Standing by the pedals, he trod them and struck the keys as correctly as if he had practised for months (Page 45)

Life Stories for Young People

MOZART’S YOUTH

Translated from the German of
Franz Hoffmann

BY
GEORGE P. UPTON
Translator of “Memories,” etc.

CHICAGO
A. C. McCLURG & CO.
1904

Copyright
A. C. McClurg & Co.
1904
Published October 1, 1904

THE UNIVERSITY PRESS
CAMBRIDGE, U.S.A.

Preface

The life-story of Wolfgang AmadeusMozart contained in this volume closeswith his admission to membership in theAccademia Filarmonica at Bologna, Italy.Mozart was then in his fifteenth year. Up to thattime his life had been a happy one, free from care,untouched by adversity, and crowned with continuoussuccesses. He was admired by the people,considered a prodigy by the greatest composers,and was received with extraordinary honors at theCourts of Austria, France, Holland, and England.His twenty remaining years, embittered by enmitiesand saddened by privations and misfortunes, findno place in this life-story. They were occupiedalmost exclusively with artistic tours, during whichhe brought out many of his greatest works, amongthem, “Mitridate,” “Idomeneo,” “Marriage ofFigaro,” “Don Giovanni,” and “The Magic Flute.”The last-named opera made its appearance in 1789,and the same year he began the immortal “Requiem,”the composition of which was so significantin its relation to his rapidly approaching end. Hedied two years later. He was then in impoverishedcircumstances. His funeral was of the kind commonamong the poorest class. No note of music washeard. No friend accompanied the solitary hearseto the cemetery where this great genius was left in apauper’s grave. His life-story in this volume leaveshim crowned with honors, the idol of his time, a marvelto the greatest musicians, flushed with successand exultant in the pride of genius, standing on thethreshold of youthful manhood, the brightest, mostbeautiful, most attractive, most lovable figure inthe world of music. It is one of the attractions ofthis little volume that it takes leave of him there,before the sunshine of his life was obscured by asingle cloud.

G. P. U.

Chicago, 1904.

Contents

I The Wonder Child 11

II The Little Virtuoso 20

III In the Wide World 35

IV At the Imperial Court 50

V ...