All journeys of the Mozart family between 1762 and 1773 were organised by Leopold Mozart, Wolfgang's father. Mozart went on 17 European tours in his lifetime and spent 10 years, 2 months and 2 days travelling. He reached the age of 35 years, 10 months and 9 days.
The Mozart family grand tour was a journey through western Europe, undertaken by Leopold Mozart, his wife Anna Maria, and their musically gifted children Maria Anna (Nannerl) and Wolfgang Amadeus from 1763 to 1766. At the start of the tour Nannerl was 11 and Wolfgang was seven years old. Their extraordinary skills had been demonstrated during a visit to Vienna in 1762, when they had played before the Empress Maria Theresa at the Imperial Court. Sensing the social and pecuniary opportunities that might accrue from a prolonged trip in the capitals and main cultural centres of Europe, Leopold obtained an extended leave of absence from his post as deputy Kapellmeister (meaning: leader of music-making in orchestra, choir and chapel) to the Prince-Archbishopric of Salzburg. Throughout the subsequent tour, the children's Wunderkind status was confirmed as their precocious performances consistently amazed and gratified their audiences.
The Mozart family's tour itinerary.
The tour started via Munich and Frankfurt, to Brussels and then on to Paris where they stayed for five months. They then departed for London, where during a stay of more than a year Wolfgang made the acquaintance of some of the leading musicians of the day, heard much music, and composed his first symphonies. The family then moved on to the Netherlands, where the schedule of performances was interrupted by the illnesses of both children, although Wolfgang continued to compose prolifically. The homeward phase incorporated a second stop in Paris and a trip through Switzerland, before the family's return to Salzburg in November 1766.
The material rewards of the tour, though reportedly substantial, did not transform the family's lifestyle, and Leopold continued in the Prince-Archbishop's service. However, the journey enabled the children to experience to the full the cosmopolitan musical world, and gave them an outstanding education. In Wolfgang's case this continued through further journeys in the following six years, prior to his appointment by the Prince-Archbishop as a court musician.
Mozart in Prague.
Considering that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart visited Prague only four times, he left a significant impression on the city and the Praguers. On his first trip, in early 1787, he visited Count Thun and his wife, whom he knew from Vienna. They lived in what is now the British Embassy in Malá Strana. Mozart stayed at an inn on Celetná Street. During this trip he conducted his Prague Symphony and a day later, on January 20, a performance of his opera The Marriage of Figaro, which had a more successful run in Prague than in Vienna.
His second trip is the most famous. The maestro came to visit composer F. X. Dusek (František Xaver Dušek, Duschek or Dussek) and his new wife, opera singer Josephine, toward the end of 1787 at their rural villa Bertramka, although he also kept rooms at an inn at Uhelný trída. After several missed deadlines, he conducted the world premiere of Don Giovanni on October 29 at Stavovské divadlo. He tried out a number of church organs in his spare time.
His third visit was just a pass-through, but the fourth and final trip came just months before he died in 1791. He promised to write a new opera to mark the coronation of Leopold II as king of Bohemia. Unfortunately, La Clemenza di Tito, which premiered at the Stavovske divadlo on September 6, was written quickly and was not as well received as Don Giovanni. Once news of his death on December 5 reached Prague, his friends staged a memorial service that ended with church bells ringing all over town.
Interesting reading:
Music review: Tracing Mozart in Prague, Escaping from Viennese Politics. By
Overall, Mozart travelled through the following countries of today : Belgium, Germany, England, France, Italy, Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Slovakia and Czech Republic.
Image Credit:
Map of Mozart Family Grant Tour. Permission to copy under Creative Commons Attribution / DGFL.
Resources:
Mozart Family Grand Tour. en.wikipedia.org. Accessed Januaray 27, 2009.
Mozart in Prague. New York Times Archive. Accessed January 27, 2009.
(c) January 2009. Tel. Inspired Pen Web. All rights reserved.
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