1.) So, Mozart, it’s quite obvious that you have made yourself a well-known name. What in your childhood first got you started in the world of music?
Before I begin, I must say that I feel honored to be interviewed! As to answer your question, well, I started out very young. Before I could hardly speak, I can recall watching my father give my sister Nannerl lessons on the clavier [The Mozart Project]. I was fascinated! I knew at that time that I wanted to play music like my sister did. So my father began giving me musical instruction. I progressed fast and before I knew it I was composing my own music. Of course, I didn’t know how to write any of my works down at such a young age, but oftentimes my father did as I played.
Of course, I was also born into a musical family. My father Leopold was a court musician in Salzburg, Austria, just like I was in the 1770’s. He was an exceptional composer and outstanding violinist, as he published the famous violin textbook called Versuch einer gründlichen Violinschule (or A Treatise on the Fundamental Principles of Violin Playing) [Halliwell 1998]. He noticed how much talent I had as he watched me pick out thirds on the keyboard and began giving me lessons. He was a very devoted teacher to me, and he tells me about how quickly I progressed and how I often went above and beyond what he taught me [Solomon 1996]!
2.) This brings me to my next question… how did mentors, such as your father, help you develop and keep your interest in your art?
I have to say that I was primarily self-driven in my art field. Now don’t get me wrong here, my father was very devoted in my musical progress! But I always wanted to go farther than what he taught me. I can remember my first composition that I made on paper all by myself, all splattered in ink. When he saw and heard it, it brought tears to his eyes [Deutsch 1966]. He was so proud of me.
I think that was part of what drove me to make music. I was amazed at seeing the reaction on his face, seeing how well my music had touched and moved him. I wondered if my music could do that to total strangers? Could people that I’ve never met possibly have the same reaction as he? Of course, I soon found out that I was right. At the ripe age of seven my father took me on a three-and-a-half year journey across Europe to showcase my talents [Solomon 1996]. The public was very fond of my prodigious talents, and this led me to my successful career as a composer and performer.
3.) What was the world of music like when you first got started at such a young age?
Well, I did a lot of traveling, as I’ve already told you. I met many other musicians in my travels. Some include Johann Christian Bach and of course my longtime friend Joseph Haydn [Answers.com]. I acquainted myself with their works as much as possible. I’ve always felt that listening to other’s music can help inspire me in my works. Maybe that’s why so many composers, such as Ludwig van Beethoven [Deutsch 1966], were influenced by my works.
People always tell me how sophisticated and original my form and artistry is. I’ve always found this interesting. I’ve never been interested in establishing new forms of music, as I was more interested in perfecting forms already in existence [Classical Net]. I’m always told things like how well I can execute chromatic harmony among other peculiar details of my work, but I never pay much attention to critics, good or bad. As I’ve said once, I pay no attention whatever to anybody's praise or blame. I simply follow my own feelings [ThinkExist].
4.) How did the major cultural, political, and economic situations of the time impact you in your work?
People loved music. It was a great source of entertainment for the people of Europe, and I was there to provide it. The archbishop of Salzburg always employed court musicians, and it was always an honor to be employed. My father was employed as deputy Kapellmeister (person in charge of music-making) at the court for quite some time, and I was later appointed in 1773 [Solmon 1996]. I later resigned this position in 1777 to search for a better paying job in Germany and France [Answers.com]. This isn’t to say I disliked the position, but like everyone else, I had to make ends meet.
Managing my earnings was one personal issue I always had. I began making a considerably large income shortly after I married my wife Constanze. Our spending became rather superfluous, as we bought an expensive new fortepiano, a billiards table, sent our son Karl Thomas to an expensive boarding school, and even kept servants [Solomon 1996]. But soon afterward my earnings shortened. I racked up a great deal of debt from my previously lavish lifestyle, and I frequently borrowed money from my friends [The Mozart Project]. It was a depressing time for me and my family, and it wasn’t easy to bear through.
5.) So tell us about some of your major musical accomplishments, and some of your methods and secrets of composition and performance.
Well, where do I start, as far as accomplishments? The fact that I was making music before my age hit the double digits was an accomplishment in its own right [Classical Music Pages]! Excuse how egotistical that sounded, I’m usually modest about my skills. I have composed over 600 works in my lifetime. Some famous works of mine include the Requiem, the operas The Magic Flute and The Marriage of Figaro [Deutsch 1966], and a myriad of concertos for piano, violin, trumpet, oboe, horn, and many other instruments [Answers.com].
As far as my methods, well, I usually like to keep those secret. But for interview’s sake, I guess I can offer some advice to aspiring musicians. First of all, I never stop thinking about music. Whenever I have some idea, I always try to write it down, be it a small note or a large piece. I’ve always been told how developed my improvisation skills are, even when I was young [Halliwell 1998]. My only recommendation if you want to create beautiful music is that you never stop thinking about it.
6.) Can you elaborate on some of the key opportunities and turning points in your life and art?
Around 1781, I was ready to pursue an independent career in Vienna. I was ready to resign from my employer. He declined my resignation initially. To make matters worse, my father was even against me in my resignation [Solomon 1996]. Eventually I was resigned - very insultingly, I might add - from the position, and went on to work on my independent career. I find this to be a major turning point in my life because it led not only to my successful career in the early 1780’s [Classical Music Pages], but to meeting the love of my life, Constanze Mozart!
The most negative turning point in my life was around 1787. This was when the Austro-Hungary War began. This led to a decrease for musician’s support from aristocrats and the country’s prosperity in general [Solomon 1996]. My income shrank, and I was frequently borrowing money from my friends, as I mentioned before. I journeyed to Berlin and other cities in an attempt to relieve my stresses [Classical Net], but in the long run it didn’t help a whole lot.
7.) What kinds of personal choices did you make in order to be the success you are?
Well, I know I told you about this already, but resigning from my employer was a very successful choice on my part. Despite all the opposition both on the employer’s and my father’s part, I believed that starting my own independent career in Vienna would be successful. And boy, was I right! Soon after arriving I got the opportunity to perform in front of emperor in 1781 [The Mozart Project]. I also met my friend Joseph Haydn in Vienna [Deutsch 1966].
As far as other major personal choices, well, I can’t really think of much off the top of my head. I usually try to work with the best musicians I can. I occasionally played with Joseph Haydn in string quartets, and I dedicated six of my string quartets to him [Answers.com]. My wife sang with my at times, as during the performance of my piece Mass in C Minor [Solomon 1996]. I find it easier to play my music with finesse and fluidity when other players in my group are doing the same.
8.) What kinds of hardships and roadblocks did you have to face in order to be who you are?
The earliest hardship I faced was all the traveling I did at such a young age. My father was always rushing us around country to country during our tour. Traveling conditions were oftentimes harsh [The Mozart Project]. It was still worth it, as I got to perform in front of many nobilities such as Maximilian III Joseph [Classical Music Pages]. It also helped me gain reputation all across Europe as a child prodigy.
I hate to repeat myself, but there was also the downfall of my career in 1787. I lost a lot of my income, and borrowed a lot of money from friends [Classical Net]. I went through hard times and felt depressed. These times weren’t very productive for my music, either. I wrote significantly less compared to the previous decades of my life [Answers.com]. Among others not worth mentioning, these were the two main obstacles I had to pass to become the name I am.
9.) What kinds of limitations did you run into as an artist and person?
One thing that I was always picky about was finding well-playing jobs. When I was first appointed as a court musician in Salzburg, I was dissatisfied with my low salary of 150 florins [Solomon 1996]. Even when offered a position as a court organist with three times those earnings, I was reluctant to accept. [Halliwell 1998] This isn’t to say that I only worked as a musician for the money. I believe no one should do that! It was just a struggle for me to keep my passion of music while still making ends meet.
When I was about 11 years old, I came down with a bad case of smallpox. [Classical Music Pages] It was after we had completed our Grand Tour across Europe. We were renting rooms in the house of goldsmith Johann Schmalecker. We learned that his three children had caught the disease. Alarmed, we left his house and fled the city six days later [Deutsch 1966]. I eventually caught it myself, and it eventually got to be so bad that I could not see for 9 days [Solomon 1996]!
10.) To conclude, do you have any personal stories perhaps illustrating how you became successful?
Why, yes! Let me elaborate on the tale of resigning with my employer as it is always an interesting story to tell. As I told you before, I was ready to begin my independent life in Vienna, as my employer at the time, Hieronymus Colloredo [The Mozart Project], was treating me poorly, like a servant. I asked to resign my position, but he declined it. My father was against my opposition as well! He constantly wrote letters to me saying that I should forgive the man for treating me poorly. [Solomon 1996] I was eventually resigned, done so by being literally kicked in the ass! [Answers.com].
To this day I still find it humorous how successful I was despite their oppositions. I could tell many stories of my life, but this interview has to end somewhere, doesn’t it? After all, if I kept rambling on, I would probably put you to sleep! Again, I’m honored to be interviewed, but I will conclude the interview here. After all, to talk well and eloquently is a very great art, but that an equally great one is to know the right moment to stop [ThinkExist]!
Bibliography:
Solomon, Maynard. Mozart: A Life. New York, NY: Harper Perennial, 1996. Print.
Deutsch, Otto Eric. Mozart: A Documentary Biography. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1966. Print.
Halliwell, Ruth. The Mozart Family: Four Lives in a Social Context. Oxford, UK: Clarendon Press, 1998. Print.
Boynick, Matt. "Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart." Classical Music Pages. 11 10 2000. Web. 3 Mar 2010. [http://w3.rz-berlin.mpg.de/cmp/mozart.html].
Boerner, Steve. "Biography." The Mozart Project. 25 08 1998. Web. 4 Mar 2010. [http://www.mozartproject.org/biography/index.html].
"Wolfgang Amadé Mozart." Classical Net. 1995. Web. 3 Mar 2010. [http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/mozartwa.php].
"Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart." Answers.com: The World's Leading Q&A Site. 1995-2010. Answers Corporation, Web. 6 Mar 2010. [http://www.answers.com/topic/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart].
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[http://thinkexist.com/quotes/wolfgang_amadeus_mozart].
