Mozart for Wind Octet

Mozart was certainly in trouble after June 8, 1781, after having received the oft cited “kick in the backside” by the Archbishop of Salzburg, who had completely lost his patience with the composer. Out of work in his own hometown, he decided to try his luck in Vienna. In a musical metropolis like Vienna, there weren’t necessarily any openings for composers who fell in disrepute with their masters. It was now of the utmost importance to come up with a stunningly brilliant idea! He began composing The Abduction from the Seraglio, but according to a letter he wrote to his father Leopold, the work was constantly delayed due to changes to the libretto and trouble with the production itself. In the same letter, he added that he would gladly accept other composition tasks in the meantime.