# Death of Mozart **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 3, 2002, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-mozart/112243 "2002-06-03T22:16:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KITHfan1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5ac83/32.png) [@KITHfan1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KITHfan1)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-mozart/112243/1 "2002-06-03T22:16:23Z")
Can anyone help me? I have searched high and low looking for the cause of death for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, all sources say it’s unknown. Does anyone know, or has heard, of how he died? Thank you ---
**Author:** ![vebr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/eb8c5e/32.png) [@vebr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vebr)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-mozart/112243/2 "2002-06-03T22:45:04Z")
As I understand it, his death was just a part of the normal die-off that would occur every summer in them there Good Ol’ Days. Basically, food spoils more quickly in the summer. This also put more of a strain on the existing sanitation system. The result was that people just tended to die in the summer. This gleaned from biographies read years ago,of several people of the period, from different continents. Vebr ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-mozart/112243/3 "2002-06-03T22:50:57Z")
> [@](#): > > The immediate cause of Mozart’s death at the age of 35 years … seems to have been acute nephritis. A detailed discussion of … Mozart’s illness is found in Dieter Kerner’s _Krankheiten grosser Musiker_ (Stuttgart, 1973; vol. I, pp. 9-87). Almost immediately after the sad event, myths and fantasies appeared in the press; the most persistent of them all was that Mozart had been poisoned by Saliere out of professional jealousy … Another myth related to Mozart’s death that found its way into the majority of Mozart biographies and even into respectable reference works was that a blizzard raged during Mozart’s funeral and that none of his friends could follow his body to the cemetery; this story is easily refuted by the records of the Vienna weather bureau for the day … It is also untrue that Mozart was buried in a pauper’s grave; his body was removed from its original individual location because the family neglected to pay the mandatory dues. in Slonimsky, Nicholas. _Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of Musicians_, 7th ed. New York: Schirmer Books, 1984. p. 1599. Hope this helps. ---
**Author:** ![KITHfan1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5ac83/32.png) [@KITHfan1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KITHfan1)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-mozart/112243/4 "2002-06-03T23:03:39Z")
Thank you! I’m only 14 and am studying to become an expert on Mozart, so this (plus your other comments) helps me very much. I believe you seem to be an expert! I’m already aware of his rivary with Salieri, and am researching that at the moment. Thank you again! ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-mozart/112243/5 "2002-06-03T23:10:58Z")
> [@](#): > > I believe you seem to be an expert! Nope, just a librarian. I don’t have to be an expert in anything except finding where the experts documented their expertise. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-mozart/112243/6 "2002-06-03T23:41:17Z")
Oh, and in case anyone was interested in what the hell nephritis is: [http://www.merck.com/pubs/mmanual\_home/sec11/124.htm](http://www.merck.com/pubs/mmanual_home/sec11/124.htm) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-mozart/112243/7 "2002-06-03T23:54:49Z")
Pardon me if you’re aware of this already, but Peter Schaeffer’s Play **Amadeus** is not, and was never meant by the author to be an accurate biography of Mozart. (This fact sees to have escaped several critics, including the one at the Boston **Phoenix** ). Like a lot of his plays, it’s not really about the historical incident it seems to chronicle, but about Man And God. The same way **The Royal Hunt of the Sun** isn’t about Pizarro and the Incan emperor Aahuallpa, but about Man And God, or th way **Equus** isn’t about the real-life case o the British by who blinded six horses in his care. It, too, is about Man And God. So Amadeus is about the relationship between Man And God (Why do you think he titled it “Amadeus”, and not “Mozart”. Or better yet, “Salieri”?). I like the film well enough, but if you get the chance, read or see the play. It’s very different, and Salieri doesn’t seem so mad when you see it all from his point of view. ---
**Author:** ![KITHfan1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5ac83/32.png) [@KITHfan1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KITHfan1)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-mozart/112243/8 "2002-06-04T02:29:39Z")
Of course Amadeus was never meant to be a biography of Mozart, anyone who believes that must be pretty stupid. The film is wonderful, but grossly inaccurate. Not just in the sense of Mozart’s death but also many, many events in his life that would have been impossible. (His father comming to visit him at that time in Constanze’s pregnancy for example, was impossible. Leopold had already been dead) And I could go on. I encourage people to see Amadeus, but don’t take it seriously ---
**Author:** ![KITHfan1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5ac83/32.png) [@KITHfan1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KITHfan1)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-mozart/112243/9 "2002-06-04T02:33:32Z")
Oh, and one comment for Vebr, though your theory is very, uh, interesting, it would be impossible to explain Mozart’s death since he died in December (Just before 1 a.m on December 5th, 1791 to be accurate) and not in the summer. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-mozart/112243/10 "2002-06-04T03:06:49Z")
According to Maynard Solomon’s _Mozart: A Life_, Mozart died of acute rheumatic fever which he suffered through recurring (and progressively worse) bouts of. The above is a good book if you want to read up on Mozart. Be forewarned though: most biographies of Mozart tend to blame either Constanze or his father, Leopold, for all of Wolfie’s ills (Solomon definitely falls in the “blame papa” camp). Most 19th century and early 20th century biographers scorned Constanze for being a flippant slut, while it is now in fashion to scorn Leopold for driving his son too hard. Whatever. I am of the opinion that Mozart was an adult and that his death was just one of those unfortunate things. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-mozart/112243/11 "2002-06-04T05:31:53Z")
NPR did a story a few months back that said the latest theory on what killed Mozart was trichinosis from eating undercooked pork. ---
**Author:** ![bonzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@bonzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonzer)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-mozart/112243/12 "2002-06-04T19:12:56Z")
While I haven’t read it since just after it came out to coincide with the 1991 anniversary, I remember H.C. Robbins Landon’s _1791: Mozart’s Last Year_ as being a good discussion of the circumstances of his death without any axe-grinding in support of a particular medical theory. ---
**Author:** ![Moe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moe/32/2972_2.png) [@Moe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moe)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-mozart/112243/13 "2002-06-04T19:48:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JohnT \* > \*\*According to Maynard Solomon’s _Mozart: A Life_, Mozart died of acute rheumatic fever which he suffered through recurring (and progressively worse) bouts of. > \*\* This is the belief I’m most acquainted with, though I’ve never read the book. Just for kicks I’ll mention another theory that I’ve heard though I don’t think any serious historian gives it a second thought - a friend of mine who studied Mozart and Freemasonry suggested that Mozart was a mason who’s opera (I can’t believe the name of which is escaping me right now) revealed some of the secret society’s secrets. Consequently he was poisened by members within the organization. I’ll go with rheumatic fever. ---
**Author:** ![Milton\_De\_La\_Warre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Milton\_De\_La\_Warre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Milton_De_La_Warre)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-mozart/112243/14 "2002-06-04T20:02:22Z")
What I’ve seen over the years says Nephritis. But since we don’t have a body or preserved organs or lab results, we’ll never know for sure. I would think rheumatic fever would have laid him to rest sooner, but one could also make a fair case that the pain fron kidneys going bad would take him completely out of action well before his final demise, making the partial composition of the Requiem much more difficult at best. ---
**Author:** ![scott\_evil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@scott\_evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott_evil)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-mozart/112243/15 "2002-06-04T21:14:39Z")
A pretty detailed account of Mozart’s illness leading up to his death can be found [here](http://www.news.cornell.edu/Chronicle/00/2.17.00/Mozart_death.html) - s.e. ---
**Author:** ![Swede\_Hollow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3bc359/32.png) [@Swede\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swede_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-mozart/112243/16 "2002-06-04T23:54:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Moe \* > **Just for kicks I’ll mention another theory that I’ve heard though I don’t think any serious historian gives it a second thought - a friend of mine who studied Mozart and Freemasonry suggested that Mozart was a mason who’s opera (I can’t believe the name of which is escaping me right now) revealed some of the secret society’s secrets. Consequently he was poisened by members within the organization.** That would be _The Magic Flute_. As described [here](http://home.sprintmail.com/~sahajabhakta/themagicflute/10_story_text.html): > [@](#): > > The Magic Flute-Die Zauberflöte-was the last opera completed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and had its premiere at the Theater auf der Wieden, Vienna, on September 30, 1791. The librettist, Emanuel Schikaneder, took its plot from a collection of fairy tales by Christoph Martin Wieland but drew also on other literary sources and on current thinking about the benign and enlightened social work of Freemasonry in Vienna at that time. ---
**Author:** ![Moe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moe/32/2972_2.png) [@Moe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moe)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-mozart/112243/17 "2002-06-05T01:25:19Z")
**Swede** thank you for spraying the informational air freshner in the room where I brain farted. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![KITHfan1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5ac83/32.png) [@KITHfan1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KITHfan1)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-mozart/112243/18 "2002-06-05T12:05:59Z")
I also heard a rumor that I’d like to throw out here. I heard that he was a heavy drinker, and that he died of complications of Chirrhosis. Would this be a possibility? ---
**Author:** ![KITHfan1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5ac83/32.png) [@KITHfan1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KITHfan1)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2002, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-mozart/112243/19 "2002-06-05T12:29:09Z")
Oh, and one thing to defend Amadeus. Though it is almost all fiction, Antonio Salieri did confess to the murder of Mozart twice on his death-bed, but he was an old and insane man. ---
**Author:** ![pf\_puech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8c91f0/32.png) [@pf\_puech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pf_puech)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2010, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-mozart/112243/20 "2010-12-29T16:00:39Z")
DEATH OF MOZART by the BBC [http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A1304957](http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A1304957) _[Copyrighted material removed by moderator.]_ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-of-mozart/112243.md?page=2)