VIENNA
MOZART´S STAY
Vienna was the seat of the Habsburg monarchy's court. This earmarked it as a primary destination for Mozart's journeys and later for his permanent residency. He was very well accepted among the Viennese, but he never found a permanent job. So Mozart went on travelling through Europe. On one day in 1780, at the age of 24, he decided to stay in Vienna, leaving a lonesome father at home: "Often when I come nearer to our home, I feel a certain melancholy, imagination I must hear you playing the violin". In the Viennese St. Stephan's cathedral, W.A. Mozart married Contanze Weber. They had and raised children, and when Mozart died in December 1791, he was buried in the same church. Ultimately, Vienna played host to Mozart and his family for over 10 years. During those Viennese years, he composed and presented to the public many of his greatest masterpieces. As the residency of the Mozarts changed frequently (in accordance with their income), we can find many authentic Mozart sites all over Vienna.
PLACES OF INTEREST
St. Michael’s Church Michaelerplatz, 1010 Wien On 10 December 1791, some days after Mozart’s death, an office for the dead was read in St. Michael’s Church “for the great musician Mozart”. Those who commissioned these “solemn exequies” for the musician, whose funeral was ranked far beneath his importance to the musical life of Vienna, included the theatre director Emanuel Schikaneder, for whom Mozart had composed The Magic Flute. This was perhaps the very first time that parts of the Requiem were performed. Mozart Fountain Mozartplatz, 4th district The memorial, a group of bronze figures by Otto Schönthal unveiled in 1905, and also known as the Magic Flute Fountain, is a Jugendstil (art nouveau) masterpiece depicting two of the main characters in the opera Tamino playing the flute, and Pamina nestling up to him. Daily round the clock Mozart Memorial Burggarten, 1st district The front of the memorial to the great composer, created by Viktor Tilgner in 1896, depicts a scene from Don Giovanni – the invitation to the Stone Guest and the latter’s arrival – and the rear shows six year-old Mozart playing the piano and his father the violin, and his sister Nannerl singing.
Mozarthaus Vienna Domgasse 5, 1st district Domgasse 5 is the only one of Mozart’s apartments that still exists today. The composer lived in Mozarthaus Vienna from 1784 to 1787 in grand style, with four large rooms, two small ones and a kitchen. The life and works of this musical genius are presented here on four exhibition levels. In addition to Mozart’s apartment, which has been adapted by Wien Museum, visitors can find out about the times in which Mozart lived and his most important works. The exhibition focuses on his years in Vienna, which marked a high point in his creativity. The tour starts on the 3rd floor of the building with details of Mozart’s time in Vienna: where he lived and performed, who his friends and supporters were, his relationship to the Freemasons, his passion for games and much more. The presentation on the 2nd floor deals with Mozart’s operatic works, and the apartment on the 1st floor, the real heart of the building, focuses on the two and a half years that Mozart lived there. The offer is round off by café on the ground floor, a museum shop and an event area in the basement of Domgasse 5. Mozarthaus Vienna and the Wien Museum Mozart apartment (A-1010 Vienna, Domgasse 5) are open every day from 10 am to 7pm. Further information is available at www.mozarthausvienna.at in six languages. An audio guide – in German, English, French, Italian, Spanish, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Polish, Russian or Japanese – is included in the price. Mozart’s last residence Rauhensteingasse 8, 1st district Mozart’s last residence was in a house which no longer exists today, having been replaced by the Steffl department store. Mozart composed one of his most famous works there, The Magic Flute and worked on the Requiem until his death on 5 December 1791. The latter was a commission for a nobleman who intended to pass it off as his own work. National Library Josefsplatz, 1st district In 1786, when Mozart was at the peak of his success, he was invited by Gottfried van Swieten to perform at his concerts (described as “Sunday Academies”) in the Court Library (now the National Library) of which he was the director. There were probably also performances in the magnificent Baroque stateroom, with Mozart singing in his wonderful alto voice and accompanying himself on the piano. Van Swieten, the son of Empress Maria Theresa’s doctor, became Mozart’s patron and remained relatively loyal even in the last years of his life when the glory of the once well-to-do musician had long since faded. The Schönbrunn Palace Orangey Schönbrunner Schlossstrasse, 13th district It was in the Orangey that a “musical contest” took place between Mozart and the court composer Salieri in 1786 at the behest of Maria Theresa’s son, Emperor Joseph II. Mozart performed: "The Impressario, and Salieri Prima la musica e poi le parole". The Emperor’s predilection for Italian opera gave an advantage to Salieri. Although Mozart, then 30, was at the height of his career, he still had to sell his services at a knockdown price. He earned half Salieri’s fee for performing his works at court, and his application for admission to the Tonkünstler-Sozietät (Musicians’ Society) was never accepted. PALAIS: Palais Auersperg Auerspergstrasse 1, 8th district Palais Harrach Freyung 3, 1st district Palais Kinsky Freyung 4, 1st district Palais Palffy Mozart’s father took advantage of his two-and-a-half month stay in 1762 to present his son to the nobility of the city. His efforts bore fruit, and the child prodigy the little gentleman with a powdered wig and miniature sword was the talk of the town. For instance, Mozart performed before Prince Joseph von Sachsen Hildburghausen and his guests at the Auersperg Palace, then outside the city walls. In 1786, by which time the palace was already owned by the Auersperg princes, a private performance of Idomeneo took place, rehearsed and conducted by Mozart himself. The Mozart children appeared before Count Harrach in the Harrach Palace, and performed immediately next door in the Kinsky Palace for Countess Maria Theresia Kinsky. And on the day after their second performance in Schönbrunn, the Mozart children entertained the Hungarian Court Chancellor, Count Pálffy, at the palace of that name. Today, the four Baroque palaces still serve as venues for events such as concerts, exhibitions and art auctions. Church and Monastery of the Piarist Order Piaristengasse 45, A–1080 Vienna The Church of the Piarist Order is the centrepiece of a Baroque architectural ensemble — one of the few memorial sites that has remained unchanged since Mozart frequented it. In letters dating from 1791, Mozart describes his visits to the Piarists, whose monastery school had been an elite institution for the aristocracy since the reign of Empress Maria Theresia and still has an excellent reputation today. Mozart intervened personally to secure a place at the Piarist School for his oldest son Karl Thomas. On Sunday, 9 October 1791 he sent a letter to his wife Constanze, who was at the spa in Baden, recounting his attendance at Sunday mass and his meal with the Piarist monks: “…at 10 o’clock I shall be going to the Piarist office because Leitgeb has told me that I can talk to the headmaster — I shall also be staying there for a meal...” The same weekend, Mozart reports in another letter: “I slept exceedingly well, and hope that you have also had a good night’s rest – I thoroughly enjoyed my "Kapaundl". "Kapaundl" was the term affectionately used by Mozart to describe a speciality of court cuisine to which he was particularly partial, namely, “jeunes chapons à la morille” (roast capon with morels). This delicacy will be served at the Piaristenkeller restaurant as a culmination of private tours of the monastery featuring Mozart concerts in the basilica. Café Mozart Albertinaplatz 2, 1 st district The Café Mozart is a traditional Viennese coffee house. Mozart never had a chance of to recharging recharge his batteries with a cup of coffee there, as today’s café dates back to 1929; but the first coffee-house at the site opened in 1794. Besides the Café Mozart – a strong blend with whipped cream, almond chips and chocolate liqueur – the Mozart Cake, made of dark sponge pastry with pistachio cream and chocolate mousse is well worth trying. Daily 8.00am to 12 midnight, Groups of up to 15 persons Schönbrunn Palace In 1762, the Mozart children’s first concert tours took them to Vienna, accompanied by their father – an ambitious manager of his offspring’s careers. The then six-year-old Wolfgang and his elder sister played the clavichord for Empress Maria Theresa and her large family in the Hall of Mirrors at the Habsburgs’ Baroque summer residence. According to Mozart’s father, after his performance the prodigy jumped up on to the Empress’ lap, threw his arms around her neck and kissed her. One of Maria Theresa’s daughters then demonstrated her piano skills in the Pink Room – the actual music room at the palace. All 16 princes and princesses received artistic training, and played instruments, painted, and appeared and sang in theatrical performances. These and other staterooms at Schönbrunn Palace – the building has a total of 1,441 rooms – can be admired on the Imperial Tour.
House of the Teutonic Order In 1781, Mozart stayed in the House of the Teutonic Order of Knights in Vienna for a few weeks, in the entourage of his employer, the Archbishop of Salzburg, Hieronymus von Colloredo, an arrogant and conceited priest. As his orchestra leader and court organist in the House of the Teutonic Order, he took part in concerts in the fresco decorated Sala Terrena, which is still used for concerts today. Music was regarded as entertainment and a background accompaniment particularly at banquets, that's why Mozart was assigned to the chamberlain. But he wanted more. At 25 years of age, full of desire for independence and confident of his musical abilities, he behaved (as he did all his life) in a manner that was anything but servile. He had a row with the archbishop, and Mozart wanted to end his employment. The chamberlain Count Arco had Mozart “propelled through the door with a kick in the arse”. It was the beginning of a new phase of his life: Mozart remained in Vienna, thus liberating himself from his dominant father, and earned his living as a freelance artist with soir’s, composing commissions and piano lessons. St. Marx Cemetery Leberstraße 6-8, 3rd district Mozart was laid to rest in this atmospheric cemetery in 1791. The exact location of his grave is unknown. The musician was buried in an unmarked communal grave alongside four or five others. A few years after the 100th anniversary of his birth, a monument was erected at the presumed location of his grave. The monument that stands there today was assembled by a cemetery attendant from the remains of other gravestones. It depicts a pensive angel leaning on a column. Central Cemetery Simmeringer Hauptstraße 234, 11th distirct A memorial created by Hanns Gasser in 1859 and originally erected in the St. Marx Cemetery was relocated to the Central Cemetery on the centenary of Mozart death. Since then it has been part of the Mozart Monument in the section of the central cemetery reserved for graves of honour, in the immediate vicinity of other great composers such as Beethoven and Strauss. Imperial Palace 1st district Mozart was invited to the Vienna Hofburg – for centuries the Habsburgs’ seat of government – several times. In 1768, Empress Maria Theresia granted the Mozart family a two-hour audience in the Imperial Apartments. Her visitor was a well-travelled 12-year-old boy who was familiar with London, Paris and Brussels, and had performed there and in many parts of Germany, in noble salons and (when tour funds were low) common dance halls. In the fall of 1781, Mozart, by this time already living in Vienna, staged a concert in honour of the Duke of Württemberg in the Schweizertrakt (Swiss Wing). And the composer spent the Christmas Eve of that year in the company of Kaiser Josef II in the Imperial Apartments. By then the 25- year-old Mozart, who already had 350 works to his name (including the Paris Symphony, the Coronation Mass and several operas) was unintimidated by the splendour of the court. Nobility and rank meant nothing to him, and deference to authority was alien to him. His language was at times more than vulgar, as many letters show. Stephansdom Stephansplatz, 1st district Mozart married Constanze Weber at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in 1782. He almost had to wring his father’s consent out of him – though Constanze was actually his second choice. He had originally had his sights set on her sister Aloisia who rejected his proposal. Mozart was probably more attracted by Constanze’s merry nature, which many called happy-go-lucky, than her looks. He described her as “not ugly, but at the same time far from beautiful – her entire beauty consists of two little dark eyes ...”
From the start of the marriage, the couple threw themselves into the musical and social life of the city. They had six children (of whom two survived infancy) and remained together until Mozart’s death, despite numerous affairs. Mozart’s body (he died on 5 December 1791) was borne to St. Stephen’s Cathedral in a funeral procession and received the benediction in the Crucifix Chapel which at the time was accessible from the outside of the cathedral. Mozart was given a “third class” burial with a very small cortege consisting of cross-bearers, four pallbearers and four boys carrying lanterns. Orphanage Church Rennweg 9, 3rd district The 12-year-old Mozart composed and conducted the solemn Waisenhausmesse (Orphanage Mass) for the consecration of the church in 1768, when was visiting Vienna for the second time with his father and sister. This was also the occasion of a further meeting with Empress Maria Theresa. The choir consisted of orphan boys from the adjoining poorhouse, and the Imperial Court thanked Mozart with “a beautiful present”. The mass is still performed at the church every year on 8 December to celebrate its consecration.
ABOUT VIENNA
Settlements along the Danube, near what is now the City of Vienna, can be traced back to the 5th century before Christ. These were of Celtic origin as is the name Wien derived from the Celtic "Vedunia" for river in the woods. The Romans established the garrison camp Vindobona in the 1st century A.D. Vienna began to rise in importance in the middle Ages. It was made residence of the Babenbergs and the city walls were raised in 1200. Vienna was to become the capital of the Habsburg Empire for almost seven centuries. Its imperial past is still visible today, as with the Hofburg, Schönbrunn castle, the buildings along Ringstraße and many other sites throughout the city.
After the end of the Second World War and many years of Allied occupation Austria regained its independence with the state treaty signed in 1955. Unperturbed by the nearby Iron Curtain Vienna continued to build on its international role during the Cold War years. It became a UN seat and was chosen as headquarters for the OECD.
Vienna's cultural life is multi-faceted. You have the choice of 50 theatres, four opera houses, two stages for musicals and 100 museums and numerous theatre, music and dance festivals. The Museumsquartier (museum quarter) with its baroque facade is home to one of the biggest cultural districts in Europe.
Vienna is known worldwide as a city of music. Quality orchestras and ensembles are its seal of excellence. Along with well-established ensembles for contemporary music classical music continues to play a vital role, as made evident by the City of Vienna Concert Orchestra and the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, amongst others. The Vienna Academy, the Vienna Chamber Orchestra and the Women's Chamber Orchestra are dedicated to tradition and modern music alike. International artists are a great gain to cultural life in Vienna.
PARTNER ACTIVITIES
Detailed information you find on the local websites of our partners or http://www.mozartways.com/vienna
CONTACT & INFORMATION
Mozarthaus Vienna with WIEN MUSEUM Mozart’s apartment A-1010 Vienna, Domgasse 5 Open daily from 10 am to 7 pm Tel.: +43-1-512 17 91 [email protected] www.mozarthausvienna.at
Tourist Info Wien Tourismus Markt und Media Management Obere Augartenstrasse 40 1025 Wien AUSTRIA Tel. +43 -1-24 555 http://www.info.wien.at E-mail: [email protected]