[Illustration: MOZART IN HIS SIXTH YEAR.
The court dress was sent to him by the Empress Maria Theresa. Painter
unknown. Original in the Mozarteum in Salzburg. This is the earliest
portrait of Mozart.]
In 1762 Wolfgang and Maria Anna--the latter was now a pianoforte
virtuoso--played before the Elector of Bavaria in Munich, and the
enthusiasm provoked by their appearance was so great, that Leopold
obtained leave of absence in September of the same year and went with his
family to Vienna. At Passau the children played before the Bishop, who
marvelled greatly and gave the father a ducat. At Linz they gave their
first concert. They then descended the Danube to Vienna, stopping at the
monastery of Ips, where Wolfgang played so effectively upon the organ that
the Franciscan fathers left the dinner table that they might hear him;
which miracle is doubtless recorded in the annals of the abbey.
[Illustration: MOZART IN HIS NINTH YEAR.
Original in the Mozarteum, in Salzburg. On the bottom of the music--"Th.
Helbling juv. pinx."]
The Austrian imperial family was passionately fond of music. Francis the
First was a distinguished connoisseur, and Maria Theresa was a pupil of
Wagenseil, as well as an accomplished singer. The Mozart children were
received with open arms. The courtiers were astonished at the display of
genius. The Emperor spent hours in testing and wondering at the powers of
Wolfgang. The young Marie Antoinette romped with the boy who promised to
marry her when he was old enough.
[Illustration: MOZART IN HIS TENTH YEAR.
Painted by Dominicus van der Smissen, 1766. The original in possession of
Mr. R. Hörner, in Ulm.]
The noble families of the town vied with each other in their attentions.
The children were given money, court dresses, and tokens of genuine
affection, and the first portrait of Wolfgang was painted then in Vienna,
in which he has powdered hair, and he carries a sword. The boy was seized
with scarlet fever in October, and in the beginning of 1763 Leopold went
back to Salzburg. But the 9th of June of the same year, with his wife and
children, he set out for Paris, having letters of credit from his good
friend Haguenauer. They had adventures, and they gave concerts on the way.
They arrived at Ludwigsburg, the Versailles of Stuttgart, where Jomelli,
with his carriages and horses, houses and yearly salary of four thousand
florins, brought to Leopold's mind his own modest condition, and provoked
him to bitter remarks. Frankfort, Bonn and Brussels were seen, and finally
the family arrived in Paris the 18th of November. The story of this
visit, as well as the visit of 1778, has been most entertainingly told by
Jullien in the brochure "Mozart à Paris," to which the reader is referred
for interesting details. The letters of Leopold contain much curious
information about the musical condition of the city. Frederick Melchior
Grimm, who was regarded as an authority, exerted himself most actively
in the behalf of his compatriots. They were presented at Court; they were
celebrated in prose and in verse; their portraits were painted; and four
sonatas "pour le clavecin" were engraved and published. In April, 1764,
Leopold left Paris for London, by Calais, Dover, and he took with him the
opinion that French music and French morals were detestable. In England
the family were received most kindly by the King and the Queen, who, as
is well known, were passionate amateurs of music. The curiosity of the
Londoners to hear the children was great; the learned Daines Barrington
proved the genius of Wolfgang in many ways, and then made it the subject
of a letter preserved in the annals of the "Philosophical Transactions"
of the year 1770; and guineas chinked pleasantly together in Leopold's
pocket. Here Wolfgang wrote three symphonies, four according to Jahn and
Koechel, but Wilder gives good reasons for doubting the date of the one
in B-flat major. He also dedicated six sonatas for pianoforte and violin
or flute to the Queen. His London visit benefited his education. Pohl in
his interesting and valuable "Mozart in London" gives a full account of
the condition of music at the time. Wolfgang had an opportunity of hearing
Handel's oratorios and Italian opera; he became intimate with Christian
Bach; he heard the castrate Tenducci, the master of cantabile; he took
singing lessons of the famous male soprano Manzuoli. In July 1765 Leopold
and the children started for the Hague; at Lille, Wolfgang was seriously
ill, and at the Hague the sister was attacked by a violent fever. Wolfgang
wrote while in Holland six sonatas and other pieces. After passing through
Paris and Swiss towns, the family arrived at Salzburg in November, 1766.
Wolfgang was pleased at seeing again his favorite cat, and then under his
father's direction he began the study of the "Gradus" of Fux. In 1767 he
learned Latin and set to Latin words a comedy, "Apollo et Hyacinthus," at
the instigation of the Archbishop, who had hitherto played the part of
doubting Thomas. He also wrote four pianoforte concertos for his own use
in concerts.
[Illustration: MOZART IN HIS FOURTEENTH YEAR.