mozart’s childhood

In the cold evening hours of January 27 1756, in Salzburg, Austria, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born at No. 9, Getreidegasse. His parents Leopold and Maria Anna had only one other child, a girl of 4, despite the fact that this had been the seventh pregnancy experienced by the couple. In letters to his friends that have been preserved over two centuries, Leopold expresses his joy at the birth of their little boy. Even though so many books exist about the phenomenon of Mozart, the musical child prodigy, the pages of numerous biographies remain blank between his second day of life and his fifth birthday. But certain information does exist regarding a typical European childhood during this period in history, and so we can make some assumptions based on what we know of this. Young Wolfgang never did receive a formal schooling (his father was his personal tutor) but were his days filled solely with violin practice and musical theory classes…..or did he also have at least some time in which to engage in everyday experiences of an average Austrian child?

Gracious table manners are still part of very early lessons in family protocol for Austrian children. Mealtimes in the time of Mozart’s childhood were mannered and orderly with the father the first to be served, the leader in conversation, and the one whose opinion on everything from the vorspeisen (appetizers) to the mehlspeisen (desserts made with flour) were eagerly anticipated. Leopold would naturally have wanted to make an impression on his son regarding table manners, especially when signs of Wolfgang’s genius began to emerge and the possibility of taking the young boy to perform in the courts and palaces of Europe began to seem more likely.

If there was any time available for unstructured play it was most likely spent outdoors, since Austrian culture still promotes engagement with nature to this day. Perhaps Wolfgang spent some winter afternoons or evenings sledding in the hills surrounding Salzburg’s city center? Snowball fights were a common pastime, for both adults and children, as well as ice skating on the frozen Danube. In warmer weather, there were public parks to play in (although the famous Mirabell Palace had not yet been opened to the public by the Hapsburgs) and, further afield, the hills surrounding Salzburg. In the portrait at the top of this article, by Johann Zoffany, the eight year-old Wolfgang is seen holding a small bird’s nest in his hand.

Birds have often been recognized throughout history as symbols of the divine, crossing the divide between heaven and earth with their majestic power to soar above the earth’s surface. They are timeless harbingers of freedom; in many cultures, finding a bird’s nest is seen as a positive omen, symbolizing blessings, harmony, and the arrival of good fortune. But Mozart likely did develop a love of birds from his childhood as we know from letters exchanged with his sister during his teens that he, at various times, was the owner of a pet canary, a tom-tit and a robin. Mozart purchased a pet starling for himself in his adult years, and wrote a bittersweet poem for it when it died, translated by Robert Spaethling into vernacular English as follows.

Here rests a bird called Starling,
A foolish little Darling.
He was still in his prime
When he ran out of time,
And my sweet little friend
Came to a bitter end,
Creating a terrible smart
Deep in my heart.
Gentle Reader! Shed a tear,
For he was dear,
Sometimes a bit too jolly
And, at times, quite folly,
But nevermore
A bore.
I bet he is now up on high
Praising my friendship to the sky,
Which I render
Without tender;
For when he took his sudden leave,
Which brought to me such grief,
He was not thinking of the man
Who writes and rhymes as no one can.

—tr. Spaethling

The Mozart family also owned a fox terrier named Bimperl, which was also beloved by the famous composer. From his obvious connection to animals, we can assume that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart had the opportunity to spend at least some of his childhood away from the rigors of violin and piano practice. Although he began a schedule of touring Europe’s prestigious locations at a very young age, which was undoubtedly a most grueling experience in comparison to today’s travel options, Mozart was regarded by some of his contemporaries as the “eternal child” due to his unique behavioral traits and sense of fun. In tandem with his high energy and inclination towards risk-taking and spontaneity, Mozart did seem to be aware of his significant talent, even from a young age.

Perhaps this quote best conveys his youthful self-awareness and ambition:

They probably think because I am so small and young, nothing of greatness and class can come out of me; but they shall soon find out.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart