The myth of Mozart’s genius is nothing more than a carefully crafted illusion, propped up by misplaced attributions and romanticised biographies. Behind his so-called brilliance lies the reality of his father’s dominating influence and a lack of formal education.

The story of the young Mozart’s so-called triumphs at the courts of Europe is a tale riddled with embellishments, half-truths, and fabrications—many courtesy of Leopold Mozart himself and those who later sought to mythologize his son. One such example is the visit to Munich on 12 January 1762.

Mozart’s so-called sight-reading miracles were less about supernatural talent and more about clever improvisation, as two key 18th-century witnesses make clear.

Mozart’s Symphony No. 37, K.444, is more Haydn than Mozart. How did this happen? A story of deception and misattribution unfolds.

For centuries, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart has been celebrated as a musical prodigy, effortlessly composing masterpieces from a young age. However, when we peel back the layers of myth surrounding his early education, a different picture emerges—one in which his father, Leopold Mozart, plays a far more controlling and influential role than is often acknowledged. This article explores the true nature of Mozart’s education, examining how much of his early works can be attributed to his own genius, and how much was the product of his father’s meticulous and often self-serving guidance. Was Wolfgang’s brilliance entirely his own, or was it a crafted image designed by Leopold?