Mozart: luck, play and passion [1]
Catarina Carsten [2]
Translated by xia23
Morzart: did he “have luck?” But yes. Did he play? But yes.
Mozart, his parents, his sister and his friends all probably knew more than a dozen of card games. Yes, people were expected that “people of both sexes to be masters and mistresses in various games” (from an old Viennese game Instruction book in 1756). That applied to card and board games, dance, word and bowling, riddle and forfeit games [3], the billiards game [4] as well as the Sunday and holiday games.
The sexes were separated at this time - when they played together, they were “equal”. The game was probably also a pastime. People have to think about that at that time there was no fax, no telephone, no radio, no television, no computer. The winters were long, so people played. Here people played all the time in the year, especially in the long winter months.
Did Mozart play?
But yes. The first early child games, the first nursery rhymes and songs, he had learned from his mother and his older sister Nannerl who was five years older than him. Nannerl received her first piano lesson from his father Leopold at the age of 7. The small brother listened in. When he learned the piano from his father at 4, his father played a menuet for him, he could effortless replayed the menuet in half an hour.
Non-players were not socially acceptable.
As a young man, his sister reported in her diary, he mastered countless social games. From his wife Constanze, we learn that he was an excellent and enthusiastic dancer (“he danced the menuet particularly beautifully”), never missed a ball, and that he was above all “a passionate billiards player”. In all games, also at Boelzel shooting [5] and bowling, money was played, mostly only for Kreuzer [6], but often also for Gulden [7]. Nannerl’s diary shows, that Mozart had taken an active part in this social life.
The passionate billiards player
A contemporary writes in 1895 from memory on Mozart: “he was a passionary billiards player and played poorly.” And a few lines later: “he had always no necessary money.” Mozart’s wife Constanze writes on him in a biography published in 1828: “he never missed the public masked balls in the theaters and in the houses of friends’”. Often people asked, if he went so many balls, parties, dances, which kept on until morning, when he found time to compose his music. Did he also work on his long and numerous travels? For it is known, that Mozart spent one third of his short life in the carriages.
Mozart’s joy in the word games
Mozart also achieved masterly in these games. He must have had a great joy for that, to rearrange sentences and words, to speak and to write in satirical verses or riddles. He played with words, with sounds, he said himself he was always in motion, as statements from contemporaries, with his hands and feet - he was always playing.
Did Mozart have gambling debts?
Whether Mozart had gambling debts, is not proven, but it is likely. As for his income, it was known, that Mozart was appointed as an imperial chamber musician in Vienna in 1787, with an annual salary of 800 Gulden. (In comparison, his father Leopold received 400 Gulden yearly. A service maid earned 10 Guiden per year). He was the declared favorite of Viennese society and at the court. It is reported that the empire made a compliment to Mozart “with his hat in the hand and shouted “bravo Mozart” after a concert. It is certain that Mozart in his Vienna time earned him a lot of money and could live according to his social status. He could also lead a life as he had dreamed in Salzburg.
Whether Mozart became a victim of his passion of games, is not proven. We could only rely on assumptions. Since he is “passionate player”, essentially, he was always playing. His immortal music remains with us as an invaluable gift.
[1]. Mozart: Glück, Spiel und Leidenschaft. p. 255. Stationen, Ein Kursbuch für die Mittelstufe, 3rd Edition, Prisca Augustyn & Nikolaus Euba, Cengage Learning, USA, 2015
[2]. After an article in Salzburg News (Salzburger Nachrichten) 12/20/2003 by Catarina Carsten
Catarina Carsten (4/23/1920-10/14/2019) in German: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catarina_Carsten
[3]. Forfeit games，Pfänderspiele in German. The following is from gemini.google.com：
"Pfänderspiele" are a type of party game popular in German-speaking countries, similar to "dares or forfeits" but with a specific structure and set of rules.
- Goal: Perform funny or challenging tasks as "punishments" for losing at mini-games.
- Materials: Often involve simple items like a bottle, handkerchief, or ring.
- Gameplay:
- A bottle is spun to randomly select someone.
- That person draws a task from a prepared pile or completes a spontaneous challenge set by others.
- If they refuse or fail, they forfeit an item they hold.
- The forfeited items are collected and redeemed later in the game through additional challenges.
- Variants: Can involve singing, acting, dancing, or other creative tasks depending on the group's preferences.
Essentially, "Pfänderspiele" are a lighthearted and engaging way
[4]. Billiards game.
[5]. Boelzel shooting. Bölzelschiessen in German.
The following is from gemini.google.com：
"Bölzelschiessen," also known as "Vogelwerfen," is a traditional shooting sport practiced mainly in Switzerland and Austria. It involves shooting at a wooden bird (Bölzel, Vogel, Scheibe) mounted on a pole, typically high up in the air.
Target:
- The target is a wooden bird, often elaborately decorated and painted.
- It's typically mounted on a high pole, ranging from 20 to 40 meters (65 to 130 feet) in height.
- Different parts of the bird carry different point values, with the head being the most valuable.
Shooting:
- Participants use small-caliber rifles or muzzleloaders (depending on local regulations).
- Each participant gets a set number of shots, usually three or five.
- The goal is to shoot down the bird or score the most points by hitting specific parts.
Competition:
- The event can be individual or team-based.
- The winner is the person or team who scores the most points or brings down the bird with the fewest shots.
- In some variations, the person who shoots down the king (highest point value) becomes the new "Schützenkönig" (shooting king) for the year.
Additional Information:
- Boelzelschiessen has a long history, dating back to the Middle Ages.
- It's often associated with traditional festivals and celebrations.
- Safety regulations are strictly enforced during the event.
[6]. Kreuzer. (1300-1900). Small unit of Germany and Austrian-Hungary currency. =1/60 Gulden.
[7]. Gulden. 14th century gold coin, (1500-19th century) silver coin. Large unit of 18th-century currency.
