The Mozart Cache

This book is a detailed critical inspection of a collection of objects that have their feet in two worlds namely Mozart Historical Research and Art Historical Study. Leopold Mozart the father of one of the worlds most supreme composers died in 1787. At the time of his death his apartment held precious treasures given to his brilliant son and daughter during their lengthy European tour of 1763-1766. Furthermore it is likely that memorabilia and portraits collected in the 21 years following that tour were also in Leopolds apartment. There is little historical record about what his collection might have contained at the time of his death or what happened to it. In 2003 an American antiques collector traveling in Italy bought what he thought were some interesting pieces from a woman merchant. Though he was unaware of what he had stumbled into at that time these pieces now appear to have been a portion of Leopold Mozarts estate. The collections owner engaged the author of this book to examine and comment on the approximately 40 pieces in the acquisition. The telling of the story of each of the collections pieces and how they survived for more than two centuries is rich with Mozart history.