Mozart had friends in high places, most notably his father who was one of the most important musicians in Salzburg. In his role, Leopold held control over which composers received commissions. Not surprisingly, a lot of those commissions for church pieces went to his son, Wolfgang.
When the organist at one of Salzburg's largest churches, the Dreifaltigkeitskirche, suddenly died, Leopold lobbied for his son to be granted the good paying position. But when it looked like Wolfgang wasn't going to get the job, Leopold turned to spreading rumors and untruths about the top candidate, Michael Haydn.
Michael Haydn was the younger brother of the now more famous Franz Joseph Haydn, and a friend and colleague of the Mozart family. In fact, you can hear the influence of M. Haydn in several of Wolfgang's pieces.
So why would Leopold Mozart want to smear the good name of M. Haydn? Colorado pianist Katie Mahan tells us in this episode of Mozart Snapshots.
See more Mozart Snapshots episodes, and check back each week for a new episode!
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