Mozart at Bertramka

This villa, Bertramka, belonged to František Xaver Dušek and his wife Josefína, both musicians and close friends of Mozart. In 1787, when Mozart arrived to finish Don Giovanni, he found peace here. The villa sat among vineyards outside the city walls, far from the noise. Mozart worked in bursts. According to accounts, he would compose at the table, then jump up to play skittles in the garden when it was his turn. He would take his shot and return immediately to writing. The opera came together like this, with the peaceful surroundings broken only by the sound of wooden pins. But Josefína had her own plans. She wanted an aria written specifically for her voice. The legend says she locked Mozart in a room at Bertramka and refused to let him out until he composed it. Whether Mozart actually tried to leave or just played along with the joke, we do not know. Either way, he wrote Bella mia fiamma for her on November 3, just days after the premiere. Don Giovanni opened on October 29, 1787 at the Estates Theatre. It was a triumph. The reviews raved about the performance. Mozart conducted himself, and the audience gave him triple ovations when he entered and left the orchestra pit.