In 1777, Mozart intended to establish himself at Paris, a plan from which he was diverted by his disapprobation of the kind of music which was fashionable in that city.
After returning to Salzburg in 1779, he resolved to fix his future residence in Vienna, where it is affirmed that he became the pupil of Haydn. We are doubtful of the fact, but this master held him in high estimation ; and it is known, that a few years later he did not scruple to affirm that he was the greatest composer of the age.
For a number of succeeding years, Mozart did little else than compose music with amazing reputation ; he was powerfully promoting that grand revolution which was substituting energy, variety and expression, for the languor and monotony which pervaded the works of most of his predecessors. His operas, symphonies, quartetts, songs, and dances, were all received with unexampled avidity. But the period when he became passionately enamoured of Constantia Weber, a celebrated actress, was not the least brilliant of his compositions, for it is under such impressions that men are most earnest to distinguish themselves. Tenderness is the leading characteristic of his works, and he had now an opportu nity of displaying all his science and feeling in an opera, called Idornenea, which, in the year 1781, had been de manded from him by the Elector of Bavaria. Mozart was wont to esteem it the best of his productions, along with Don Juan, an opera of another kind. The success of the latter, which was composed for the theatre at Prague, in 1787, was more equivocal. Though the work had been undertaken for a considerabie time, Mo zart, instead of fulfilling his engagements, had spent the day preceding that for which the performance was an nounced in hunting, for he was immoderate in the pur suit of pleasure. The general rehearsal had taken place, but the overture was yet to be written. After par taking of some exhilarating beverage, he sat down to finish his task, when, overpowered by fatigue, he soon fell fast asleep. His wife allowed him to repose two hours, and having awakened him at five in the morning, he completed the work, which was heard in the evening. Critics pretend that the parts where the composer's fa culties were overcome, are betrayed in the composition; and certainly the first movement contains passages from which earlier musicians would not have earned fame. Don Juan, now better known by the name of Don Gio vanni, was not performed in the Opera House, London, until 1817, thirty years after its date. Here, it may be remarked, that Mozart's habits were very irregular. At
times he laboured with incredible application, and would instantly commence the subject of an engagement, but he was not equally assiduous in completing it. IIe ge nerally composed early in the morning ; after which he did nothing during the day, unless it might be adding to works in progress ; he was also fond of playing late in the evening, and would pass entire nights with the pen in his hand. In consequence of his habits, and the un certainty of his profits, as also his generous disposition, Mozart's finances became so much deranged, that about this time he proposed to reside in Londo'n.
Before the period of which we speak, however, he had composed a comic opera, The Elopement from the Seraglio, by command of the emperor Joseph II., and The Marriage of Figaro. On the rehearsal of the for mer, the emperor, who himself had considerable skill in music, said to him, "My dear Mozart, that is too fine for my ears : there are too many notes in it." " I ask your majesty's pardon," replied the composer, not re lishing the criticism, " there are just as many notes as there should be." The emperor was embarrassed. and remained silent. Perhaps Mozart afterwards admitted the justice of the remark, for the opera underwent many retrenchments and alterations. The extension of the scale, and multiplication of musical intervals, consti tute a leading distinction between the older and modern composers. Both may he carried to infinity ; but as that alone can be called music, from which pleasure is immediately derived, the advantage is not obvious of descending so far, that nothing except a confused flut ter is sensible to the car, or of ascending so high, that the powers of vibration seem exhausted in piercing shrillness. Considering, also, that the finest airs are restricted within a very narrow compass, it is evident that the multiplication of the notes in a bar, until there seems a contest between number and space, and the nti nuteness of their subdivision, arc often of very ques tionable application. When the opera to which we allude was publicly performed, it received the warmest encomiums from the emperor, with whom Mozart was a great favourite, though without participating much of his bounty. He had been appointed chapel-master to his illustrious patron, to which office no salary was attach ed, but he received 1001. a-year as private composer to him. However, he was attached to his person, and on that account declined an offer of being appointed di; rector of the orchestra of Frederic of Prussia, the so vereign who best of all knew how to appreciate merit.