started – and none of her written compositions have survived to the present day.
3. Mozart had a colourful love life
It’s debatable whether Mozart in his bachelor days could really be branded a womaniser, given his staunch Catholic upbringing. However, he did appear to have a few dalliances. There’s even a story that he once met Marie Antoinette (when both were children), became smitten with her and declared his intent to marry her.
Whether or not that story is genuine, Mozart did find himself in some awkward romantic situations as an adult. During a trip to Mannheim in the late 1770s, he met and fell in love with soprano Aloysia Weber. However, as Aloysia rejected his proposal of marriage, Amadeus switched his romantic attention to her sister Constanze. The two married in 1782, despite his father’s disapproval of the match.
4. One common story about Mozart might be a myth
What did you know – or think you knew – about Mozart? You might have heard that he once listened to a rendition of Italian composer Gregorio Allegri’s Miserere and later recorded it just from memory. It sounds like an impressive feat, but there are also good reasons to doubt the story’s authenticity.
One is that the performance in question was reportedly at the Sistine Chapel – and the composition itself belonged to the Vatican. So, the devoutly Catholic Mozart would have been making an authorised copy.
Also, shortly after the alleged incident, the Pope honoured Mozart by making him a Knight of the Order of the Golden Spur. So, whatever Mozart had actually done, it looks unlikely to be something that would have risked provoking the Vatican’s ire.
5. Mozart died in mysterious circumstances
Mozart died at the age of 35 on 5th December 1791. So, how did he die? The answer is unclear. All that can be said confidently is that he contracted a sudden illness which apparently killed him.
As for what that illness was, many ideas have been put forward. These include strep throat, tuberculosis, syphilis and rheumatic fever.
The uncertainty over the circumstances of Mozart’s death has even stoked speculation that he was poisoned by a rival composer. This theorised version of events has been dramatised by Peter Schaffer’s 1979 stage play Amadeus as well as the 1984 film of the same name.
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