Mozart's travel clavichord: a tribute to the musical family

Mozart's travel clavichord: a tribute to the musical family

in Leopold Mozart Haus in Augsburg can now be seen a special exhibition entitled "Anna Maria Mozart". This outstanding presentation includes, among other things, the replica of Mozart's travel “Clavierl”, a practical instrument that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart often accompanied during his trips. The exhibits show how the young Mozart traveled through Europe with his parents and needed a portable piano cord to capture his musical ideas.

The replica of this small clavichord, which is particularly suitable for travel, was manufactured by the Viennese piano maker Albrecht Czernin. The original instrument can be found in the Hungarian National Museum. It is interesting that Mozart's early compositions were adapted to this travel instrument, which underlines the importance of this piano order for its musical development. On arrival to Augsburg, the Clavichord was transported by train, which once more illustrates the importance of the instrument for Mozart.

The role of Anna Maria Mozart

Anna Maria Mozart, born on December 25, 1720 in St. Gilgen, played a central role in the life of her children, including Wolfgang and his sister Maria Anna Walpurga Ignatia, better known as "Nannerl". Anna Maria and Leopold married in 1747 and had a total of seven children, but only Nannerl and Wolfgang survived the first year of life. Wolfgang owes a lot to her care and musical support, even if she often had to go into spa stays because of the high child mortality and her health problems.

After the early years, Anna Maria spent more time at home and only accompanied the family on selected trips. A large number of letters that Leopold wrote to her has been preserved and gives insights into family life and the challenges of time.

the family dynamics

The relationship between father Leopold and son Wolfgang was complex over the years. Leopold was not only a talented musician, but also in business and skillful in contact with others. Nevertheless, he was often dissatisfied with the handling of his son with money and donors. This led to tensions, especially in the later years when Wolfgang's career developed. The relationship with Nannerl also cooled down after Mozart's marriage to Constanze Weber, although they previously traveled through Europe as a siblings and had a friendly correspondence.

Nannerl, born on July 31, 1751, was a talented pianist herself and is often overlooked in the discussion about the Mozart family's musical heritage. She wrote her own pieces, but they have not been handed down. After getting married and led her household, she lived the longest from the Mozart family until 78 years.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on January 27, 1756 as the seventh child of Leopold and Anna Maria. Only Nannerl survived from his six older siblings, which drastically illustrates the misery of family child mortality.

The exhibition in Leopold Mozart Haus is a valuable opportunity to get to know the life and challenges of the Mozart better and to understand the complexity of their family relationships. The story becomes all the more lively in the place that is so closely linked to the history of this famous family of musicians.