ECATERINA BANCIU - Leopold’s Mistakes
Abstract
In patriarchal societies of the time the decisive role in the family was the father's, especially regarding a son’s education and social development. For Mozart, a peerless and universally recognised genius, Leopold's role was overwhelming. And Leopold involved himself fully, being a father, a teacher, a mentor, an agent and even a doctor. We can find cases where the rivalries between father and son degenerated into tragic conflict both in history and mythology: Theseus/Hippolytus, Caesar/Brutus, Philip II/Don Carlos, and Peter I/Alexei being just some examples, but nevertheless, professional or amateur musician parents frequently involved themselves in the education of their sons or, more rarely, of their daughters. Beside Leopold, among the most notorious ones are Johann Sebastian Bach, Adam Liszt, Antonio Paganini, Friedrich Wieck and Franz Strauss. The relationship between Leopold and his son appeared to be an ideal one. Wolfgang deified his parent: “…You are very precise all the time in everything! After God there immediately comes papa” and in his turn, Leopold considered Mozart “a miracle” and considered his sacrifices to be a supreme duty: “I owe this to God Almighty; I would otherwise be the most ungrateful being.” And yet, after 22 years, their relationship grew cold and their communication became sporadic. How did it come to this, and who was to blame? This study is an attempt to answer these questions by looking at the correspondence between the two Mozarts. We could be tempted to look for the answer in Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalysis, but it is psychoanalyst Erich Fromm’s position which seems much more relevant in the case of the chosen topic, Leopold’s Mistakes. In Fromm's vision, love has common elements with the notions of care, responsibility, respect and knowledge. The relationship between the Mozarts was ideal so long as they were together, but their separation, and Leopold’s reproaches, created an unbridgeable chasm between them.
Keywords
father-son relationship, Leopold, Mozart, devotion, letters