Was Mozart as a child a better composer than his father?

Started by W.A. Mozart, March 15, 2024, 08:48:46 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

W.A. Mozart

I think that most people would agree about the idea that Mozart has been a better composer than his father Leopold, overall. I won't ask if he was, because the results are predictable.

A more interesting question is: if it's true that Mozart was a better composer than his father, when did he surpass him?


According to the musicologist Anna Amalie Abert, Mozart had already surpassed his father at the age of 10.

There are two symphonies composed respectively by Mozart and his father: the "Old Lambach" (composed by Mozart in 1766-1777, when he was 10-11 years old) and the "New Lambach" (composed by Leopold Mozart in the same period).

Anna Amalie Abert speculated that the two symphonies might have been reversed and that in reality Mozart might have written the New Lambach while Leopold the Old Lambach.
Her argument was that New Lambach would, according to her, a more mature symphony. This means that according to the musicologist, the 10 years old Mozart was already more skilled than Leopold.

What do you think?

Perhaps we should divide the subject in two parts:
- Craftmanship
- Artistic inspiration


I don't know if the craftmanship of the prepubescent Mozart was greater than the one of Leopold, but I think that the little Mozart wrote more inspired tunes.


Mozart - Old Lambach



Leopold - New Lambach