MOZART
623
MOZART
burg, 1895; French tr., Paris, 1905) ; E. Bishop, Kyrie Eleison in
Downside Review, XIX (1900); Labb£, Sacrorum Conciliorum
nam et amplissima coUectio (Florence, 1759—); Antonio,
Bibliotheca Hispana Vetus (Madrid, 17S8); Idem, Bibtiolheca
Hispana Nona (Madrid, 1783-88). Cf. also the various edi-
tions of the service-books mentioned in the section of this arti-
cle on manuscripts and editions.
Henry Jenner.
Haydn and Anton Cajetan Adigasser respectively.
It was published at Salzburg in 1767, and per-
formed during Lent of the same year. A year later, at
the age of twelve, Wolfgang visited Vienna anew, and
was commissioned to write an opera buffa, "LaFinta
Semplice", for which Marco Coltellini furnished the
libretto. Intrigues of all kinds, especially on the part
Mozart, Johann Chrysostomus Wolfgang Ama- of the members of the theatre orchestra, who objected
DEUs, one of the greatest musical geniuses in history, to playing under the direction of a twelve-year-old
b. at Salzburg, Austria, 27 Jan., 1756; d. at Vienna, 5 boy, prevented its performance.
Dec., 1791. His father, Leopold Mozart, assistant Returning to Salzburg, Wolfgang was appointed
choir-master and court musician to the Prince-Arch- concert-master, at first without compensation, but
bishop of Salzburg, was one of the most distinguished later was allowed a monthly .stipend of twelve florins.
musicians of his time. He was the author of the best
method for violin-playing written up to that period,
and was a man of thorough education and sterling
character. Realizing his son's extraordinary endow-
Leopold Mozart, chafing under Wolfgang's lack of
recognition, made every effort to secure for him a
suitable appointment in the larger field of Munich and
Vienna, and also Florence, but not succeeding, he finally
ments, and also the great musical gifts of his daughter decided to visit Italy, with a view to gaining there the
Maria Anna, five years Wolfgang's senior, he devoted prestige which success in that country then carried with
all his energy and knowledge
to their education. Wolfgang
at the age of three was wont to
spend whole hours at the piano,
discovering, to his great joy,
consonant intervals, and was
not yet four when he began to
receive from his father syste-
matic training in piano-playing
'and in the theory of music, im-
provising even before he could
write notes. Violin- playing
came to him practically by in-
tuition, a fact which he demon-
strated to the astonishment of
his father and a company of
artists, by performing at first
sight the second violin part in
a trio for stringed instruments.
He was not j'et five when his
father wrote for him a theme
for the piano with variations,
which he had himself com-
posed. So correct was the
child's ear that he would re-
member the tone pitch of a
violin which he had heard even
weeks before. His sensitive-
ness was such that harsh
sounds were distressing to
WOLFGANQ AmaDEUS MozaRT
In Bologna they became
acquainted with Padre Giam-
battista Martini (1706-1784),
the most learned musician of
his time. This master put
Wolfgang through tests in con-
trapuntal writing, which the
latter withstood with ease and
consummate skill. In Rome
young Mozart performed his
famous feat of scoring Allegri's
"Miserere" for double chorus,
after listening to its perform-
ance on Wednesday of Holy
Week. Hearing the work re-
peated on the following Friday,
he had but a few minor cor-
rections to make in his man-
uscript. After being created
Ivnight of the Golden Spur,
feted, and acclaimed through-
out Italy by the artistic and
aristocratic world as the great-
est living musical genius, Wolf-
gang returned to his modest
position in Salzburg. Again
and again he tried to find a
more congenial atmosphere in
Munich, Mannheim, Paris, and
elsewhere, but without success.
him, a blast of a trumpet almost causing him to faint He continued, except for occasional visits to other
away. cities for the purpose of conducting new works, to
Wolfgang was not yet eight years old when his reside in Salzburg until his twenty-first year, when
father undertook a concert tour with his two chil- he took up his permanent abode in Vienna,
dren, visiting Munich, Vienna, and Presburg. Every- An offer from Frederick William II of Prussia to be-
where their performances, especially the boy's, created come court conductor at .Berlin at a salary of three
great astonishment. In 1763 Leopold Slozart vis- thousand thalers he refused on patriotic grounds,
ited Paris with his prodigies, and the following April Mozart was now in the full maturity of his powers,
London, where they remained until July, 1764. Re- creating with astonishing rapidity works which will
ceived and feted by royalty and people of high station, remain classic for all time: operas, symphonies, quar-
the Mozart children, but particularly Wolfgang, were lets, concertos, etc., all of which increased his fame, but
considered the musical wonders of the world. On did not ameliorate his material condition. Not only
their way back to Salzburg they visited The Hague
and the principal cities of France and Switzerland.
During all these travels, and the distraction and ex-
citement incident thereto, Wolfgang made progress in
all branches of musical and other knowledge. He com-
po.sed constantly and in almost every known instru-
mental form. Returned home, he devoted himself to
the mastery of counterpoint, and the perfecting of his
technique in piano, violin, and organ-playing. His
patron. Archbishop von Schlatterbach, sceptical re-
garding the boy's reported achievements as a com-
poser, invited Wolfgang to his palace, forbidding
communication of any kind with him, and giving
him the text of the first part of an oratorio, prepared
by the archbishop, to .set to music. The second and
third parts of this work were composed by Michael
was due recognition denied him, but his life was one
continuous battle for existence. His aiiplication for
the assistant conductorship of the impcriLd opera
liouse failed. He applied for a similar position at the
cathedral of St. Stephen, in the hope of ultimate pro-
motion to the post of choir-master. Only on his death-
l)cd did he receive the news of his appointment. The
grc;it master died at the age of thirty-four and was
buried, wilh the least possible expense because of ex-
treme poverty, in a pauper's grave, his exact resting-
phicc being now unknown. Only a few persons
followed liis remains to the cemetery.
Mozart's individuality was of an exquisitely deli- cate, tender, and noblc^haracter. His operas, "Don Juan", "The Magic Flute", "The Marriage of Figaro", "Cos! fan tutte", "LaCiemenza di "Tito", on ac-
