WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART

AMADEUS IN 1763

PERSONA

The Organ

At 35 miles east of Munich, in Bavaria, an aft wheel of the horse-drawn carriage breaks...

... Leopold Mozart took advantage of that compulsory stop to teach organ pedal-board to his son. The latter learned without trouble.

Leopold was nominated to court of Salzburg vice-Kapellmeister while Michael Haydn (the brother of Joseph Haydn, was appointed Konzertmeister (concert master).

“Wolfgang played organ in the Holy Spirit church, and caused such an admiration that on the order of the city senior, his name was engraved on the instrument in imperishable remembrance.”
Leopold Mozart, August 3rd, 1763

SOCIETÀ

End of the Seven Years' War

At the end of the Seven Years' War – in 1763 – Louisiana, India and Canada became British territories.

Leopold Mozart and his prodigies, Nannerl and Wolfgang, undertook a new tour that led them to Munich and to Augsbourg where their luggage grew richer with a Stein harpsichord. They performed in Mannheim, Frankfurt, Mainz, Bonn, Cologne, Aix-the-vault, Brussels, Paris, and Versailles – where they arrived on Christmas' Eve.

They became acquainted with the poet Wieland, as well as with the musicians Schobert, Eckar...

“As of this moment, he reached such degree in his art, that it would have been an injustice on behalf of his father not to show this extraordinary talent to other cities and countries.”
Schlichtegroll, 1791

KOECHEL

The Feather and the Inkwell

Wolfgang masters a new art: the writing.

As from 1763, Wolfgang Mozart was transcribing his works on paper all by himself.

K.1	Minuet for Harpsichord in G Major with Trio in C Major
K.9a	Allegro for harpsichord in C Major
K.9b	Andante for harpsichord in B flat Major (unfinished)

Glossaryexpressions and names used in this page

Aix-the-vault: City of the west of the Federal Republic of Germany, close to Belgium. Aix-the-vault was the residence of Charlemagne at the VIIth century. It later became German, then French in 1801 and Prussian in 1815.
Augsbourg: Town of Bavaria in Germany. Augsbourg is Leopold Mozart birthplace.
Bavaria: Territory located in south-west of Germany, where Munich is the capital. Bavaria is bordered by Saxony, Thuringe, and by the Czech Republic in north; by Austria in the south; Bade-Wurtemberg, and Hesse in the west.
Bonn: Town of Germany, on left bank of the Rhine – close to Cologne. Beethoven was born in Bonn.
Brussels: Capital of Belgium. It was annexed to France in 1794 and incorporated to the Netherlands Kingdom in 1815. Brussels became the capital of Belgium in 1831. Taken by the Germans in 1914 and 1940, the capital has been liberated by the British in 1944.
Cologne: City of the mid-west of Germany, on left bank of the Rhine. Taken by the French in 1794, it was taken again by Prussia in 1815. Cologne was damaged at the time of the Second World War and was rebuilt in 1960.
Frankfurt: City of the mid-west of Germany, in Hesse where Goethe lived during his childhood. The saint Germanic Roman emperors were elected and crowned in the Saint-Barthelemy cathedral, – in Frankfurt. It was annexed to Prussia in 1866 and had to be rebuilt after the Second World War.
Goethe and Mozart: On February 3, 1830, Goethe – then 80 years old –, reminded the only time he have seen Mozart.
Haydn: Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809). Famous Austrian composer whose work falls under the traditional style. He shared a deep friendship with Mozart.
Mannheim: City of the southwest of Germany, famous in the world of music and theatre. Founded in 1606 by Frederic IV, Holland Protestants took refuge there. Mannheim became a famous music and theater centre.

Mozart counted several friends there.
Mainz: City of the south-west of Germany, on left bank of the Rhine. Mainz is the capital of the Rhineland-Palatinate.
Munich: City in south of Germany, established in 1158. Its name comes from a community of monks (Mönchen) established in the vicinity.

Nowadays, Munich is an industrial and commercial metropolis.
Paris: Political, cultural and tourist capital of France. Its name comes from the \"Parisii\" tribe who lived there in IIIrd century. In 1789, Paris was battling with the Revolution – which overthrown monarchy to the profit of a democratic system.
Salzburg: Salzburg counted 10,000 inhabitants, all Catholics since 1733, whereas last Lutheran Protestants had fled to Prussia. At the time of Mozart, one inhabitant of Salzburg out of five relied on the Court to survive.
Schlichtegroll: Friedrich Adolf Heinrich Schlichtegroll (1765-1822) published Mozart's obituary in 1793.
Silesia: Geographical area located at the southwest of Poland. It was Austrian during two centuries until Frederic the Great annexed it to Prussia in 1742.
Versailles: City located in the north of France. Versailles was the center of the reign of Louis XIV who settled there in 1682. In 1837, Louis-Philippe transformed the castle into a national museum.