travels with the mozart family

“This journey is sooo boring! Are we there yet?” We all know how many children feel about travelling. But sometimes it’s not all bad: “When we’re sitting in the train or the car we’re not allowed to run around, be loud or have fun. My brother/my sister can be a real pain, but it’s also fun ’cos we can annoy our parents together. And it’s also nice to discover something new”. Back in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s time, travelling was much more uncomfortable, everything took longer, and there were uncertainties all along the way. The musical theatre experience for children entitled “Travels with the Mozart Family” tells of their arduous but adventurous journeys while providing affectionate insights into Mozart’s music.

In 1762, at the age of six, young Mozart – nicknamed “Wolferl” – travelled to Vienna with his parents and sister Nannerl. Their purpose – what an exciting adventure! – was to play for the Imperial Court. The piano performance by these two child prodigies was a complete success. The legend says that Emperor Franz asked little Wolfgang to play the piano blindfolded and with his hands hidden from view, and that he succeeded brilliantly. Afterwards, Wolfgang is said to have jumped onto the Empress’s lap to give her a kiss. This journey lasted barely four months and was just a foretaste of what was to come. All in all, Mozart spent more than ten years and two months on the road – thus almost one third of his life. His first trip to Italy alone – which took him and his father from Salzburg to Milan, Florence, Rome and Naples – lasted for 15 months. A team of six horses was needed to drive them through the ice and snow of the Alpine passes.

This musical theatre for children tells a humorous tale of how the horses’ hooves clatter along and how a wheel of their carriage breaks. The story is combined with some of Mozart’s loveliest, most popular compositions: excerpts from his “Little Night Music” will feature alongside his “Musical Joke”, in which Mozart pokes fun at less talented composers and their works. Then there are excerpts from the Symphony in g Minor KV 183 and the Piano Concerto KV 467, which will also help to introduce the audience to Mozart’s music in all its variety. And we promise that this journey will be anything but boring!