The first letter of “The Great Operas” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is addressed to Herr Geheimrath. In the letter, Mozart portrays himself to be a musician with a hectic life. Throughout the letter, Mozart continuously brings up his lack of time and he apologizes for not being able to respond more promptly to Geheimrath’s letters. He says he has severe time constraints and has a lot of work to do. Nevertheless, he demonstrates himself to be willing and motivated to fulfill his many obligations and to be diligent. Moreover, Mozart also reveals himself to be a fervent German nationalist. He passionately argues against German opera singers and musicians working for the Italian opera. Mozart instead argues that German musicians should prove their patriotism by working exclusively for the German opera. This way, Mozart hopes that the German opera can garner new attention and praise.
In his letter to Sebastian Winter, Mozart once again illustrates himself to be an exceptionally busy and important man – he writes that the only reason he had not responded to Winter’s letter earlier was because he had to attend to “business which could not possibly be postponed.” Mozart also reveals himself to be in search for a yearly fixed salary for his composition and playing of music. This shows that Mozart is pragmatic about his music – he cannot compose music for masses, because he could not possibly make a living this way. Mozart instead tried to get the King to hire him to compose pieces that could be played solely at the King’s court.
Mozart proves himself to be deeply spiritual in his letter to his father regarding his father’s illness. Mozart sees his belief in God as “reassuring and consoling,” and he says that he thanks God every day for his life and has a metaphysical connection with Him. In the letter, Mozart also makes it evident that he deeply cares for his father’s well-being and that he dreads the thought of his death. Mozart asks his father to never hide his impending death, should it come. Mozart also writes that he will come home to his father immediately if he finds out that his father worsens. Mozart offers words of love and encouragement to his father.
However, Mozart is also clearly interested in his inheritance from his father after his father’s death. He makes this clear in his letter to his sister, in which he writes that he will stay with his father’s fortune because of his “special benefit” – his wife and child. Thus, Mozart increasingly shows himself to be very inclined to act in his own financial self-interest, even at the expense of his own family members (in this case, his sister). This exemplifies the notion that Mozart is very averse to anything that jeopardizes his financial state, which is also shown by his willingness to compose music solely for the royal court in exchange for a fixed yearly salary. Moreover, in later letters to his brother, Mozart proves himself to be in dire financial need – or at least wants people to believe so. He argues that his best friend would be a true friend only if he lent Mozart money – which he did. Then Mozart failed to repay the loan on time and instead asked for even more money – which speaks volumes of his character. Also, Mozart went to his brother’s home uninvited for dinner to ask for even more money – which once again shows that Mozart was very interested in attaining wealth.
Mozart also seems to think he is superior to many of his fellow musicians and singers. He speaks gloriously about his own musical compositions and other work, while at the same time blaming delays in opening show of the opera on the “laziness” of the singers and the “anxiety” of the entrepreneur. Mozart does not take any responsibility for the postponement of the opera and instead blames others. Furthermore, in a letter to his wife, Mozart writes that he encountered women who were all “ugly” – which is grossly condescending. Finally, Mozart assumes that his wife has a lot of time on her hands when he writes that he would like longer letters from her . This is because, in his view, she has a lot more free time than he does. But at the same time, Mozart also makes it clear that he cares a lot about his wife and her well-being. He writes many letters to her showering her with words of encouragement and love.
Mozart is also very proud of his accomplishments and his position as the “Royal and Imperial Court Composer.” He deems himself to have the talent and skills for the job and boasts about his importance to his wife and his close friends. He is also very enthusiastic when he writes about his compositions and the work he is doing. It is clear that Mozart really enjoys his line of work and would give it up for nothing in the world. He writes about it passionately and with fervor. He also proves himself to be very educated – as he speaks and writes in both French and German and is very well-versed in European culture, especially in regards to opera and other music.
However, despite his many apparent flaws, Mozart nonetheless proves himself to be a very loving and caring person – which is especially evident in his letters to his wife. He constantly asks about her well-being and he gives advice to her in an attempt to have her do what is in her best interest and that of their expected child. Mozart writes to his wife very often and makes it very clear that he misses her greatly and cherishes every moment he has with her. Moreover, there is a great level of comfort between the two, as Mozart is quick to write to his wife about everything concerning his everyday life – what he does, his thoughts and his future plans. He seems to hold nothing back and is instead very open with his wife. He continued to love her and support her until his untimely death in 1791.
In conclusion, Mozart had a very vibrant and dynamic character. He was a fervent patriot, a diligent composer, a financially unstable person, a dependent and penurious brother, a caring son and a loving husband. His letters reveal a lot about his character and his virtues – and paint a whole other image of Mozart that most of us would otherwise not know about.
