Mozart lived in several apartments in Vienna for several years of his short life. From 1784 to 1787 he lived in the house in Domgasse in the most beautiful and also most expensive apartment of his Viennese time. Today, this is his only surviving apartment in Vienna and can be visited in Mozarthaus Vienna.
I enter the Pawlatsche (inner courtyard with surrounding arcades) of the town house from the 15th century. So this is where he lived, the great composer Mozart. Excited I get into the elevator and ride to the third floor of the house, here begins the tour of Mozarthaus Vienna.
Mozart’s Vienna – 3rd floor
First, I embark on a short journey through time to the era in which Mozart lived. In a very well designed presentation I am introduced to some facts and personalities from that time. Thus, the time in which Mozart lived in Vienna can be better classified in time and makes the era for me a little more understandable.
A room on the third floor of Mozarthaus Vienna is used for changing exhibitions on the theme of Mozart. During my visit, the theme of Mozart’s travels is presented in this area. A central theme in the life of the artist, he spent until his 25th year about 1/3 of the time away from home. Mozart traveled in a carriage, for example, to Innsbruck, Milan, Venice, Prague, Bratislava, Linz,….
I also get to know Mozart from a completely different side. I learn that he loved to drink punch, play cards and enthusiastically look at erotic pictures and writings.
It is quite exciting to learn something about such a well-known person, of whom I only knew his music so far.
Excited, I go down one floor to learn more about his music here.
Mozart’s music – 2nd floor
Mozart was a musical genius. In the course of his life, he composed 626 works. Many of them were also written in Vienna. Here on the 2nd floor in Mozarthaus Vienna, everything revolves around his compositions and his musical companions.
Mozart composed Figaro, for example, in his Viennese apartment. Of course, this opera is also taken up as a theme in the museum. I stand excitedly in front of a video wall with several monitors. Scenes from the various productions of different opera houses are shown here. One scene from Figaro always runs in parallel on several monitors – what a difference. I find it very exciting how one and the same work can be interpreted so differently.
The Magic Flute, one of the few operas in German, is also presented at Mozarthaus Vienna. I remember my time as a student in music class, when we still listened to the opera from the record, trying to follow the score. I liked the piece even then.
In one room I discover a quote by Mozart: “What is not allowed to be said in our time is sung.” It’s good that much more can be said today – but sometimes I wish there was more singing.
Mozart’s apartment in Mozarthaus Vienna (1st floor)
Finally, I enter Mozart’s apartment. He lived here for almost 2.5 years; it was his most expensive apartment during the Viennese period. Mozart had to pay about 450 guilders in rent and operating costs for the apartment on the Beletage.
The apartment consists of four rooms, two cabinets and a kitchen. It is known that he lived here with his wife, a child, cook, servant, many changing visitors and his pets. However, what is not known exactly which room served what purpose and what exactly it looked like there.
If you walk through Mozart’s apartment today, you won’t find any furniture from that era there, because no one knows how Mozart furnished his apartment. You walk through the rooms of the apartment and get an insight into Mozart’s life through pictures and documents. And you take a look out of the window and see what Mozart could see at that time. There are still some details in the apartment that date back to Mozart’s time, such as wood paneling at the window and beautiful stucco work in one room.
I really like the fact that visitors to Mozarthaus Vienna are not made to believe that they still know how Mozart lived.
I stop for a while in a corner of the apartment. Here hang many pictures, all of which are supposed to represent Mozart’s image. Astonished I look at the really serious differences. Here I learn that no drawing was ever made of Mozart in his presence. There are many pictures, but all of them were made from the memory of the different artists. In one picture there is even an old man of about 70 years – very astonishing, since Mozart died at the age of 35.
After more than two hours, I finally leave Mozarthaus Vienna, eat a Mozartkugel with relish and look forward to listening to the sounds of his music in the evening and being able to process the impressions.
Address:
Mozarthaus Vienna,
Domgasse 5,
1010 Vienna, Austria
Directions:
U1,U3, Bus 1A to Stephansplatz
Opening hours:
Tuesday-Sunday: 10-18 Uhr
Monday: closed
Admission fees:
adults: 12,-€
Discounts are offered.
The visit to Mozarthaus Vienna took place in the context of a cooperation. The reporting is done independently and corresponds exclusively to my own opinion. Many thanks for the invitation, the photo permission and the nice guided tour through the museum.
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