Arts in NYC – Steven Graff
Luis Feliciano
10/1/14
Contrary to popular belief, Mozart was not as successful as we envision him today. Of course today we see him as a classic musician, and because of that we assume he lived a luxurious life. However, as revealed through his letters, we see that he struggled financially fairly often. Additionally, we see that Mozart was very polite, even when he wasn’t asking for money. This is made evident through the many conversations he has with his wife.
To begin with, you can feel Mozart’s kindness right from the beginning of his letters. When writing to a friend, he always begin with, “Dearest Friend!” When writing to his wife, Mozart always begins with a cute little sentiment towards her. Sometimes he’ll open with “Dearest, best little Wife!” or “Dearest, best little wife of my heart!” From the letter openings alone we could tell that Mozart really adored his wife. On the other hand, when writing to Michael Puchberg, the person whom he constantly asks to borrow money from, Mozart always begins with “Dearest, best of Friends!” This is a subtle distinction, but shows that Mozart regards Puchberg as a more important person. However, he could just be using pathos, in order to seal the deal. Finally, Mozart also writes a few letters to people of higher nobility, and refers to them as such. For example, when he wrote to Emperor Leopold 11, he opens the letter with “Your Majesty!”
The most is revealed about Mozart through his letters to Michael Puchberg. He clearly knows and trusts Puchberg very well. Letter 118 is very powerful. It is full with strong uses of pathos, which in turn show that Mozart was once a struggling artist. His opening remark, “My God, I could not wish my worst enemy in my present case!” is very moving. It takes a lot for a man to acknowledge when he is defeated. He struggles to find a job that will pay him enough to not only pay Puchberg back, but to also just live day to day. Mozart is constantly reassuring Puchberg that he will eventually get the money. For example he says, “you know my present circumstances, but you also know my prospects.” Through this letter, we see that Mozart truly feels bad for being in debt to Puchberg, and wants to affirm to him that once he gets through these tough times, he will be able to get the money that he needs.
In that same letter, Mozart goes on speaking about his “poor sick wife.” As revealed in his other letters, Mozart cares very deeply about his wife. Reading all of letters together even makes the reader feel sympathy towards him. Letter 115 shows how much he cares about his wife. He is always busy with work, but still finds small breaks to write to his wife, and it fills his heart. For example, “while the Prince is engaged in bargaining for horses,” Mozart took some time out to write to her. Additionally, he worries for her health, as any other caring husband would, “Look after your precious health, which means so much to me, my dear.” You can feel the anxiousness he feels. He asks many rhetorical questions back to back such as, “How goes it with you?” or “Do you think of me as often as I do of you?” It’s almost like when you talk to your crush. You get fluttered really easily, and all of your thoughts come out with or without your consent.
These letters show how relatable Mozart can be. Sometimes when you imagine a famous musician, it is hard to imagine that they could feel as we do. After reading these letters, I have a much better and more realistic understanding of who Mozart was as a person.
