Sophie Weber
Maria Sophie Weber entered the world in October 1763 within a household where music was not merely a hobby but a profession. Her mother Cäcilia Weber raised four daughters who all received vocal training to pursue singing careers. The eldest sister Josepha Weber and the second eldest Aloysia Weber both achieved professional fame during their lifetimes. Sophie herself grew up as the youngest of these four sisters in a family that moved frequently to follow musical opportunities. The family first relocated to Munich before settling in Vienna following the burgeoning career of Aloysia Weber.
Sophie Weber sang at the Burgtheater during the 1780, 1781 season while living in Vienna. This engagement marked her only significant attempt at establishing a long-term professional singing career. Despite her training and early exposure to performance, she did not achieve lasting success on the stage. The family had moved to Vienna specifically to support Aloysia's rising reputation in the arts. Sophie's brief tenure at the theater ended without securing her a permanent position or widespread acclaim among critics.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart lodged with the Weber family when he moved to Vienna in 1781. He seemed to have flirted with both Sophie and Constanze Weber during his time under their roof. An incomplete Allegro in B flat KV 400 written by Mozart contains names inscribed above prolonged sigh figures. These names included Sophie and Costanze Weber according to musicologist W. Dean Sutcliffe. In a letter dated the 15th of December 1781 Mozart described Sophie as good-natured but feather-brained. She was the only Weber sister present at the wedding ceremony between Mozart and Constanze in 1782.
Sophie lived with her mother Cäcilia when Mozart died in December 1791. At age twenty-eight she was the last unmarried daughter of the Weber family. She frequently visited the Mozart household during the composer's brief but harrowing final illness. Her presence allowed her to help Constanze care for her dying husband through those difficult days. This period marked her most direct involvement in the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart before his death.
On the 7th of January 1807 Sophie married tenor singer and composer Jakob Haibel in Djakovar. The city now known as Đakovo in Croatia served as the location for their union. Haibel worked as the cathedral choirmaster there while also acting as an actor and composer. He authored a successful Singspiel that was performed many times by the theatrical troupe of Emanuel Schikaneder. Some accounts suggest he left his first wife specifically to marry Sophie Weber.
After Jakob Haibel died in 1826 Sophie moved to Salzburg where Constanze resided as a widow. Their sister Aloysia joined them after 1831 following her own widowhood. Aloysia passed away in 1839 leaving Sophie and Constanze to live together until 1842. Sophie outlived her younger nephew Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart by two years. She died in Salzburg in 1846 at age eighty-three having survived all her immediate family members.
Sophie wrote a letter to Georg Nikolaus von Nissen describing the circumstances surrounding Mozart's death. This correspondence helped Nissen and Constanze prepare a biography of the composer. Vincent and Mary Novello interviewed her in 1829 during their journey to gather information about Mozart. Her remembrances described by the Grove Dictionary author are considered moving historical testimony. These letters remain crucial sources for understanding the final days of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
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Common questions
When was Sophie Weber born and where did she grow up?
Maria Sophie Weber entered the world in October 1763 within a household where music was not merely a hobby but a profession. Her family moved frequently to follow musical opportunities before settling in Vienna following the burgeoning career of Aloysia Weber.
What role did Sophie Weber play during Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's final illness?
Sophie lived with her mother Cäcilia when Mozart died in December 1791 at age twenty-eight as the last unmarried daughter of the Weber family. She frequently visited the Mozart household to help Constanze care for her dying husband through those difficult days.
Who did Sophie Weber marry and on what date did their wedding take place?
On the 7th of January 1807 Sophie married tenor singer and composer Jakob Haibel in Djakovar. The city now known as Đakovo in Croatia served as the location for their union while Haibel worked as the cathedral choirmaster there.
Why is Sophie Weber important to the history of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart?
Sophie wrote a letter to Georg Nikolaus von Nissen describing the circumstances surrounding Mozart's death which helped prepare a biography of the composer. Vincent and Mary Novello interviewed her in 1829 during their journey to gather information about Mozart.
When and where did Sophie Weber die and how old was she?
She died in Salzburg in 1846 at age eighty-three having survived all her immediate family members. Sophie outlived her younger nephew Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart by two years before passing away after living with Constanze until 1842.