Three years had passed swiftly by since little Wolfgang Mozart began to study music the night of his father’s fortieth birthday.  He had made marvelous progress and already the fame of his powers had passed beyond the narrow limits of his native town.  Leopold Mozart had no means other than the salary which he received from the Court.  His children’s musical gifts induced the father to turn them to advantage, both to supply the family needs and to provide the children a broad education in music.  He determined to travel with the children.  A first experiment in January, 1762, had proved so successful that the following September they set out for Vienna.  Wolfgang was now six years old and Marianne eleven.

At Linz they gave a successful concert and every one was delighted with the playing of the children.  From here they continued their journey as far as the monastery of Ips, where they expected to stay for the night.  It had been a wonderful day, spent in sailing down the majestic Danube, till they reached the grey old building with its battlemented walls.  Soon after they arrived, Father Mozart took Wolfgang into the chapel to see the organ.

The child gazed with awe at the great pipes, the keyboard and the pedals.  He begged his father to explain their working, and then as the father filled the great bellows the tiny organist pushed aside the organ bench, stood upon the pedals and trod them, as though he had always known how.  The monks in the monastery hastened to the chapel, holding their breath as one pointed to the figure of a tiny child in the organ loft.  Was it possible, they asked themselves, that a child could produce such beautiful music?  They remained rooted to the spot, till Wolfgang happened to see them and crept meekly down from his perch.

All the rest of the journey to Vienna, Wolfgang was the life of the party, eager to know the name and history of everything they met.  At the custom-house on the frontier, he made friends with the officials by playing for them on his violin, and thus secured an easy pass for the party.

Arrived at Vienna, Leopold Mozart found the fame of the children’s playing had preceded them.  A kind and gracious welcome awaited the little party when they went to the palace of Schoenbrunn.  The Emperor Franz Josef took to Wolfgang at once, was delighted with his playing and called him his “little magician.”  The boy’s powers were tested by being required to read difficult pieces at sight, and playing with one finger, as the Emperor jestingly asked him to do.  Next, the keyboard was covered with a cloth, as a final test, but little Wolfgang played as finely as before, to the great delight of the company who applauded heartily.  The little magician was so pleased with the kindness of both the Emperor and Empress that he returned it in his own childish way, by climbing into the lap of the Empress and giving her a hug and a kiss, just as though she were his own mother.  He was also greatly attracted by the little Princess Marie Antoinette, a beautiful child of about his own age, with long fair curls and laughing blue eyes.  The two struck up an immediate friendship.