In 1762 a child by the name of Mozart was brought to Bavaria to play before the court of the Prince-elector
Maximilian III. The prince and his entourage were astounded by the wondrous talent displayed by this child prodigy. For the next three years, young Mozart would travel Europe, playing before royal courts, celebrated by the elite. Brutal carriage rides on rough roads lay ahead, accompanied by the constant threat of disease and tight funds. Our young Mozart showed not only musical brilliance, but great personal strength throughout the ordeal. Oh, and her little brother Wolfgang tagged along too.
But First, A Word From Our Sponsor:
Top Comments recognizes the previous day's Top Mojo and strives to promote each day's outstanding comments through nominations made by Kossacks like you. Please send comments (before 9:30pm ET) by email to topcomments@gmail.com or by our KosMail message board.
Make sure that you include the direct link to the comment (the URL), which is available by clicking on that comment's date/time. Please let us know your Daily Kos user name if you use email so we can credit you properly. If you send a writeup with the link, we can include that as well. The diarist poster reserves the right to edit all content.
Please come in. You're invited to make yourself at home! Join us beneath the doodle...
|
This diary isn't about one of my personal favorite musicians, Wolfang Amadeus Mozart. It is about his sister, Maria Anna Mozart, affectionately known to her family as Nannerl. The legendary genius of Wolfgang is well-documented, beginning with his overbearing father taking him on an exploitative and exhausting tour of the European continent at the tender age of 6. Only given a nod in these accounts is the fact that this was a brother-sister act, with older sister Nannerl often given top frigging-billing, so great was her own musical gift.
"Virtuosic.” “A prodigy.” “Genius.” These words were written in the 1760s about Mozart—Maria Anna Mozart. When she toured Europe as a pianist, young Maria Anna wowed audiences in Munich, Vienna, Paris, London, the Hague, Germany and Switzerland. “My little girl plays the most difficult works which we have … with incredible precision and so excellently,” her father, Leopold, wrote in a letter in 1764. “What it all amounts to is this, that my little girl, although she is only 12 years old, is one of the most skillful players in Europe.”
High praise indeed coming from her father and appreciative audiences who, embracing the mores of the period, would put the kibosh on her potential to give the world a lasting testimony to her own music, her own special song. While Wolfgang's unquestionable genius unfolded and was richly nurtured, Nannerl's had been predetermined and had a shelf life. After their celebrated tour of Europe ended and they returned to Salzburg, Wolfgang, managed by his father Leopold, went on to further his career to dizzying heights and terrible lows of the men-only business of music.
And what of Nannerl? Sadly, she was of marrying age when she returned from tour, and the spark of her own genius was purposely extinguished. All she was good for after her first period was landing a man, giving piano lessons and being tangentially famous for being Herr Mozart's sister.
Owing to Austria's excellent record keeping and coupled with family correspondence at the time, we know that Nannerl wouldn't marry as quickly as her father might have wanted. He intervened in her first romance and put an end to it. Some years later she married a magistrate named Johann Baptist Franz von Berchtold zu Sonnenburg who brought a man-dowry of five children from two previous marriages. The Sonnenburg's had three children of their own, one who died in infancy. That had to have kept Nannerl burdened with busy and a certain amount of grief. Her recorded life during this period is sketchy at best.
All along, her more famous brother kept her in his heart. He knew that music ran through her blood. They had shared a long road together and that bond would stand, even while Wolfgang's meteor soared. In one piece of correspondence it is clear that he knew that she got a raw deal.
In a letter from Italy, dated July 7, 1770, he wrote “I am amazed! I had no idea you were capable of composing in such a gracious way. In a word, your Lied is beautiful. I beg you, try to do these things more often."
Maria Anna "Nannerl" went on to outlive her famous younger sibling by 38 years, long after Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart had become a candle in the wind. Much of what she may have offered the world comes from speculation. Records hint that she was a gifted composer, yet none of her compositions survive. Even though her own father and famous brother thought highly of her talents, the roadblocks of the time made sure posterity would never know of it.
This is true cultural loss and yet another example of why I am and forever will be a feminist.
Now on to Tops!
TOP COMMENTS
November 2, 2014
Thanks to tonight's Top Comments contributors! Let us hear from YOU
when you find that proficient comment.
From Yasugari:
This comment fom mjbleo in Denise Oliver Velez's diary today today, Just... wow.
From Steven Payne:
This get out the vote comment by ivorybill in Denise Oliver Velez's diary Why we must vote—and help others vote as well gets my nod tonight.
|
TOP PHOTOS
November 1, 2014
Enjoy jotter's wonderful PictureQuilt™ below. Just click on the picture and it will magically take you to the comment that features that photo. Have fun, Kossacks!
|