On the morning of September 30, 1777, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart had arrived early at the palace. At ten o'clock he was standing, very elegant and erect with his arms by his sides, in a small room through which Prince Elector Maximilian III had to pass mandatorily in direction of the chapel, where the Prince went to hear mass and then go hunting, followed by his court. Mozart had been in Munich for a couple of weeks, in the company of his mother, after finally leaving the court of Salzburg and the Prince-Archbishop Colloredo, as well. The singular audience with Maximilian had been obtained thanks to a well-connected friend at the court... Mozart only had to wait for the Elector to come by.
When the Elector appeared, Wolfgang Amadeus waited until he arrived in front of him and then addressed him with these words: "Your Highness will allow me to throw myself most humbly at your feet and offer you my services." His Highness stopped, recognized Mozart and asked him if he had left Salzburg forever. Wolfgang responded affirmatively because in Salzburg there was no place for him. Then he took the opportunity to make a brief recount of his latest achievements and concluded that he was sure he had the necessary skills to serve in any court. "Although my only desire is to serve His Highness," he finished.
It was almost the last thing he said because the Elector interrupted him: "Yes, son, I know, but we do not have vacancies". Mozart assured him that he should not fail to do credit to Munich, but the Elector had already resumed his way and as he walked away he replied: "I know, I know, but there are no vacancies here for now".
The meeting was reported by Mozart to his father Leopold in full detail in an extensive letter dated the same day. It does not follow from it that Wolfgang were upset, he simply runs through the facts, although he emphasizes, in respect of the vacancies: "this he said as he walked away".
After this unfortunate mishap, Mozart travelled to Mannheim with the same result. Afterwards, to Paris. The following year he published four piano sonatas there, composed beforehand ... maybe the same afternoon when he knew that there were no vacancies for him in Munich.
Following, the Polish pianist Krystian Zimerman delights us with the first one, the Sonata in C major, K.330.
Movements:
00:00 Allegro moderato
07:00 Andante cantabile
14:18 Allegretto. At the ending of this rondo, Zimerman becomes playful and stops unexpectedly before attacking the final three chords. Nice idea, but I'd have prefered a bit more delicate chords. No offence...
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