Mozart Demystified

Since Mozart’s death, his legacy has been dramatized and romanticized in both literature and film. One specific film Amadeus, warps Mozart’s character into a boyish, immature person. While I still suggest you see the film because it is still wonderful, just remember that they take very wide artistic liberties. Here are a couple of myths about the composer that will hopefully enlighten you as to who he was a person.

Mozart wasn’t a hard worker: Many people believe Mozart to be a person who would write out entire compositions without a single mistake all the time. While this was the case for some compositions, Mozart still had to work very hard to complete his pieces, and struggled greatly to get them published.

Mozart was a party animal: While he was known to have a good time, Mozart didn’t party himself into debt. His debt was due mostly to lack of published works (they were sometimes too hard for the general public to appreciate) and not enough patrons for larger works, such as operas.

Antonio Salieri was his archenemy: Mozart and Salieri were mutual contemporaries that had no animosity towards each other. The film Amadeus creates a rivalry for the sake of a good story, but it simply isn’t true!

Mozart had autism: Based on his own letters, and other’s accounts of Mozart, we can surmise that he did not have any developmental issues. Again, in the film Amadeus, they give Mozart a high pitched, childish laugh, which is overly-dramatic. They also display him as, at times, incompetent.

Mozart was a genius composer who was devoted to his music. He worked tirelessly to get his compositions performed and was always pushing the envelope of modern music. While he wasn’t as fiscally successful as some of his contemporaries, Mozart’s struggle and hard work results in the massive appreciation we have for him today!