August 19, 2025 • 10 mins
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is a name that resonates through the ages, a towering figure in the world of music whose genius continues to captivate audiences. From a tender age of 5, this child prodigy dazzled the world with his extraordinary talents, crafting masterpieces that remain unmatched. This collection of excerpts from his personal letters offers a fascinating glimpse into the mind of a musical legend. Was he simply mad, or was he a miraculous creator? Join us on a journey of discovery as we explore the thoughts and feelings of the boy wonder. (Summary by Aaron Elliott)
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter eighteen of Mozart The Man and the Artist, as
revealed in his own words. This is a LibriVox recording.
All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. From more
information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Mozart
The Man and the Artist, as Revealed in his own
words by Friedrich Kerst, translated by Henry Krebbel, Chapter eighteen. Religion.
(00:25):
Mozart was of a deeply religious nature, reared in Salzburg,
where his father was a member of the arch episcopal chapel.
Throughout his life he remained a faithful son of the Church,
for whose servants, however, he had little sympathy. The one
man whom Mozart hated from the bottom of his soul
was Archbishop Hieronymus of Salzburg, who sought to put all
possible obstacles in the way of the youthful genius, and finally,
(00:48):
by the most infamous of acts, covered himself everlastingly with infamy.
Though Mozart frequently speaks aguarly and bitterly of the priests,
he always differentiates between religion, the church and their sols.
Like Beethoven, Mozart stood toward God in the relationship of
a child full of trust in his father. His reliance
(01:08):
on providence was so utter that his words sometimes sound
almost fatalistic. His father harbored some rationalistic ideas, which were
even more pronounced in Mozart, so that he formed his
own opinion concerning ecclesiastical ceremonies and occasionally disregarded them. His
cheery temperament made it impossible that his religious life should
be as profound as that of Beethoven. I hope that,
(01:31):
with the help of God, Miss Martha will get well again.
If not, you should not grieve too deeply, for God's
will is always the best. God will know whether it
is better to be in this world or the other. Bologna,
September twenty ninth, seventeen seventy to his mother and sister
in Salzburg. The young woman died soon after. Tell Papa
(01:53):
to put aside his fears. I live with God ever
before me. I recognize his omnipotence, I fear his ane.
I acknowledge his love too, his compassion and mercy towards
all his creatures. He will never desert those who serve him.
If matters go according to his will, they go according
to mine. Consequently, nothing can go wrong. I must be
(02:16):
satisfied and happy. Augsburg, October twenty fifth, seventeen seventy seven,
to his father, who was showering him with exhortations on
the tour which he had made with his mother through
South Germany. Let come what will? Nothing can go ill,
so long as it is the will of God, and
that it may so go is my daily prayer. Mannheim,
December sixth, seventeen seventy seven, to his father. Mozart was
(02:40):
waiting with some impatience to learn if he was to
receive an appointment from Elector Karl Theodor. It did not come.
I know myself. I know that I have so much
religion that I shall never be able to do a
thing which I would not be willing openly to do
before the whole world. Only the thought of meeting persons
on my journey whose ideas are radically different from mine
(03:00):
and those of all honest people, frightens me. Aside from
that they may do what they please. I haven't the
heart to travel with them. I would not have a
single pleasant hour. I would not know what to say
to them. In a word, I do not trust them.
Friends who have no religion are not stable Mannheim, February second,
seventeen seventy eight, to his father. For the reasons mentioned
(03:22):
in the letter, Mozart gave up his plan to travel
to Paris with the musicians Wendling and Ramen. In truth,
perhaps his love affair with Elois of Weber may have
had something to do with his resolve. I prayed to
God for his mercy, that all might go well to
his greater glory, and the symphony began. Immediately after the symphony,
full of joy, I went to the Palais Royal ate
(03:44):
in iced cream, prayed the Rosary as I had promised
to do, and went home. I am always best contented
at home, and always will be or with a good, true,
honest German, Paris, July third, seventeen seventy eight to his father.
The symphony in question is no longer longer in existence,
although Mozart wanted to write it down again at a
later date. I must tell you my mother, my dear mother,
(04:08):
is no more. God has called her to himself. He
wanted her. I see that clearly, and I must submit
to God's will. He gave her to me, and it
was his to take her away. My friend. I am
comforted not but now, but long ago by a singular
grace of God. I endured all with steadfastness and composure.
(04:28):
When her illness grew dangerous, I prayed God for two
things only, a happy hour of death for my mother,
and strength and courage for myself. God heard me, in
his loving kindness, heard my prayer, and bestowed the two
mercies in largest measure, Paris, July third, seventeen seventy eight,
to his good friend Bullinger in Salzburg, who was commissioned
(04:49):
gently to bear the intelligence to Mozart's father. At the
same time, Mozart, with considerate deception, wrote to his father
about his mother's illness without mentioning her death. I believe,
and nothing shall ever persuade me differently, that no doctor,
no man, no accident can either give life to man
or take it away. It rests with God alone. Those
(05:10):
are only the instruments which He generally uses. Though not always.
We see men sink down and fall over dead when
the time has come, no remedies can avail. They accelerate
death rather than retard it. I do not say, therefore,
that my mother will and must die, That all hope
is gone, she may recover and again be well and sound,
(05:31):
but only if it is God's will. Paris, July third,
seventeen seventy eight to his father, from whom he is
concealing the fact that his mother is dead. He is
seeking to prepare him for the intelligence which he has
already commissioned to Bullinger to convey to the family. Under
those melancholy circumstances, I comforted myself with three things, viz.
(05:52):
My complete and trustful submission to the will of God.
Then the realization of her easy and beautiful death, combined
with the thought of happiness which was to come to
her in a moment. How much happier she is now
than we, so that we might even have wished to
make the journey with her. Out of this wish and
desire there was developed my third comfort, namely that she
(06:13):
is not lost to us forever, that we shall see
her again, that we shall be together more joyous and
happy than ever we were in this world. It is
only the time that is unknown, and that fact does
not frighten me. When it is God's will, it shall
be mine. Only the divine, the most sacred will be done.
Let us then pray a devout our father for her soul,
(06:35):
and proceed to other matters. Everything has its time, Paris,
July ninth, seventeen seventy eight to his father, informing him
of his mother's death, Be without concern touching my soul's welfare.
Best of fathers. I am an erring young man, like
so many others. But I can say to my own
comfort that I wish all were as little erring as I.
(06:56):
You perhaps believe things about me which are not true.
My chief fault is that I do not always appear
to act as I ought. It is not true that
I boasted that I eat fish every fast day, but
I did say that I was indifferent on the subject
and did not consider it a sin, For in my case,
fasting means breaking off eating less than usual. I hear
(07:16):
Mass every Sunday and Holy Day, and when it is
possible on week days. Also, you know that my father
Vienna June thirteenth, seventeen eighty one, another attempt at justification
against slander. Moreover, take the assurance that I certainly am religious,
and if I should ever have the misfortune which God
will forfend to go astray, I shall acquit you. Best
(07:39):
of fathers from all blame, I alone would be the scoundrel.
To you. I owe all my spiritual and temporal welfare
and salvation. Vienna, June thirteenth, seventeen eighty one. For a
considerable time before we were married, we went together to
Holy Mass, to confession and to communion. And I found
that I never prayed so fervently, confessed, and communicated so
(08:01):
devoutly as when I was at her side, and her
experience was the same. In a word, we were made
for each other, and God, who ordains all things and
consequently has ordained this will not desert us. We both
thank you obediently for your paternal blessing. Vienna, August seventeenth,
seventeen eighty two. I have made it a habit in
(08:22):
all things to imagine the worst, inasmuch as strictly speaking,
death is the real aim of our life. I have
for the past few years made myself acquainted with this
true best friend of mankind, so that the vision not
only has no terror for me, but much that is
quieting and comforting. And I thank my God that he
gave me the happiness and the opportunity you understand me
(08:43):
to learn to know him as The Key to True
Blessedness Vienna, April fourth, seventeen eighty seven, to his father,
who died on the twenty eighth of the following month,
one of the few passages in Mozart's letters in which
there are suggestions of the teachings of Freemasonry. In seven
teenteen eighty five, he had persuaded his father to join
the Order, with the result that new warmth was restored
(09:05):
to the relationship, which had cooled somewhat after Mozart's marriage.
To me that again, as Art twaddle, there may be
something true in it. For you, enlightened Protestants, as you
call yourselves, when you have your religion in your heads,
I cannot tell, but you do not feel what agnes
day kei, tullus peccata mundi and such things mean. But
(09:26):
when one like I has been initiated from earliest childhood
in the mystical sanctuary of our religion, when there one
does not know whither to go with all the vague
but urgent feelings, but waits with a heart full of
devotion for the divine service, without really knowing what to expect.
Yet rises lightened and uplifted, without knowing what one has received.
(09:47):
When one deemed those fortunate who knelt under the touching
strains of the agnes day and received the sacrament, and
at the moment of reception the music spoke in gentle
joy from the hearts of the kneeling ones Benedictus, Key, Vennett,
et cetera. Then it is a different matter. True, it
is lost in the hurly burly of life, but at
least it is so in my case. When you take
(10:09):
up the words which you have heard thousand times for
the purpose of setting them to music, everything comes back
and you feel your soul moved again. Spoken in Leipzig
in seventeen eighty nine, when somebody expressed pity for those
capable musicians who were obliged to employ their powers on
ecclesiastical subjects which were mostly not only unfruitful but intellectually killing.
(10:32):
Rochlis reports the utterance, but does not vouch for its literalness.
End of Chapter eighteen end of Mozart. The Man and
the Artist, as revealed in his own words by Friedrich Kirst,
translated by Henry Krebl
Chapter eighteen of Mozart The Man and the Artist, as
revealed in his own words. This is a LibriVox recording.
All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. From more
information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Mozart
The Man and the Artist, as Revealed in his own
words by Friedrich Kerst, translated by Henry Krebbel, Chapter eighteen. Religion.
(00:25):
Mozart was of a deeply religious nature, reared in Salzburg,
where his father was a member of the arch episcopal chapel.
Throughout his life he remained a faithful son of the Church,
for whose servants, however, he had little sympathy. The one
man whom Mozart hated from the bottom of his soul
was Archbishop Hieronymus of Salzburg, who sought to put all
possible obstacles in the way of the youthful genius, and finally,
(00:48):
by the most infamous of acts, covered himself everlastingly with infamy.
Though Mozart frequently speaks aguarly and bitterly of the priests,
he always differentiates between religion, the church and their sols.
Like Beethoven, Mozart stood toward God in the relationship of
a child full of trust in his father. His reliance
(01:08):
on providence was so utter that his words sometimes sound
almost fatalistic. His father harbored some rationalistic ideas, which were
even more pronounced in Mozart, so that he formed his
own opinion concerning ecclesiastical ceremonies and occasionally disregarded them. His
cheery temperament made it impossible that his religious life should
be as profound as that of Beethoven. I hope that,
(01:31):
with the help of God, Miss Martha will get well again.
If not, you should not grieve too deeply, for God's
will is always the best. God will know whether it
is better to be in this world or the other. Bologna,
September twenty ninth, seventeen seventy to his mother and sister
in Salzburg. The young woman died soon after. Tell Papa
(01:53):
to put aside his fears. I live with God ever
before me. I recognize his omnipotence, I fear his ane.
I acknowledge his love too, his compassion and mercy towards
all his creatures. He will never desert those who serve him.
If matters go according to his will, they go according
to mine. Consequently, nothing can go wrong. I must be
(02:16):
satisfied and happy. Augsburg, October twenty fifth, seventeen seventy seven,
to his father, who was showering him with exhortations on
the tour which he had made with his mother through
South Germany. Let come what will? Nothing can go ill,
so long as it is the will of God, and
that it may so go is my daily prayer. Mannheim,
December sixth, seventeen seventy seven, to his father. Mozart was
(02:40):
waiting with some impatience to learn if he was to
receive an appointment from Elector Karl Theodor. It did not come.
I know myself. I know that I have so much
religion that I shall never be able to do a
thing which I would not be willing openly to do
before the whole world. Only the thought of meeting persons
on my journey whose ideas are radically different from mine
(03:00):
and those of all honest people, frightens me. Aside from
that they may do what they please. I haven't the
heart to travel with them. I would not have a
single pleasant hour. I would not know what to say
to them. In a word, I do not trust them.
Friends who have no religion are not stable Mannheim, February second,
seventeen seventy eight, to his father. For the reasons mentioned
(03:22):
in the letter, Mozart gave up his plan to travel
to Paris with the musicians Wendling and Ramen. In truth,
perhaps his love affair with Elois of Weber may have
had something to do with his resolve. I prayed to
God for his mercy, that all might go well to
his greater glory, and the symphony began. Immediately after the symphony,
full of joy, I went to the Palais Royal ate
(03:44):
in iced cream, prayed the Rosary as I had promised
to do, and went home. I am always best contented
at home, and always will be or with a good, true,
honest German, Paris, July third, seventeen seventy eight to his father.
The symphony in question is no longer longer in existence,
although Mozart wanted to write it down again at a
later date. I must tell you my mother, my dear mother,
(04:08):
is no more. God has called her to himself. He
wanted her. I see that clearly, and I must submit
to God's will. He gave her to me, and it
was his to take her away. My friend. I am
comforted not but now, but long ago by a singular
grace of God. I endured all with steadfastness and composure.
(04:28):
When her illness grew dangerous, I prayed God for two
things only, a happy hour of death for my mother,
and strength and courage for myself. God heard me, in
his loving kindness, heard my prayer, and bestowed the two
mercies in largest measure, Paris, July third, seventeen seventy eight,
to his good friend Bullinger in Salzburg, who was commissioned
(04:49):
gently to bear the intelligence to Mozart's father. At the
same time, Mozart, with considerate deception, wrote to his father
about his mother's illness without mentioning her death. I believe,
and nothing shall ever persuade me differently, that no doctor,
no man, no accident can either give life to man
or take it away. It rests with God alone. Those
(05:10):
are only the instruments which He generally uses. Though not always.
We see men sink down and fall over dead when
the time has come, no remedies can avail. They accelerate
death rather than retard it. I do not say, therefore,
that my mother will and must die, That all hope
is gone, she may recover and again be well and sound,
(05:31):
but only if it is God's will. Paris, July third,
seventeen seventy eight to his father, from whom he is
concealing the fact that his mother is dead. He is
seeking to prepare him for the intelligence which he has
already commissioned to Bullinger to convey to the family. Under
those melancholy circumstances, I comforted myself with three things, viz.
(05:52):
My complete and trustful submission to the will of God.
Then the realization of her easy and beautiful death, combined
with the thought of happiness which was to come to
her in a moment. How much happier she is now
than we, so that we might even have wished to
make the journey with her. Out of this wish and
desire there was developed my third comfort, namely that she
(06:13):
is not lost to us forever, that we shall see
her again, that we shall be together more joyous and
happy than ever we were in this world. It is
only the time that is unknown, and that fact does
not frighten me. When it is God's will, it shall
be mine. Only the divine, the most sacred will be done.
Let us then pray a devout our father for her soul,
(06:35):
and proceed to other matters. Everything has its time, Paris,
July ninth, seventeen seventy eight to his father, informing him
of his mother's death, Be without concern touching my soul's welfare.
Best of fathers. I am an erring young man, like
so many others. But I can say to my own
comfort that I wish all were as little erring as I.
(06:56):
You perhaps believe things about me which are not true.
My chief fault is that I do not always appear
to act as I ought. It is not true that
I boasted that I eat fish every fast day, but
I did say that I was indifferent on the subject
and did not consider it a sin, For in my case,
fasting means breaking off eating less than usual. I hear
(07:16):
Mass every Sunday and Holy Day, and when it is
possible on week days. Also, you know that my father
Vienna June thirteenth, seventeen eighty one, another attempt at justification
against slander. Moreover, take the assurance that I certainly am religious,
and if I should ever have the misfortune which God
will forfend to go astray, I shall acquit you. Best
(07:39):
of fathers from all blame, I alone would be the scoundrel.
To you. I owe all my spiritual and temporal welfare
and salvation. Vienna, June thirteenth, seventeen eighty one. For a
considerable time before we were married, we went together to
Holy Mass, to confession and to communion. And I found
that I never prayed so fervently, confessed, and communicated so
(08:01):
devoutly as when I was at her side, and her
experience was the same. In a word, we were made
for each other, and God, who ordains all things and
consequently has ordained this will not desert us. We both
thank you obediently for your paternal blessing. Vienna, August seventeenth,
seventeen eighty two. I have made it a habit in
(08:22):
all things to imagine the worst, inasmuch as strictly speaking,
death is the real aim of our life. I have
for the past few years made myself acquainted with this
true best friend of mankind, so that the vision not
only has no terror for me, but much that is
quieting and comforting. And I thank my God that he
gave me the happiness and the opportunity you understand me
(08:43):
to learn to know him as The Key to True
Blessedness Vienna, April fourth, seventeen eighty seven, to his father,
who died on the twenty eighth of the following month,
one of the few passages in Mozart's letters in which
there are suggestions of the teachings of Freemasonry. In seven
teenteen eighty five, he had persuaded his father to join
the Order, with the result that new warmth was restored
(09:05):
to the relationship, which had cooled somewhat after Mozart's marriage.
To me that again, as Art twaddle, there may be
something true in it. For you, enlightened Protestants, as you
call yourselves, when you have your religion in your heads,
I cannot tell, but you do not feel what agnes
day kei, tullus peccata mundi and such things mean. But
(09:26):
when one like I has been initiated from earliest childhood
in the mystical sanctuary of our religion, when there one
does not know whither to go with all the vague
but urgent feelings, but waits with a heart full of
devotion for the divine service, without really knowing what to expect.
Yet rises lightened and uplifted, without knowing what one has received.
(09:47):
When one deemed those fortunate who knelt under the touching
strains of the agnes day and received the sacrament, and
at the moment of reception the music spoke in gentle
joy from the hearts of the kneeling ones Benedictus, Key, Vennett,
et cetera. Then it is a different matter. True, it
is lost in the hurly burly of life, but at
least it is so in my case. When you take
(10:09):
up the words which you have heard thousand times for
the purpose of setting them to music, everything comes back
and you feel your soul moved again. Spoken in Leipzig
in seventeen eighty nine, when somebody expressed pity for those
capable musicians who were obliged to employ their powers on
ecclesiastical subjects which were mostly not only unfruitful but intellectually killing.
(10:32):
Rochlis reports the utterance, but does not vouch for its literalness.
End of Chapter eighteen end of Mozart. The Man and
the Artist, as revealed in his own words by Friedrich Kirst,
translated by Henry Krebl
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