Leopold Mozart
A Portrait in Shadows
Leopold Mozart, father of the famed Wolfgang, led a life filled with missed opportunities, deceptions, and an unrelenting quest for recognition.
From his university expulsion for negligence to his web of lies to secure marriage approval,
Leopold’s life unfolded in a pattern of ambition and pettiness, casting an unsettling light on a man whose moral uprightness was, at least outwardly, his badge of honour.
Mozart: The Fall of the Gods
This book compiles the results of our studies on 18th-century music and Mozart, who has been revered for over two centuries as a deity. We dismantle the baseless cult of Mozart and strip away the clichés that falsely present him as a natural genius, revealing the contradictions in conventional biographies. In this work, divided into two parts, we identify and critically analyze several contradictory points in the vast Mozart bibliography. Each of the nearly 2,000 citations is meticulously sourced, allowing readers to verify the findings. This critical biography of Mozart emerges from these premises, addressing the numerous doubts raised by researchers.
"One cannot help but admire a man who could lie so boldly, even about his own father’s death, just to secure a better future."
Mozart: The Fall of the Gods
The Father of Wolfgang Mozart: Ambitions, Deceptions, and a Life of Humiliation and Compromise.
A Ribellious Youth
Leopold Mozart was far from the upright figure he liked to project, and his early years bear witness to this fact. Born in Augsburg, the son of a bookbinder, Leopold might have followed his father’s craft. Yet, with the pretence of an ecclesiastical calling, he deceived his father and enrolled at the University of Salzburg, benefiting from the hospitality of the Benedictines. However, his tenure there was short-lived: despite a promising first year, he was soon reprimanded for neglect and was unceremoniously expelled in 1739.
The Deceptive Path to Marriage
Years later, Leopold continued his pattern of deceit. Having fallen for Anna Maria Pertl, a young woman of humble origins, he sought his mother’s approval for the marriage and even requested an advance on her dowry. In his appeal to the Augsburg city council, he presented a wholly fabricated story: he claimed his father had recently sent him to Salzburg to study, and that he was now gainfully employed as a “valet” for a high-ranking noble. He further asserted that his bride-to-be was the daughter of a wealthy citizen, a fiction as bold as it was unfounded. Solomon remarks on the audacity of Leopold’s claims, pointing out that his father was, in fact, already deceased, that Anna Maria had no affluent lineage, and that Leopold held no such prestigious employment.
A Life of Discontent and Humiliation
Leopold’s struggle for recognition in Salzburg brought him only disillusionment. Though he served in the court orchestra, he never ascended beyond the rank of Deputy Kapellmeister. In 1753, his career nearly ended in disaster due to an anonymous pamphlet he had circulated, ridiculing several prominent ecclesiastics. His punishment was public and humiliating: he was forced to beg forgiveness, and the pamphlet was symbolically torn to pieces at his feet.
The ‘Virtuous’ Father
Despite his troubled path, Leopold clung to the veneer of a righteous, disciplined man—a character description belied by his actions. His son Wolfgang’s musical prodigy brought him some satisfaction, yet Leopold’s own life was steeped in compromise and disappointment. Florian Langegger, a contemporary, commented on Leopold’s strained family relations, including his troubled dealings with his mother, whom he blamed for supporting his other siblings while doubting his loyalty.
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#1 A Man of Cunning
In the end, Leopold Mozart’s life was a testament to survival in a world where his talents were often overshadowed by those of his more gifted contemporaries and his own son. While his “Violinschule” remains a notable contribution to music pedagogy, it is clear that Leopold’s legacy is as much about his ability to navigate the challenges of his time as it is about his musical achievements. His story is one of ambition, adaptation, and the lengths to which one man would go to secure his place in history, even if that place was built on borrowed foundations.
@MozartrazoM
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Mozart’s letters reveal missing originals, questionable authorship, and forgeries, adding complexity to his legacy.
The Curious Case of Mozart’s “Lullaby”
Though long credited to Mozart, the lullaby “Schlafe mein Prinzchen, schlaf ein” hides a murky history. Initially published by Nissen, Constanze’s second husband, it has endured as one of Mozart’s supposed works—despite a trail of doubts. In 1798, Constanze herself noted sending “another piece of Mozart’s in place of the lullaby,” raising questions about its origins. By the 20th century, researchers revealed it as the work of lesser-known composers, yet it remains deceptively tied to Mozart, its myth surviving through mere footnotes.
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The Contradictions Behind Mozart’s Horn Concerto K.412
The authenticity of Mozart’s Horn Concerto K.412 remains hotly debated, as the work bears numerous contradictions in its manuscript history. The first movement may be original, but what about the rest? The inclusion of Franz Xaver Süssmayr and later editorial meddling raises serious questions about what we are really listening to when we hear this ‘Mozart’ concerto.
The Forgotten Viennese Quartets
Attributing Offertorium K.34 to Mozart is not just misleading, it reflects the careless methods used by 19th-century scholars to inflate his legacy. Without an autograph or solid evidence, this work should not be considered part of his output.”