What additional treasures might exist had Mozart survived beyond 35? And what iconic works *wouldn’t* we have, if other great composers had died young like him?
“When I am… completely myself, entirely alone… or during the night when I cannot sleep, it is on such occasions that my ideas flow best and most abundantly. Whence and how these ideas come I know not nor can I force them.” —Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
If Mozart is to be taken at his word, he must have lived much of his short life in sleepless but productive solitude. He composed over 600 musical works—including 21 stage and opera works, 15 masses, and over 50 symphonies—and he did all this in just half a lifetime.
As much wonderful music as Mozart left us, it is tantalizing to wonder what else he might have gone on to write, had he had a few more years. When Mozart died in 1791 at the age of 35 while writing his Requiem Mass, he was at the peak of his powers: He had finished two operas (including the much-loved Magic Flute), a clarinet concerto, a cantata and had about two-thirds of the Requiem completed.
What if he’d had another 30 years ahead of him? How many more operas, concerti and great symphonic works would he have delivered? How much further would he have advanced the forms?
Of course, we’ll never know the answer, but this started us thinking—possibly a little morbidly—about all the other great works that would not exist, had their composers also been struck down in their 30s. Consider, for example, that Bruckner did not even complete his first symphony until he was 43; Beethoven wrote symphonies five through nine all after the age of 35; and Brahms delivered his virtuosic second piano concerto at the comparatively ripe old age of 48.
Here is a short list of monumental works that would never have been written had their composers perished like Mozart at the age of 35.
Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony
There would be no Ode to Joy since Beethoven composed his Ninth Symphony at the age of 54.
2. The Nutcracker Suite
There would be no sugar plum fairies dancing to music composed by Tchaikovsky at age 52.
3. The Messiah
The holidays just wouldn’t be the same without gems like For Unto Us a Child is Born and the Hallelujah Chorus, composed by Handel at age 56.
4. New World Symphony
Dvorak composed his Ninth Symphony, the New World, at the age of 52.
5. Wagner’s Ring Cycle
Not one single note of the stirring Ride of the Valkyries, composed as part of Wagner’s opera saga at the age of 61.
We’ll never really know what the world lost when Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died at just 35, working on the Requiem that was to become his own unfinished swan song, but it is astonishing to consider his achievements in the context of other composers’ bodies of work which were delivered in up to twice the time.
Mozart’s genius and his singular place among the greats is undeniable. Rather than dwell on the loss, perhaps a better course of action is to reflect on and appreciate the many glorious treasures he left behind?
The California Symphony performs MOZART REQUIEM with the San Francisco Conservatory Chorus on March 17 at 8 PM and March 18 at 4 PM at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek.
An agricultural engineer, a budding neuroscientist, and ripped pants during a performance: We learned some of the inner secrets of the talented stars of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music who will be featured in our MOZART REQUIEM concerts this month.
Esther Tonea, soprano
Esther Tonea, soprano
1. Where are you from?
I usually say Buford, Georgia, but I was born in Hayward! Before starting my Masters at SFCM, I lived with my family in Georgia for 12 years.
2. Something people might be surprised to learn about you?
In the transition from high school to college, I was planning to study neuroscience and have music as my “side gig.” In high school I did a two year internship at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center in Atlanta studying the effects of the hippocampus on relational memory, and I was so fascinated by all of this research that I was certain I wanted to pursue a career in neuroscience. Well… things change, Jo. The moment I realized I needed to choose music was my freshman year when I was playing in the pit orchestra for Bizet’s Carmen. I was fighting tears just at the thought of a life without music, and that’s how I knew what I needed to do.
3. What is your Plan B?
What is this “Plan B” you speak of? Asking for a friend…
4. Do you play any instruments?
I grew up in a very musical family. My dad studied music (upright bass and piano) in Romania while growing up, and my mom took my sisters and I to zillions of private lessons and performances throughout the years. I tried bass, flute, and french horn until I fell in love with the cello. Now I have two Bachelors degrees in performance: one for cello and one for voice!
5. How has music changed your life?
Music has changed my life in more ways than I can count. When I first started playing in orchestra in middle school I began to learn how to work in groups, listening to each person’s musical contributions and ideas. Music taught me discipline, showed me inspiration, helped me explore passion… The list is endless and each individual component continues its refinement daily. I don’t know who I would be without music (and I’m not sure I even want to think about it)!
Kaitlin Bertschi, mezzo-soprano
Kaitlin Bertschi, mezzo-soprano
1. Where are you from?
I’m originally from Long Island, New York but spent time living in New Orleans as well.
2. Favorite performance outfit?
Either my senior recital dress which I picked specifically because I was performing the Habanera from Carmen (lots of ruffles and flair!) or the beautiful Geisha costume I wore when I performed in Madama Butterfly with New Orleans Opera.
3. How has music changed your life?
Music, primarily singing, may be the most influential element of my life. It’s become all-consuming in the best way. Learning a role, or singing a text has served me as an avenue for processing my feelings. It’s been my vehicle for connecting and sharing with the people in my life. It’s taught me discipline, patience, and humility in a profound way like no other forces in my life. The text to Schubert’s An die Musik comes to mind when trying to sum up how music has changed and shaped me.
4. Nothing ever goes as planned — What’s the craziest thing that has ever happened during a performance?
This is so true. The first thing that comes to mind is a performance of the Verdi Requiem I sang in when I was pursuing my undergraduate degree. It was a collaboration with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and I just remember that music being so, so very powerful. During the performance, in the middle of the Dies Irae, the chorus, soloists, orchestra, and maestro were all shocked when the head of the bass drum exploded on stage after those major drum hits Verdi composed for the part. They had to replace the instrument with another, but I think the percussionist was able to flip it over and keep playing to finish the movement. The performance, of course, went on and I’m not sure the audience even noticed.
5. What is your Plan B?
I always thought it would be really nice to be a florist. Flowers are so pretty. People are always sending them to show a little love. Wouldn’t that be a nice thing to be a part of? But I think I’ll stick to Plan A.
Jimmy Kansau, tenor
Jimmy Kansau, tenor
1. Where are you from?
I’m from the Andes of Venezuela. But I should consider myself a San Franciscan since I’ve been here for 23 years. To some that’s a lifetime.
2. What is your Plan B?
I’m realizing it as we speak. A while back I was studying to be an agricultural engineer. Two classes left to graduate I said: I’m done.
3. How has music changed your life?
Music has allowed me to visit other countries and meet people. Music has opened a way to inspire others through mentoring. Music has allowed me to fulfill my dreams of working in some of the best venues in the world. But most importantly the friendships that have developed from it all.
4. Do you play any instruments?
I play the guitar to accompany myself or my siblings. I also play the Cuatro which is the big sister of the Ukulele brought by the Portuguese to South America.
5. Something people might be surprised to learn about you?
I am the Studio Director and partner of an interior design firm JKA Design of San Francisco. I also used to paint landscapes and do architectural renderings back in the 80’s and 90’s. I love the mid-century sensitivity in architecture, design and music.
Brandon Bell, baritone
Brandon Bell, baritone
1. Where are you from?
I am from Suffolk, Virginia — the proud “Peanut Capital of the World!”
2. What is your Plan B?
When I was a junior in high school, I remember pressing one of the Young Artists at a local opera company for advice, particularly about going to college and studying voice. He left me with an incredible message that has stuck with me ever since. To paraphrase, he said, “If you want to succeed in this business, you have to give it everything you’ve got; all of you, with little-to-no doubt. You just go for it!” For me, that meant working 100% at my craft without carrying the uncertainties and potential instabilities of the career with me. So to answer your question, there is no Plan B, just complete dedication for now.
3. When did you start singing and when did you realize you wanted to do this for a living?
I’ve honestly been singing my entire life, and I barely remember a time when I wasn’t holding a microphone and forcing my family to endure one-man, living room, talent shows. In one of my second-grade projects, I stated that when I grew up, I wanted to be “either a singer or an astronaut.” Astronaut was essentially the go-to choice for boys back then, and my second choice career continued to evolve as I grew older. But throughout adolescence, high school, and the beginning of my young adult years, my number one want has always been to be a singer. I started taking voice lessons and singing opera in ninth grade, and for the first time in my life, my voice really felt at home. I pretty much made a commitment to it then.
4. Any musically talented relatives?
My dad is an INCREDIBLE singer and probably is the source of most of my musical gifts and love for performing. He spent part of his time as a soldier in the US Army touring and singing in a group that covered almost every genre of music imaginable. (Also: You didn’t hear this from me, but he does a killer Louis Armstrong).
5. What’s the craziest thing that has ever happened during a performance?
As a high schooler, I had the unique opportunity to be in the chorus of a couple of productions with Virginia Opera. I was lucky enough to be in the chorus of their 2009 production of Daughter of the Regiment. In our opening scene, was staged to drop down on one knee directly downstage center. So, we’re in performance, and I do my thing — I get down and I hear a loud *riiiiiiip*. I look down and find that I have completely ripped the inseam of my pants. Unfortunately for me, right after that moment we had a large group dance number, complete with kicks, which I had to meticulously navigate without exposing my ripped pants to the packed audience. Since then, ripped pants have kinda become my thing!
The California Symphony performs MOZART REQUIEM with the San Francisco Conservatory Chorus on March 17 at 8 PM and March 18 at 4 PM at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek.
Mozart’s true life story needs no Hollywood-style embellishments, says Music Director Donato Cabrera.
Tom Hulce as Wolgang Amadeus Mozart in the 1984 hit movie “Amadeus”.
By California Symphony Music Director Donato Cabrera.
A murderously jealous rival. A mysterious commission from a “gray messenger.” Rumors of poisoning… If the circumstances of Mozart’s death at 35 while composing the Requiem Mass read like a Hollywood script, that’s because the version of his history that most people know is largely just that.
Amadeus’ screenplay writer Peter Schaeffer never pretended for the movie to be anything more than good theater, describing it as “a fantasia based on fact… It is not a screen biography of Mozart, and was never intended to be.” Nevertheless, with its intrigue-filled plot, gorgeous sets and period costumes, and an unbeatable soundtrack, the 1984 box office hit and winner of 8 Academy Awards has cemented in the public imagination a number of myths that deserve closer examination.
Myth 1. Salieri: The Murderously Jealous Rival
“Mozart, Mozart! Forgive your assassin, Mozart!” Salieri cries out in the opening sequence of the movie, immediately sealing his reputational fate in history as the villain of the piece. Rumors of Salieri’s involvement in Mozart’s demise began circulating within weeks of Mozart’s death and contemporary sources indicate that Salieri even confessed to the killing in less lucid moments in the asylum towards the end of his life. However, up until then and for almost all his life, he dismissed the accusation.
As dramatically appealing as the idea may be — the bitter older rival, tormented by the emergence of the young gun rock star — Salieri almost certainly did not kill Mozart. For a start, Salieri was only 6 years older than Mozart, and an established composer, conductor and teacher in his own right when Mozart arrived on the scene. The two composers were contemporaries and may have competed for some commissions, however it seems they mostly viewed each other as peers. In 1786, the two even collaborated on a piece recently rediscovered by musicologists. Late in 1791, Mozart describes riding with Salieri in his coach to attend Mozart’s new opera, the Magic Flute. Afterwards, Mozart excitedly told his wife that Salieri “heard and saw with all his attention, and from the overture to the last choir there was not a piece that didn’t elicit a ‘Bravo!’ or ‘Bello!’ out of him…” Nothing here to suggest Salieri’s intentions toward Mozart might turn murderous.
F. Murray Abraham (as Antonio Salieri) won the Oscar for Best Actor in 1985, beating out Tom Hulce, his Amadeus co-star.
Myth 2. The Mysterious Commission
We now know that it was local nobleman and wealthy landowner Count von Walsegg — not Salieri — who was behind the Requiem’s commission, and the mysterious “gray messenger” who acted as conduit between Mozart and his anonymous paymaster was likely a clerk employed by Walsegg.
The reason for the secrecy? Walsegg intended to pass the piece off as his own. For Mozart, whose tastes and expenditure regularly exceeded his income, the commission was a simple business transaction and whatever misgivings he had would have been eased by the promise of a generous pay off.
Myth 3. Murder by Poisoning
The notion that Mozart was poisoned is one that he himself related in letters to his wife as early as 1789, telling her, “Constanze, I am only too conscious, my end will not be long in coming: for sure, someone has poisoned me! I cannot rid my mind of this thought.”
Scholars have pored over Mozart’s letters and contemporary reports, trying to decode his symptoms for clues as to cause of death. Mozart’s burial in an unmarked grave precludes any modern-day exhumation and “cold case” analysis. Poisoning is certainly one of the most dramatic and screen-worthy explanations, but it’s just one of at least 118 documented theories on the subject, with others including obscure blood diseases, kidney failure, and even an under-heated pork chop. Most believe he succumbed to acute rheumatic fever.
To the Coda
Mozart’s illness came at the end of an intensely productive year that saw him deliver two operas, a clarinet concerto, and a cantata while also working on the Requiem. He took to his bed on Nov. 20, 1791, lethargic with fever, vomiting, and with swollen hands and feet. Yet still he continued to work on the Requiem.
On December 4, he appeared to rally, hosting friends at his bedside to sing through parts of the Requiem, however his condition deteriorated rapidly and soon after midnight on December 5th, 1791, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died at just 35 years old. He was buried two days later in St Marx Cemetery in Vienna.
Original fragment of the Lacrimosa portion of Mozart’s Requiem.
On his death, wife Constanze contracted Mozart’s former pupil Franz Xaver Süssmayr to finish the Requiem based on Mozart’s notes. Quite how much he had to work with is unknown, but it’s thought that less than two thirds of the Requiem had been completed, including only 8 bars of the famous Lacrimosa. While other composers have also attempted to fill in the gaps, it is Süssmayr’s version that is most commonly performed.
Epilogue
In life as in death, Mozart’s story requires no Hollywood-style embellishment. He achieved more in his 35 years than any other composer before or since. “Prolific” doesn’t begin to describe it, with more than 600 pieces to his name, spanning a diverse range of musical forms including concerti, symphonies, chamber music, choral compositions, and opera. With each genre he tackled, he mastered, perfected, and advanced the form. And he did all this in half a lifetime.
In a poetically fitting end to his story, the Requiem he wrote for a stranger became his own. But just imagine what could have been, had Mozart been afforded a few more years. What treasures would we have now?
The California Symphony performs MOZART REQUIEM with the San Francisco Conservatory Chorus on March 17 at 8 PM and March 18 at 4 PM at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek.
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