MOZART IN LONDON

Evening Star, Issue 19127, 19 December 1925, Page 15

MOZART IN LONDON

A writer in ‘The Times,’ reviewing ‘ Promenades ol the Past,,’ at Pauolagh, recalls: The mam, distinguished of all the musicians who appeared was a small boy oi eight years old named Mozart. Ho had come lo England in April, 1704, with his father and his sister Marianne. Alter a successful appearance at Court, (he children made their public debut on June, d, the King’s birthday—Leopold Mozart i was an astute impresario--at the Great Room m Spring Garden, near St. James's Park. This “grand concert- oi vocal and instrumental music ” was announced in the ' P.uhlic Advertiser’ for some days ahead in the billowing terms; -

For the benefit of Miss Mozart of Eleven and Master Mozart of Seven Years of Age | Leopold takes a year off, lor VVoligang was horn on -7th January. If hi 11. Prodigies of Nature, [There is a liianm Imre in the advertisement . | Tins method is therefore taken to show to the Public the greatest Prodigy that Europe or that even I Inman Nature can boast of. Everybody will ho struck with Admiration "to hear them, and particularly to hear a, young .Hoy of Seven' Years of Ago play on the Harpsichord with such Dexterity and Perfection. It surpasses all Understanding or all Imagination; and it is hard to say whether his Execution upon the Harpsichord and liis playing at Sight or Ins own Compositions arc moss astonishing. His Father brought him to England not doubting but (hat he must meet with success in a. Kingdom whore his countryman Handel received during his life-time such p-articular Prorecfimi. Tickets at Hah a Guinea each, to bo had of Mr Mozart at Mr Cousin's, Haircutter, in Cecil Court, St. Martin’s Lane. Mr Mozart "’as, indeed, a clover Press agent. Our modern publicity man should admire that reference to Handel, oven if it docs not altogether fulfil the requirements of “Truth in Advertising.” For there was little real kinship between an Austrian of that day and a Hanoverian, and Viennese culture was far more Italian than Teutonic’.

The concert was the success which it deserved to be, and the ‘Public Advertiser’ of dune. 21) announced that at a concert “ for the benefit of a .Public, useful Charity” to bo given that day at Ra.ne.iugh the celeb rated and asl onishing Master Mozart, lately arrived, a. Child of Seven Years of Age, will perform several fine select Pieces of Ins own Composition on the Harpsichord and on the Organ, which has already given the highest Pleasure, Delight, and Surprise to the greatest, Judges of Music, in England or Daly, and is justly esteemed the most extraordinary Prodigy and most amazing Genius that has appeared in any Age.

A long homily on the virtue of charity follows, which shows that the advertisement of concerts cannot then have been the costly matter it is today. This must have boon a groat occasion, for the programme included, besides the appearance of Mozart, some choruses from ‘ Acis ’ and ‘ Alexander’s Feast.’ But musical criticism was not as regular as nowadays. For, although there is, about this date, a long account of a forgotten comedy by Mr Foote, I can find no mention in the newspapers of these performances by the greatest executant and composer of his time. One would have expected some description of the event, if for no other reason than that the child was the subject to great public curiosity, like the “Human Frog” and the “ Dog-faced Boy,” who wore later on the chief attractions in the Pleasure Gardens of London.