In the fall of 1782 the recently married Mozart was struggling to make a living in Vienna as a freelance musician and composer. But as a letter to the Baroness von Waldstätten tells us, Mozartâs money problems didnât subvert his eye for finery. Hereâs a portion of Mozartâs letter from Emily Andersonâs translation, The Letters of Mozart and His Family: âAs for the beautiful red coat, which attracts me enormously, please, please let me know where it is to be had and how much it costs â for that I have completely forgotten, as I was so captivated by its splendor that I did not take note of its price. I must have a coat like that, for it is one that will really do justice to certain buttons which I have long been hankering after. I saw them once when I was choosing some for a suit. [â¦] They were mother-of-pearl with a few white stones around the edge and a fine yellow stone in the center. Why is it, I wonder, that those who cannot afford it would like to spend a fortune on such articles, and those who can, do not do so?â?
Jennifer Hambrick unites her extensive backgrounds in the arts and media and her deep roots in Columbus to bring inspiring music to central Ohio as Classical 101’s midday host. Jennifer performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago before earning a Ph.D. in musicology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.