Throughout history, women were expected to learn how to play one or more instruments, read music, perform for others, and compose works of music. The issue is that until the 20th century, it was seen as immoral for women to perform in public.
Women were not permitted to study music in a conservatory setting, and the publication of original compositions was only for men. A few female composers would publish their music under a false name but had to remain hidden from the public’s knowledge, and the unpublished and unheard women have been forgotten.
An example of a forgotten female musician and composer is Mozart. Not Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, but rather his older sister Maria Anna Mozart. The eldest Mozart child was incredibly talented, and most of us have never heard of her.
It is never mentioned in history books or films that Wolfgang had a sister, let alone his sister, another musical prodigy. Who was the other Mozart, and why has nobody heard of her?
Maria Anna Mozart
Maria Anna Walburga Ignatia Mozart, nicknamed Nannerl, was born on July 30, 1751, to her parents, Leopold and Anna Maria Mozart. While the world has heard much about the life and musical works of Nannerl’s little brother Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, it was she who became the first child prodigy of the family.
Of the seven Mozart children, only Nannerl and Wolfgang lived beyond infancy. Leopold Mozart was a composer, music theorist, music teacher, and a well-known violin player in Salzburg, Austria; a prosperous one, if not a true success.
He certainly never achieved the fame and recognition of his son Wolfgang, but historians state that Leopold was well known throughout both Austria and Germany, and others said he “failed to make his mark as a composer.” As the saying goes, those who can’t do, teach. That is what Leopold did with his children.
Leopold was a very intense and demanding man and had firm control over the family, his wife, and Nannerl. It was at Leopold’s instance that Nannerl began learning to play the harpsichord when she was seven years old.
Her father would teach his daughter how to read and write music, music theory, composition, and how to play the harpsichord so often that little Wolfgang would sit and watch the lessons. The two Mozart children were very close and even developed their own “secret language”.
A True Prodigy
Although Nannerl began studying music at the age of seven, she was described as a natural and child prodigy. Like many younger siblings, Wolfgang idolized Nannerl and demanded that he start taking music lessons with Nannerl at the age of 3. Leopold was overjoyed to discover that he had not one but two naturally gifted musicians as his children and arranged for the two Mozarts to perform a concert in Vienna in 1762.
After Nannerl and Wolfgang performed their concert for Empress Maria Theresa at her imperial court, Leopold Mozart turned into the male 18th-century version of Kris Jenner. He was the original “dad-ager.” Leopold arranged a grand musical tour for his musically inclined children in 1763, taking them all over Europe, including Paris.
Nannerl was so talented that she was often billed first (her name appeared in announcements and programs before her brother’s name was written), which is astonishing since nobody ever mentions that Mozart had an equally talented sister. A review from a performance during the 1763 grand tour praises Nannerl.
The review said, “Imagine an eleven-year-old girl, performing the most difficult sonatas and concertos of the greatest composers, on the harpsichord or fortepiano, with precision, with incredible lightness, with impeccable taste. It was a source of wonder to many.”
Nannerl was not just a talented musician; she appeared to have also been a skilled composer. Wolfgang praises Nannerl’s music composition abilities in letters sent between the siblings. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is one of the core composers who defined the Classical period of music.
Nannerl’s skills were equal to, if not better than, Wolfgang’s, and by rights she should be recognized as much as her brother. However, it is as if she has almost been erased from history altogether.
A Woman’s Role
There are a few reasons why very few people have heard about Nannerl, including the sad fact that her musical compositions have been lost. While Wolfgang praises his sister’s talent, letters written by Leopold Mozart never mention his daughter’s compositions.
While Nannerl could have had an incredibly successful musical career today, life in the 18th century was very different. Leopold no longer let Nannerl tour or perform music with her brother starting in 1769 because she was of a “marriageable age.” Her musical ambitions were irrelevant because she was ready to be a wife and mother, according to society.
Nannerl married Johann Baptist Franz von Berchtold zu Sonnenburg on August 23, 1784, and moved with him to the Austrian village of St. Gilgen, about 18 miles (29km) from her home in Salzburg. Nannerl became von Berchtold’s third wife (he was twice a widower) and helped raise his five children from his two earlier marriages.
She had three children of her own, but only one of her children lived to reach adulthood. Nannerl still played the piano; allegedly, she practiced for three hours every day and taught music lessons in St. Gilgen. For some reason, her longest-living son, Leopold Alois, was raised by her father, Leopold, back in Salzburg.
A letter from Leopold Mozart said that he preferred to raise Nannerl’s firstborn son for the first few months of his life himself. Eventually, the first few months turned into the rest of the boy’s life.
Nannerl would receive letters from her father informing her of milestones like first words, first steps, etc. Mother and son only saw each other occasionally during visits, but Nannerl played no role in his upbringing. The exact reason this occurred varies; some believe Leopold Alois was sickly as a baby and perhaps needed to remain in Salzburg for his health.
That could have happened, but why Leopold kept the boy once his health improved is strange. Some scholars believe Nannerl’s health was poor when the boy was born, and that is why she didn’t raise the child. Or she was too busy raising her five stepchildren to care for her newborn baby.
Then there is the belief that Leopold Mozart wanted to create a new younger musical prodigy, and when Leopold demanded to raise the child Nannerl granted his wishes. The two Mozart siblings fell out of touch at some point, and the two were no longer close when Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died in 1791. After her husband died in 1801, Nannerl returned to Salzburg and continued to teach piano lessons until her death on October 29, 1829, at the age of 78.
Top Image: Mozart’s sister Maria Anna and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with their father Leopold. Source: Royal Opera House Covent Garden / CC BY 2.0.
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