In Search of Harmony: What Mozart and the Moor Have in Common
When you think of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, what usually comes to mind are opulent ballrooms, classical music, white wigs, or the clatter of carriages on Salzburg’s cobblestone streets. But away from the hustle and bustle of court life, Mozart found a source of strength: nature. We’ll rediscover this on our excursion to the nature village of Anthering, one of Salzburg’s eight city villages. Anyone traveling through this region will quickly realize that culture, health, and nature have gone hand in hand for centuries.
Mozart’s “Green Breaks”
Although Mozart was a city dweller who loved social life, he needed to retreat into nature to fuel his creativity. During the summer months, he liked to “escape” from the city’s narrow streets to the countryside. He enjoyed renting a place in Vienna’s rural suburbs to compose in garden houses. There, the symmetry of the plants, the birdsong, and the tranquility inspired him to create melodious tunes. The sounds of nature are also reflected in his music.
Mozart and the Tame Star
The musical genius had always been a great animal lover: On May 17, 1784, a new pet joined his dog, canary, and horse. Mozart’s cash book contains the following entry: “Bird Stahr, 34 Kr.” Directly below that, Mozart notated the melody whistled by the star in musical notation and wrote next to it: “That was beautiful!”
He was so fascinated by this animal—a true muse—that when it died in 1787, he even dedicated a poem to it, which he wrote down in his own hand in his journal.
The poem was first published in 1828 in Leipzig in Georg Nikolaus von Nissen’s *Biography of W.A. Mozart*.
Why does it seem so sad? Because Mozart is working through his own personal grief in it (his father, Leopold, had died shortly before) and, at the same time, coming to terms with the tragedy of sudden death.
Here lies a dear fool,
A starling.
Still in his prime
Does he have to find out?
The bitter pain of death.
My heart is bleeding,
When I think about it.
O Reader! Grant
You, too, shed a little tear for him.
He wasn’t that bad;
It’s just that he was a little lively,
But even so, sometimes
A sweet, carefree rascal,
And that’s why there’s no Dalk.
I bet he’s already upstairs,
To praise myself
For this favor
No profit.
For, as he unexpectedly
He bled to death,
Didn’t he think of the man,
Who can rhyme so beautifully.
(Note: This is an unofficial English translation provided for general understanding only.)
The Antheringer Au: A Lively Concert of Rustling Leaves
In the nature village of Anthering, one of Salzburg’s eight city villages, you can experience firsthand the power of nature, the tranquility, and the vitality of the forests. When you stroll through the Antheringer Au, you enter a pristine nature reserve—one of the region’s last untouched floodplain forest landscapes.
Here you can experience a symphony of rustling leaves and the chirping of countless wild birds that call the protected river floodplains along the Salzach home—among them, no doubt, the occasional starling. Even today, the breathtaking backdrop of unspoiled nature still offers precisely that inspiring simplicity and natural harmony that Mozart sought to clear his mind.
The Salzburg Healing Moor: Primordial Power from the Earth
It is precisely in this idyllic setting that the family-owned company SonnenMoor has its roots. While the dense riparian forest invigorates the senses, the soil there also holds a treasure: therapeutic peat. What may seem unremarkable at first glance is the pure essence of nature: over thousands of years, medicinal herbs, plants, and minerals have matured here and been perfectly preserved.
Since the 1970s, SonnenMoor has made it its mission to draw on traditional knowledge and process the valuable peat gently and without chemical additives. Just as Mozart’s music harmonizes the mind and soul through harmonious vibrations, therapeutic peat does the same on a physical level: Whether consumed as drinking peat or used in other forms, it strengthens the body and restores it to its natural balance.
Our Tips for a Short Getaway
- Take a morning stroll through the natural paradise of Antheringer Au,
- Recharge your energy for good health at SonnenMoor
- and round out the day with a Mozart concert in Salzburg’s Old Town.
And take a moment to really tune in: Can you feel the harmonious energy that makes this region so unique?
There are also more anecdotes about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in the other seven villages of the City of Salzburg: Elixhausen, Elsbethen, Eugendorf, Grödig, Großgmain, Hallwang, and Wals-Siezenheim.