Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Salzburg, 27th January 1756 – Wien, 5th December 1791), is undoubtedly the greatest representative of Austrian music (if not world music) of the 1700s.

The extraordinary talent of Mozart already came out when at the age of 5 he began to compose, or when in 1770, at about the age of 14, he listened to Gregorio Allegri’s Miserere twice in the Sistine Chapel, rewriting it completely identical, a feat never did before then.

The miserere was a secret composition performed only in the pontifical chapel: until then, whoever had taken possession of it outside the Vatican walls would have been excommunicated.

Pope Clement XIV himself was stunned by the fact. Mozart made 3 trips to Italy (between 1769-1773), going on the first trip to Milan, Bologna (where he studied music for a certain period to enter the Bologna Philharmonic Academy and where he composed various works), then Florence, Rome, Naples.

Like his father, he will be a musician at the Salzburg court, for Archbishop Colloredo, who nevertheless paid him a rather low salary (150 florins a year), and Mozart himself tried to obtain different, more fruitful positions, without success. During a trip to Paris, Mozart’s father, Leopold, renegotiated his son’s position at the bishop’s court, coming to wrest the office of konzertmeister and court organist for a salary of 450 florins per year.
It will also be in Paris that Wolfgang will lose his sick mother, Anna Maria Pertl, on 3 July 1778, who will be buried at the cemetery of Saint Eustache. Sadly, only his son and friend Heina will go to his funeral.

Thus, in January 1779, Mozart became court organist at Salzburg and composed numerous symphonies; in spite of this Wolfgang was certainly not satisfied, let alone serene in his work.

Who was the “holder” of Mozart at that time?

Mozart worked for the prince-archbishop “Hieronymus Joseph Franz de Paula Colloredo von Wallsee und Mels“; the latter was born in Brno in 1732 and died in Wien in 1812. Born to a family of Italian origins, Hieronymus was the second son of a count and vice-chancellor of the empire; he was named bishop of Gurk in 1761, and he was archbishop of Salzburg.

His character was rather authoritarian and not aimed at compromising his orders and directives; however, it was a figure that tended slightly towards reformism, in fact, it tried to develop an equal tax system, trying to follow principles of equity. He promoted the arts and supported the region’s health system; he spoke German, Latin, French and Italian (perhaps Czech as well, apparently); he could play the violin.

A supporter of the Habsburgs, Hieronymous sought to promote Josephineism (the ecclesiastical policy of Emperor Joseph II) and joined the Order of the Illuminati; he declared himself against the representations of the passion of Christ, defining them as a useless mixture of falsehood, ridiculousness, and religion.

Hieronymus will have to leave the city due to the arrival of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1801, who will occupy the city after the battle of Hohenlinden, which for the Austrians was a real disaster. He died in Wien in 1812, no longer in the archbishopric, now secularized, and was buried in the cathedral of Sant Stephen, also in Wien.

Did Hieronymus von Colloredo and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart hate each other?

Hieronymus von Colloredo undoubtedly noticed the genius of Mozart since his childhood, so much so as to help Wolfgang’s father by giving him the chance to accompany his son on numerous trips to improve his abilities and create a “reputation” for the artist. With the voyages of Mozart, especially in Austria, Hieronymus also gained fame and diplomatic visibility.

However, the relationship was not too friendly, in fact, even though Mozart went so far as to dedicate a work to Hieronymus von Colleredo, it is also true that in his letters to his father Mozart he used to call it by the name of “great Mufti”, annoyed by the too authoritarianism of the archbishop prince; on the part of the latter, however, despite the recognition of the musician’s abilities, there was the great irritation for his shortcomings and absences at work; In fact, Mozart did not pay the utmost attention to the work of the archbishop prince, probably not attracted either by the manners of Hieronymus.

How was Mozart fired?

Original German phrase: “Mag er geh’n, Ich brauch ‘Ihn nicht!”
English translation: “He can leave, I don’t need him!”
– Prince-Archbishop Hieronymus von Colloredo expresses himself on Mozart

Mozart was also suffering due to the fact that the archbishop prince did not really dedicate himself to the patronage of the musical arts, but was indeed rather disinterested: in fact, he set off towards a reduction in the cost of music in Salzburg and also decided to close the musical theater. Already tired of the fact that in Salzburg the representation of operas was not easy, Mozart began to be really tired of the situation. Despite everything he obtained permission to compose a work commissioned to him in Monaco, the Idomeneo, devoting himself to it probably from October 1780, and on 5 November 1780 he took the road to Monaco. Certainly the work was finished on January 29th, 1781 when it finally went on stage; unfortunately for Mozart however this was not enough to guarantee him a job at the Munich court, and he had to, on the direct order of the archbishop prince, leave for Wien on March 12th.
Colloredo had been in Wien for some time now and had decided to let his musicians perform, sure of fueling his personal fame in this way. Therefore, on 16 March Mozart arrived in Wien, where, contrary to what the bishop prince might have expected, he sang the avarice and despotism of the prince-archbishop to the four winds.
Mozart could not stand, among other things, being considered by Hieronymus no less, at least according to Mozart himself, than a subordinate of his, a duty of obedience. Certainly, Mozart had to feel the weight of his position as a courtier, as opposed to his desire for freedom. Thus it was that in May 1780 the archbishop prince and Mozart fought heavily, so much so that Mozart went on a rampage, presenting his resignation in writing.
Despite the rejection of the resignation, at least initially, by Hieronymus, the fire of anger continued to flow between the two. And here we come to the “focal point” of our history.

Mozart kicked out of by the prince archbishop’s chamberlain

It was the beginning of June 1781, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart had resigned and the camerlengo of the prince-archbishop (the chamber clerk of the sovereign, count Karl Joseph Felix Arco), tried in every way, backed by Wolfgang’s father (Leopold Mozart), to reject them.
Despite the commitment of father and camerlengo it was impossible to find a solution, or rather there was no way to convince Mozart to send a “plea” in writing to the prince-archbishop. After yet another quarrel between Count Arco and the young Mozart, the count resolved by insulting Wolfgang and throwing him out of the interview venue with a kick behind. Needless to say, Mozart was furious, as testified by a letter written on June 9th of the same year.

How could anyone say that Count Arco had Wolfgang so much at heart? The young Mozart claims to have been insulted, as one would to a thief or an illiterate brigand, as well as to have been brutally attacked and kicked out. Nothing more wanted to have to do Wolfgang with the count Arco, and the only thing in favor of the letter was the suspicion that the camerlengo had acted in this way for direct order of the haughty bishop prince.

Mozart free composer, freelance professional musician: but what were the consequences?

Mozart not only distinguished himself by turning his attention to music but also in the social sphere: the composer was, in fact, the first within the German panorama to break away from the feudal bond that was ecclesiastical or noble, starting his career as a free and independent musician, in a professional manner.

Before Mozart, professional musicians could receive a salary, board, and lodging, only within aristocratic courts, underlying the directives of feudal or ecclesiastical lords (or as in the case of Mozart, both of them have had to serve a prince-archbishop). The courage of Mozart, who saw him go against even his father, was not rewarded as he might have deserved: under the thumb of a not yet well-developed musical market and the continuous economic events that gave space to his commissions within the empire in adverse cases they limited the musical expenses due to savings needs of the wealthiest, Mozart had to suffer poverty.

A bad blow was also the problem of Mozart’s clients, mostly noble or middle class enriched to an incredible extent: when Mozart published the Marriage of Figaro, condemning the vices and powers of the aristocrats, he became unpopular with most of the latter.

In fact, there is also to say that Mozart had gained excellent figures throughout his life but that his lifestyle in the Wien period, and in particular his passion for gambling, had led him more easily to a crisis of its finances when the profits deriving precisely from the Wien’s golden age began to decrease. After a period of “economic crisis”, Mozart began to make good money again in 1791, the year in which, however, he was probably struck by streptococcal glomerulonephritis, which caused him acute death causing him nephritis.

Thus it was that one of the musical geniuses of all time was forced to live amid growing economic difficulties, partly due to his dream of freedom, becoming the forerunner of a music market that will begin to flourish and leave space after his death and independence to new musicians.

If nothing else, Mozart, who had joined Freemasonry and who believed himself to be believing in the ideals of a common mental openness in the religious sphere, of fighting the growing bellicose force in Europe and a great supporter of pacifism, could enjoy his freedom and to live without the brakes and with the particular pretensions and caprices to which most of the musicians of the time were subjected.