‘Amadeus’: Who Is Mozart’s Wife? A History Lesson
What To Know
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is the subject of Starz’s 2026 miniseries Amadeus.
- It focuses on Mozart and composer Antonio Salieri’s professional relationship, though it also delves into their personal lives.
- Will Sharpe plays Mozart in the series.
Amadeus is off to the races — or the opera. The Starz drama is all about an inspiration-less composer, Antonio Salieri (Paul Bettany), and his one-sided rivalry with 25-year-old virtuoso Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Will Sharpe). Their story has been made (even more) famous by Peter Shaffer’s 1979 play and Miloš Forman’s 1984 film, but it hadn’t made its way to TV until now, allowing for a deeper exploration of both composers’ personal lives in addition to their professional ones. (Warning: Spoilers ahead for Amadeus Episode 1!)
Episode 1 introduces Mozart as a womanizing figure. Salieri first lays eyes on Mozart when he’s in the middle of a tryst with opera singer Katerina (Jessica Alexander), spying on them in a back room at a party. It’s not the best first impression in the religious, uptight Salieri’s eyes. But Mozart soon moves on and becomes close with Constanze (Gabrielle Creevy). She’s a daughter of the Weber family, with whom Mozart is boarding during his stay in Vienna.
If Amadeus is your first introduction to Mozart’s story — or maybe you’re in need of a refresher — Swooon has a romantic history lesson for you. Find out who Mozart married, how he met his wife, and more below.
Who was Mozart’s wife?
Mozart indeed married Constanze. Born in 1762 — making her about six years younger than her husband — Constanze came from a family of talented musicians. Her three sisters were coloratura soprano singers, and her father, Fridolin Weber, worked in music as well. Per History Hit, Josepha and Aloysia became accomplished musicians. The Weber family moved to Vienna for Aloysia’s career in 1779, with Fridolin dying shortly after. For income, Constanze’s mother opened up their townhouse to boarders, just like she does in the show.
How did Mozart and Constanze meet?
They met for the first time when Constanze was 15, and Mozart had no interest in her then. He pursued and proposed to Aloysia, who rejected him. That was around 1777. When Mozart returned to lodge with the family in 1781, Mozart and Constanze fell in love. They married in 1782, when Mozart was 26 and Constanze was 20.
Letters between the two indicate Constanze had a loving relationship with her husband, according to History Hit. That, and the fact that Mozart dedicated pieces to her and had Constanze perform in several of his operas. When her husband died in 1791 at just 35 years old, Constanze was granted a pension and arranged performances of Mozart’s pieces, according to King’s College London. She would continue to promote Mozart’s music and cement his legacy.
She was helped by her eventual second husband. In 1797, a Danish diplomat, Georg Nikolaus Nissen, became a boarder at her house. Nissen helped Mozart’s widow organize the composer’s works, which would eventually become the foundation for the Mozarteum, per The Morgan Library and Museum. Constanze and Nissen married in 1809, living in Copenhagen and Salzburg. Nissen died in 1826 while working on a biography of Mozart, so Constanze finished and published it in 1828.
Did Mozart have children?
Mozart and Constanza had six children, with only two sons living past infancy. Karl Thomas Mozart was born in 1784, and Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart in 1791, just months before his father’s death. Both followed in their father’s footsteps to a degree: Karl studied music and was a talented pianist, but chose to pursue accounting in Milan. He became an Italian translator to the Austrian Court Chamber. Franz, on the other hand, remained involved in music. He was a composer, pianist, and music teacher. Neither married nor had children before their deaths, so Mozart has no known descendants.
Amadeus, Fridays, May 8, 9/8c, Starz
