Mozart’s Last Opera

History Daily

The episode chronicles the final, turbulent months of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's life in 1791. It follows his journey from the humiliation of

Key takeaways

• Mozart was forced to sell his beloved chamber organ to settle mounting debts caused by expensive tastes and lost patronage.
• The premiere of La Clemenza di Tito in Prague was met with silence and mockery from the Queen of Bohemia.

Main topics

• Mozart's financial struggles
• The premiere of La Clemenza di Tito

Notable quotes

The audience's reaction stings.

Conclusion

A powerful look at how creative genius can find its greatest triumph e

Transcript preview

Speaker 1 (0:09) It's the evening of September 6th, 1791 in Prague, the capital of Bohemia. On stage at the Estates Theater, 35-year-old Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart sweeps his arm with a flourish from behind a harpsichord. Every eye in the orchestra is locked on him, straining to keep pace. And at last, Mozart brings the music to a crashing end. Speaker 1 (0:32) Silence falls in the auditorium. Mozart pushes back his chair and rises, ready to bask in the crowd's adulation, just as he has countless times before. But instead of thunderous applause, a stunned quiet settles over the theater. Mozart hesitates, then bows. Four years ago, in this very theater, Mozart premiered the opera Don Giovanni, and then his work was met with rapturous applause. But today's opera has fallen flat. and the audience's reaction stings. Head bowed, Mozart makes his way off the stage. He passes the Queen of Bohemia's box, and the snickering laughter coming from it makes Mozart's cheeks burn. Humiliated, Mozart quickens his pace and slips away, determined to return home to Vienna as soon as possible. Speaker 1 (1:23) To many, the lukewarm debut of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's La Commenza di Tito will be seen as proof that the former child prodigy has lost his touch. But although he has fallen on hard times recently, Mozart has one more operatic masterpiece to give the world. He's been working on another composition, and this one is much closer to his heart. And before the month is out, it will astonish audiences and redeem his reputation. when the Magic Flute is first performed on September 30, 1791. Hello, History Daily listeners. The live show I've been telling you about for a few weeks has a new date, October 23rd at the Plaza Theater in Garland, Texas. This is my Days That Made America tour, a thrilling evening of history, storytelling, and music with me and a band live on stage. So if you're in the North Texas area or anywhere close, be sure to come out and see me live. More shows will be announced soon, too. So for information on tickets and upcoming dates, go to HistoryDailyLive.com. That's HistoryDailyLive.com. Come see my Days That Made America tour live on stage. Go to HistoryDailyLive.com. From Noiser and Airship, I'm Lindsey Graham, and this is History Daily. Speaker 1 (2:58) History is made every day. On this podcast, every day, we tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world. Today is September 30th, 1791, Mozart's last opera. Speaker 1 (3:14) It's January 1791 in Vienna, Austria, nine months before the lackluster premiere of La Clemenza di Tito. Inside a newspaper office, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart leans over a scrap of paper, scrawling a brief note. Once finished, he slides it across the desk and asks how soon his advertisement can run. The clerk scans the words, counts them, then looks up at Mozart without a hint of recognition. He merely says it'll be printed in tomorrow's paper. Mozart digs into his pockets, fishing for coins, and after carefully counting out the exact amount, he places the money on the counter. Then he leaves before he can change his mind, because this isn't an announcement for one of Mozart's musical performances. Instead, it's an ad to sell his beloved chamber organ. Speaker 1 (4:00) For the last three decades, Mozart has dedicated his life to music. He burst onto the scene at the age of just five when his music teacher father arranged a series of concerts in the Royal Courts of Europe to show off the astonishing talents of his son. But even though Mozart became a sensation, his childhood as a touring musician often saw him live