catalogue

The entrancing narration, full of authentic details, attractive settings and wonderful music, presents Mozart‘s three visits to Prague, which meant a turning point in his work and brought Mozart satisfaction and unparallelled appreciation.

The documentary gives a view of the genius through the eyes of the excellent concert singer Josepha Duschek, his intimate friend in Prague, allowing thus a deeper insight into the composer‘s personality and into the historical background. Live action in lavish period costumes brings to life the Prague of Mozart‘s time, which gave him a grand welcome in 1787. He wrote about it: “People here talk of nothing else but Figaro, nothing else is played, trumpeted, sung and whistled but Figaro, no other opera is frequented but Figaro!“
In Prague Mozart also conducted the première of his Symphony in D major, which entered music history as his Prague Symphony.

The relation between Mozart and Josepha was crowned by the aria that Mozart dedicated to her: Bella mia fiamma, addio. At Josepha‘s summerhouse the Bertramka the night before the première of Don Giovanni Mozart wrote the legendary 292 bars of the overture to the opera of all operas. The première of Don Giovanni held on 29 October 1787 at the Estates Theatre was met with great acclaim.

In the summer of 1791, while working on the Magic Flute and the Requiem, Mozart received a hasty order to compose an opera for a coronation in Prague. La clemenza di Tito premièred on 6 September 1791 at the Estates Theatre.

Mozart died shortly after that on 5 December 1791. Prague was the only city that gave the deceased genius a worthy farewell. Four thousand mourners came to honour his memory.