While Mozart was met with varying levels of success throughout his lifetime, he was always known to be a genius. Monarchs, nobles, his own peers and the general public could agree on this, though some circles revered him more than others.
As a child he toured Europe with his father Leopold, and his sister, Nannerl (who was herself a prodigy). Leopold in fact orchestrated much of Mozart and his sister’s success and recognition through advertising. A newspaper in Augsburg, Germany, boasted of the eleven year old Nannerl’s talents, and went on to describe Mozart:
But we are transported with utter amazement when we see a boy of six years sitting at a harpsichord, and hear him not only playing the same sonatas, trios and concertos manfully, not at all like a child, but also hear him improvising from his head ... I have moreover seen the keyboard covered for him with a cloth, and he played as well as if he had the keys before his eyes.
In 1763 the touring family reached Paris, and Mozart’s musical “career” really started to take off. He performed in front of a few influential figures, including Melchior Grimm, who was a leading journalist and art critic of the time. Grimm was astounded by Mozart’s capabilities, and published a notice in the Correspondance littéraire, which essentially praised little Wolfgang as a genius, and urged others to hear him play. He concluded his notice by warning Parisians that the musical family was to “proceed from here to England, and then back home by way of North Germany.”
Mozart put on a few concerts in Paris, to which mostly the nobility attended. Leopold was growing agitated because while his son was performing, it was not at the request of the nobles themselves. He figured that in order for the nobility to invite the Mozarts to their houses, they needed the recognition and approval of the monarchy.
The family ended up travelling to Versailles for a few days, hoping for some recognition. On January 1st, 1764, they received the Royal summons, and after a public court dinner, Mozart played the organ in front of King Louis XV. He was met with applause — the royal seal of approval that the family needed. This opened many doors for the family, as now nobles were inviting them to play in their houses.
When they arrived in London, it only took a few days for King George III and Queen Charlotte to invite Mozart to their own royal court to perform. He played the king’s favourite works and went on to meet London’s court composer, Johann Christian Bach! As you can see, he was most definitely recognized as a genius at this time, and had the approval of royals, nobles, and composers alike.
I’ll leave Mozart’s childhood alone and instead turn to his career as an adult. By the time he reached the age of 16, the concept of being a “child prodigy” was beginning to wear off, and he was starting to arouse jealousy and opposition. He found himself back home in Salzburg, where he was met with bad news: his main patron, the Archbishop of Salzburg, von Schrattenbach, had died. A rather stern and haughty man, Count von Colloredo, was now in charge, and he was not a huge fan of music. Nevertheless, Mozart wrote works for the Salzburg Cathedral and the Count made sure to pay him. (Mozart would make around one hundred and fifty gulden).
From 1772-1777 the Mozarts stayed in Salzburg and Wolfgang worked as a Konzertmeister at a salary of 150 fl. He composed lots, put on performances, and maintained a busy social calendar. But Salzburg offered no real opportunity for fame. Wolfgang was getting frustrated, and wanted change. Funnily enough, in 1776 he wrote to Padre Martini (an Italian musician) “I live in a country where music leads to a struggling existence.”
The years 1778-1780 were certainly a low for Mozart. He travelled to Paris again, hoping to find some work, but nothing seemed to be going right. While everyone loved his music, no one was offering him a permanent post. It was around this time that his mother died, as well. So Wolfgang returned to Austria, and stayed in Vienna with the Archbishop. He hoped to find solid ground here, and was actually beginning to receive commissions. When the Archbishop announced that it was time to leave Vienna, Mozart protested as he was determined to stay and make some cash. His stubbornness earned him a literal kick in the butt, and he was propelled out of the palace, earning him considerable censure in Viennese society. (Mozart did not care, for he was free from the employment of the Archbishop, and could now carve out his own destiny in Vienna).
Things changed in 1782 when he married Constanze Weber. Leopold was pretty upset about this, he thought his son should at least have a salaried position before he got married. Nevertheless, the newlyweds set up house on their own and Wolfgang was for once in his life independent from his father.
The remaining ten years of his life were exciting. Joseph II took over as emperor, and (luckily for Mozart) he loved music, especially Italian music. Joseph housed an Italian opera company in his palace, meaning dozens of Italian musicians and composers flocked to Vienna. They hated Mozart, and were jealous of his musical capabilities. This feud continued for the rest of his life, and was led by a court musician by the name of ... Salieri! In the face of opposition, Mozart debuted operas, taught pupils, and received a number of commissions. Things were going pretty well for him. His father visited him in 1785, and he believed his son was well-off. He had a billiard table, he held dances at home, and enjoyed meals of meat, oysters, champagne and coffee.
Did this mean he was wealthy? Well, his financial situation remains a bit foggy. For an opera, the composer would be paid a single fee of ~400 florins. Since there was no copyright, Mozart received nothing for the copies made by the theatre copyist. He also did not receive money from further performances. Since he was freelancing during this time, most money came from pupils and commissions.
Anyway, during this time Mozart was writing some of his most famous operas: the Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Cosi fan tutte. The librettist for these works was Lorenzo da Ponte, the official theatre poet of Joseph II. Oddly enough, when Figaro was first performed in Vienna in 1786, it wasn’t received very well. One aristocrat even described it as “boring.” Prague happened to be the first city that recognized Mozart’s operatic genius. In 1783 the people of Prague fell in love with the Abduction from the Seraglio, and when Figaro premiered, the theatre was packed out. People even threw poems down from the gallery on to the stage in praise of the work.
Mozart’s search for a permanent post came to fruition in 1787 when Joseph appointed him as a Court Chamber Composer. This was a breakthrough after more than six years of freelance work. The money, however, was not enough to live on, especially given his lavish lifestyle. (When his father had died some months prior, Mozart was sent 1,000 florins, all of which likely went to creditors).
He became desperate for funds in 1789. Joseph II, his main patron, died. The theatres closed in his honour, meaning Mozart‘s financial situation was in peril. He wrote to friends for money. In a letter to Michael Puchberg, Mozart wrote “instead of paying my debts I am asking for more money!” among other entreaties.
During 1790, the coronation of Leopold II as Holy Roman Emperor took place. Fifteen musicians from Vienna were chosen to go, Salieri being one of them. Mozart was not chosen, but this did not stop him from going. He pawned his silver and used the money to buy a carriage, which got him to the coronation. This speaks of his impulsive spending habits.
By 1791, Mozart’s health declined and he died. It was custom to have no elaborate ceremonies at that time in Vienna. Many people wept outside his house when they learned of his death, and at the actual funeral a handful of family and friends attended (among them Salieri).
Was he seen as a genius? Yes, as I have showcased. As a child it was apparent, the royals and nobles loved him. Journalists such as Grimm praised him. By the time he became a teenager and adult, the wonder wore off. Jealousy and opposition came about. He worked as a freelance musician for most of his life. This did not mean people looked down on him, or saw him as anything less than one of the greatest musicians of their time. Haydn, a great admirer of Mozart, once said “posterity will not see such a talent as his for the next hundred years.” He was right.
As to his fame after death? Much can be owed to Constanze. She promoted memorial and benefit concerts mere weeks after her husband’s death. She tried to launch her son, Franz Xaver, as a prodigy. She even sold some of Mozart’s compositions for 3,600 fl to the king of Prussia. By the 1820s, two thirds of Mozart’s works were in print. She, unlike her late husband, found financial stability and even ended up remarrying.
While Amadeus is a fun film, it is always important to view such movies through a skeptical lens. There is always more to it than meets the eye!
Sources:
Piero Melograni, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: A Biography (Chicago, Ill.: University of Chicago Press, 2008).
Michael Steen, The Lives And Times Of The Great Composers (New York: Icon Books, 2011).
Peggy Woodford, Mozart (Illustrated Lives Of The Great Composers) (Omnibus Press, 1990).
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I reject your premise.
In the film, Mozart is portrayed as a Michael-Jackson-like child virtuoso pushed into his career by an overbearing father. Salieri grew up not particularly wealthy in a different country than Mozart, but was intimately familiar with young Mozart's work and fame even as a child. This is particularly significant considering audio recording would not be invented for several hundred years: it's not like young Salieri was listening to Mozart perform on the radio.
The film makes it clear that Mozart was regularly performing for royalty as a child. His fame was well established prior to the events of the film.
The public at large is portrayed as embracing Mozart even more than the upper class that was primarily responsible for patronizing him. As the film progresses, he increasingly targets the lower class with his work, performing in his friend's theater rather than the royal opera where his opponents can influence his success apart from the merits of his music.
He was broke largely because he was so embraced by the public. In the film, he spent all his money partying. You don't see many pariahs at parties. Mozart is portrayed as an unrefined "man of the people," despite his pseudo-royal upbringing.
In short: his "universal recognition" was already established prior to the events of the film and are presented as a pre-existing backdrop for his wild character. His fame is not the focus of the film and is set aside soon after being established to focus on weaknesses of his character and challenges he faced while living in Austria.
