The year: 1762. Did anyone else just dramatically stage whisper sing this like the Ensemble from Hamilton? No? Just me?
The place: The mirror room of the Habsburg summer palace Schönbrunn.
The cast of characters: child musical prodigy Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Maria Theresia Walburga Amalia Christina, sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Transylvania, Mantua, Milan, Lodomeria and Galicia, the Austrian Netherlands, and Parma, Duchess of Lorraine, Grand Duchess of Tuscany and Holy Roman Empress, the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions. Empress Maria Theresa for short.
The plot: little Wolfgang, then six years old and originally from Salzburg, begins a musical journey through Europe along with his sister Nannerl, and their showbiz manager (the original Kris Jenner) and father Leopold.
In October 1762 they receive an invitation from THE Empress HERSELF, Maria Theresa, to perform for her large family (she had 16 children total) at their summer residence in Vienna, Schönbrunn palace.
Dragging their pianoforte (or however they transported things in those days) and violin, lil Wolferl, Nannerl and Leopold journeyed to Schönbrunn.
The concert went off without a hitch. After everyone clapped their gloved hands politely, or whatever the 18th century equivalent of cheering and shouting “ENCORE!” is, the unthinkable happened.
Tiny Mozart jumped off his books which were balanced on the chair propping him up since he couldn’t QUITE reach the piano yet, and ran over to the Empress. He proceeded to jump into her lap, wrapped his arms around her neck, and gave her a huge kiss on the cheek.
Audible gasps went around the room. Everyone was shocked. NOBODY just TOUCHED or KISSED the Empress! Not even her own CHILDREN were allowed to do that! They basically had to ask for an audience with their own mother. And now THIS small fry from Salzburg just goes up and kisses her without asking for permission?! Inconceivable!
And then another unthinkable thing happened! The Empress, Maria Theresa, only female ruler ever of the House Habsburg-Lothringen, laughed and hugged Wolfie back! She thought he was adorable!
Everyone collectively let our their held breaths in relief.
From that moment on, the Empress and Mozart had cemented a friendship, one that remained for the rest of both their lives. She gave him her children’s castoffs and hand-me-downs (this was an honor by the way, these weren’t raggedy hand-me-downs thrown in a pile to go to Ye Olde Goodwill), included him in future family events and parties, and his favorite companion to play with when he visited Schönbrunn was Maria Theresa’s youngest daughter, Maria Antonia, the future Queen of France, aka: Marie Antoinette.
So there you go. This statue of the little Mozart can be found on the side of the Empress Maria Theresa Memorial in Vienna between the Museum of Fine Arts and the Museum of Natural History. It’s on the side facing the natural history museum, and definitely worth checking out.
Wundertyke Mozart on the natural history museum side of the Maria Theresa memorial. In front of him is Maria Theresa’s doctor, Van Swieten, who (fun fact!) was the inspiration for Van Helsing.
And if you want to know why George Washington is hovering right behind Mozart, well, you’ll have to wait for our next edition of True Tales.
Auf Wiedersehen!