Leaving behind the bustling boulevards of Paris, our journey carried us across the Channel to a city that felt both reserved and grand. London, with its polite extravagance and deep musical enthusiasm, impressed me immediately. The British had a remarkable ability to sound eloquent while saying very little, provided it was delivered with a royal accent and accompanied by tea.
Father, ever practical, was pleased when patrons rewarded us with more than hugs and kisses. Applause was gratifying, but coins paid for bread and candles. Payment, however, often arrived as elaborate gestures that felt less like fair compensation and more like charitable offerings to unusually gifted musical orphans.
Our time in London was filled with both triumphs and challenges. One day we performed for King George III and his young German queen, Charlotta Sophia, who graciously called me “Master Mozart”. The next, we played in a humble pub called The Swan for two shillings and six pence[i]. Sometimes, patrons visited our apartment for private demonstrations – flattery required, punctual payment optional. More often, we performed simply for “exposure”, a refined term meaning no payment at all.
I began to suspect that I was less a celebrated child prodigy and more a promising investment portfolio.
[i] In the 1700s, twelve pence equaled a shilling, and twenty shillings a pound. The shilling was part of the British currency system before the decimalization in 1971. Two shillings and six pence, or 2/6, is about 68 US cents, or $15.96 in today’s money.