The life of WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART, one of the immortal names in
music, contradicts the rule that extraordinary youthful talent is apt
to be followed by a sluggish and commonplace maturity. His father
entered the room one day with a friend, and found the child bending
over a music score. The little Mozart, not yet five years old, told
his father he was writing a concerto for the piano. The latter
examined it, and tears of joy and astonishment rolled down his face on
perceiving its accuracy.
"It is good, but too difficult for general use," said the friend.
"Oh," said Wolfgang, "it must be practised till it is learned. This is
the way it goes." So saying, he played it with perfect correctness.
About the same time he offered to take the violin at a performance of
some chamber music. His father refused, saying, "How can you? You have
never learned the violin."
"One needs not study for that," said this musical prodigy; and taking
the instrument, he played second violin with ease and accuracy. Such
precocity seems almost incredible, and only in the history of music
does it find any parallel.
Born in Salzburg, 27th January 1756, he was carefully trained by his
father, who resigned his place as court musician to devote himself
more exclusively to his family. From the earliest age he showed an
extraordinary passion for music and mathematics, scrawling notes and
diagrams in every place accessible to his insatiate pencil.
Taken to Vienna, the six-year-old virtuoso astonished the court by his
brilliant talents. The future Queen of France, Marie Antoinette, was
particularly delighted with him, and the little Mozart naïvely said he
would like to marry her, for she was so good to him. His father
devoted several years to an artistic tour, with him and his little
less talented sister, through the German cities, and it was also
extended to Paris and London. Everywhere the greatest enthusiasm was
evinced in this charming bud of promise. The father writes home--"We
have swords, laces, mantillas, snuff-boxes, gold cases, sufficient to
furnish a shop; but as for money, it is a scarce article, and I am
positively poor."
At Paris they were warmly received at the court, and the boy is said
to have expressed his surprise when Mdme. Pompadour refused to kiss
him, saying, "Who is she, that she will not kiss me? Have I not been
kissed by the queen?" In London his improvisations and piano sonatas
excited the greatest admiration. Here he also published his third
work. These journeys were an uninterrupted chain of triumphs for the
child-virtuoso on the piano, organ, violin, and in singing. He was
made honorary member of the Academies of Bologna and Verona, decorated
with orders, and received at the age of thirteen an order to write the
opera of "Mithridates," which was successfully produced at Milan in
1770. Several other fine minor compositions were also written to order
at this time for his Italian admirers. At Rome Mozart attended the
Sistine Chapel and wrote the score of Allegri's great mass, forbidden
by the Pope to be copied, from the memory of a single performance.
The record of Mozart's youthful triumphs might be extended at great
length; but aside from the proof they furnish of his extraordinary
precocity, they have lent little vital significance in the great
problem of his career, except so far as they stimulated the marvellous
boy to lay a deep foundation for his greater future, which, short as
it was, was fruitful in undying results.