Milano

Mozart’s stay: 28.1. - 15.3.1770 / 18.10.1770 - around 14.1.1771 / 31.1 - around 4.2.1771 / 21.8. - 5.12.1771 / 4.11.1772 - around 4.3.1773

On 23 January 1770, Mozart father and son arrived in the city. It was the first of a total of five stays. A recommendation from the Augustinian monks of Salzburg provided them with quarters in the monastery of St. Marco. There Wolfgang immediately began composing, we know of arias and mottets for castrati (misero tu non sei KV73A). Soon he was also giving concerts to the nobility of the city and then came the first longed-for commission for a new opera.

On 15 March 1770 they left the city and returned in the autumn with the new opera. Mitridate, Re di ponto. W.A. Mozart's first of three Milano operas. This time they took private quarters (Largo Augusto today) concentrated on the numerous rehearsals and on 26 December Mitridate, Re di ponto was premiered in Milan with great success. Wolfgang Amadeus himself conducted the first three performances from the piano. The audience reacted enthusiastically and the "Regio Ducal Theatre" was sold out for months.  

This was followed by a period of excursions through Italy. They visited Turin and Venice. Similar was the success of "Ascanio in Alba" Mozart's next Milan opera (K. 111), which was staged again in the Regio Ducal Teatro during the fourth stay in October 1771 in honour of the wedding celebrations of Archduke Ferdinand with Maria Beatrice Ricciarda d`Este. 

In December 1771 we see them on their way home to Salzburg where they learned of the sudden death of the Salzburg Prince Archbishop Schrattenbach, who was well-disposed towards them. He was also their most important commissioner. The new one, Count Colloredo (from April 1772) thought quite differently about spending money or music. Only once more (November 1772) did they receive permission to return to Milan. There they presented "Lucio Silla", W.A. Mozart's third Milan opera ( KV 135) This opera seria was performed 25 times in a row. On 4 March 1773 they saw their Milano for the last time.