The Story of Mozart's Death

According to Sophie Haibel, Constanze's younger sister, in a letter to Georg  Nissen. Nissen was Constnze's second husband, who was making a biography of Mozart. "Now when Mozart fell ill, we (Sophie and her mother) made him a night jacket, which he could put on frontways, since on account of his swollen condition he was unable to turn in bed. Then, as we didn't know how seriously ill he was, we also made him a quilted dressing gown (though indeed, his dear wife, my sister, had given us he material for both garments), so when he got up, he should have everything he needed. We often visited him and he seemed to be really looking forward to wearing his dressing gown. I used to go into town every day to see him. Well, one Saturday when I was with him, Mozart said to me: "Dear Sophie, do tell Mamma that I am fairly well and that I shall be able to go and congratulate her on her name day." Who could have been more delighted that I to bring such cheerful news to my mother, who was ever anxious to hear how he was?" ...."A horrible feeling came over me. I ran to my mother and told her all. She said 'Well, take off your fine clothes and bring me back news of him at once. But be sure not to delay'. I hurried along as fast as I could. Alas, how frightened I was when my sister, who was almost despairing and yet trying to keep calm, came out saying: "Thank God that you have come, dear Sophie. Last night he was so ill that I thought he would not be alive this morning. Do stay with me today, for if he has another bad turn, he will pass away tonight. Go in to him for a little while and see how he is". I tired to control myself and went to his bedside. He immediately called me to him and said :"Ah, dear Sophie, how glad I am that you have come. You must stay here tonight and see me die". I tried hard to be brave and persuade him to the contrary. But to all my attempts he only replied: "Why, I already have thae taste of death on my toungue." And, "If you do not stay, who will support my dearest Constanze when I am gone?" "Yes, yes, dear Mozart," I assured him, "but I must first go back to our mother and tell her that you would like me to stay with you today. Otherwise, she will think some misfortune has befallen you." "Yes, do so," said Mozart, "but be sure to come back soon." ....I then ran back as fast as I could to my distracted sister. Sussmayr was at Mozart's bedside. The well-known Requiem lay on the quilt and Mozart was explaining to him how, in his opinion, he ought to finish it, when he was gone. Further, he urged his wife to keep his death a secret until she should have informed Albrechtsburger, who was in charge of all the services. A long search was made for Dr. Closset, who was found at the theatre, but had to wait until the end of the play. He came and ordered cold poultices to be placed on Mozart's burning head, which, however, affected him to such an extent that he became unconscious and remained so until he died. His last movement was an attempt to express with his mouth the drum passages in the Requiem. That I can still hear. Muller from the Art Gallery came and took a cast of his pale, dead face. Words fail me, dearest brother, to describe how his devoted wife in her utter misery threw herself on her knees and implored the almighty for His aid. She simply could not tear herself away from Mozart, however much I begged her to do so. If it was impossible to increase her sorrow, this was done on the day after that dreadful night, when crowds of people walked past his corpse and wept and wailed for him."

Mozarts' final illness set in on Novemeber 20, 1791. It lasted for fifteen days. During this time, he did not leave his bed, as he was in great pain and had a great swelling of his hands and feet. He was almost completely immobilized. He had a sudden vomiting. It was diagnosed at the time as acute miliary fever. Now, it is accepted by many doctors that he died of acute rheumatic fever. He had a history of this sickness. During this time, on his deathbed, Wolfgang continued the Requiem, but the pains of his body made him stop frequently. Eventually, he couldn't write any longer. At the end of his life, Mozart received comfort from Constanze and her sister Sophie, the two women in his family he was closest to. The events leading to his death, and his final day, are but a blur. Many tales tell different stories. Several reports say that Mozart worked on the Requiem on his dying day. Sophie said he attempted to speak the drum portions of it. His friend Benedict Schack said that 'Mozart asked for the score of the Requiem to be brought to his bed', and Mozart, Schack, Gerl and Hofer sang it up to the first bars of the Lacrimosa,  when suddenly Mozart began to weep violently. The score was put aside. This is controversial, as it would imply that Mozart actually finished the Lacrimosa, which he did not complete.

According to Karl, who was 7 at the time of his father's death, this is the way it happened: "Particuraly remarkable is in my opinion, the fact that a few days before he died, his whole body became so swollen that the patient was unable to make the smallest movement, moveover, there was a stench, which reflected an internal disintegration which, after death, increased to the extent that an autopsy was rendered impossible."

Constanze told her second husband that just before the end, Mozart asked her what Dr. Closset said. When she answered with a soothing lie, he said, "It isn't true." He was very distressed. "I shall die, now when I am able to take care of you and the children. Ah, now I will leave you unprovided for." And as he spoke these words, 'Suddenly he vomited- it gushed out of him in an arc-it was brown, and he was dead.

The midi playing is one of Mozart's final pieces, the  'Dies Irae' from the Requiem

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