Mozart's starling
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart entered an expense book on the 27th of May 1784. The entry read "Starling bird 34 Kr." This purchase marked the start of a three-year companionship with a common starling. The expense book was part of a new organizational campaign Mozart began in February 1784. He also started cataloging every musical work he completed at that time. The music jotted down by Mozart matched the opening bars of his Piano Concerto No. 17 in G, K. 453. He had finished that concerto just weeks earlier on the 12th of April. The bird likely learned the tune inside the pet store where it was sold. Mozart transcribed the melody with specific errors. The starling inserted a fermata on the last beat of the first full measure. It sang G instead of G in the following measure. These deviations suggest the bird mimicked the human composer with imperfect precision.
Scholars West and King identified vocal patterns in A Musical Joke from 1787. They argued these elements bore the vocal autograph of a starling. Their insight came from descriptions found in record jacket notes. Starlings possess a strong capacity for vocal mimicry according to general knowledge. The errors Mozart recorded in his expense book appear in later compositions. The bird's incorrect insertion of a fermata influenced the structure of the piece. This connection suggests the composer studied the bird's mistakes closely. The relationship between the animal and the artist shaped the final score. The influence extended beyond simple imitation into complex musical arrangements. The bird became a silent collaborator in the creation of the work.
The starling died on the 4th of June 1787 after three years of life. Mozart buried the creature in his garden with considerable ceremony. Georg Nikolaus von Nissen documented the funeral procession in his biography notes. Everyone who could sing had to join the heavily veiled group. They made a sort of requiem epitaph in verse. Franz Niemetschek described the event as well during his interviews with Constanze. He noted that Mozart often wrote humorous verses himself. The inscription was placed on a proper gravestone in the hired garden. Robert Spaethling translated the poem into vernacular English. The text remains bittersweet and self-reflective at a time of great loss. His father had passed away while a close friend also died young. Mozart was deeply involved with Don Giovanni, his darkest comedy, when this occurred.
Mozart maintained multiple pet birds throughout his life according to historical letters. At age 14 he wrote home from Naples to his sister Nannerl on the 19th of May 1770. He asked about Mr. Canary and whether it still sang or piped. A canary in their anteroom made the same little sounds as theirs. Later correspondence from 1775 showed other birds in the childhood home. Nannerl asked if the tomtits and robin redbreast were still alive. She wondered if they had let the birds starve. These letters reveal a consistent pattern of avian companionship across decades. The family kept various species including canaries and robins. The bond extended beyond the famous starling to include smaller songbirds. This affection for animals shaped his personal life significantly.
A sad tale from 1791 involves another canary that might have succeeded the starling. Biographer Hermann Abert described the bird being present during Mozart's final period. It was with great reluctance that he agreed to have the pet removed. First the bird went to the adjacent room then even further away. He could no longer bear the sound of its singing. The composer lay on his deathbed when this distress occurred. The removal process caused emotional turmoil for the dying man. The canary served as a successor to the earlier starling in the household. This final interaction highlights the deep connection between the artist and his pets. The silence following the bird's departure marked the end of an era.
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Common questions
When did Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart buy a starling bird?
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart entered an expense book on the 27th of May 1784 to purchase a starling bird for 34 Kr. This transaction marked the beginning of a three-year companionship with the common starling.
What musical work did the starling sing that influenced Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart?
The starling sang the opening bars of Piano Concerto No. 17 in G, K. 453 which Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart had finished on the 12th of April 1784. The bird inserted specific errors like a fermata and incorrect notes that appeared in later compositions by the composer.
How did Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart bury his pet starling after it died?
The starling died on the 4th of June 1787 and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart buried the creature in his garden with considerable ceremony. Georg Nikolaus von Nissen documented the funeral procession where everyone who could sing joined the heavily veiled group to make a requiem epitaph in verse.
Did Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart own other pet birds besides the famous starling?
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart maintained multiple pet birds throughout his life according to historical letters from 1770 and 1775. He corresponded about canaries, tomtits, and robin redbreasts kept at his family home during his childhood and early adulthood.
What happened to the canary that succeeded the starling in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's household?
A sad tale from 1791 involves another canary that served as a successor to the earlier starling in the household. Biographer Hermann Abert described the bird being present during Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's final period until he agreed to have it removed due to distress.