is lasted five months, until November
10, 1764, when they departed for London. Here they met a favorable
reception at court, the king, George III, taking a great interest in
the wonderful young master. He put before him pieces of Bach,
Wagenseil and Haendel, which he played at sight. On the fifth of June
they gave a concert in Spring Gardens, where their receipts were as
much as 100 guineas. His next appearance was as an organist for the
benefit of a charity. The father having taken cold, was ill for some
time, during which time, as the boy was unable to play on the piano,
he wrote his first symphony, and the year following three others.
Before leaving London they visited the British Museum, and in memory
of his visit Wolfgang composed a four-part quartette, and presented
the autograph to the museum.

[Illustration: Fig. 54.

CONCERT BY THE MOZART FAMILY. THE LITTLE WOLFGANG AT THE PIANO.

(From a painting by Carmontil, 1763.)]

Without pausing to trace the concert career of the young virtuoso it
must suffice to say, that by the time he was twelve years old, he had
become favorably known in every court of southern Europe. His talent
had been illustrated in many different ways, and tested by the most
severe masters. One of the most celebrated cases of this kind happened
at Bologna, where the Philharmonic Academy received him as a member,
after his passing the usual severe test, over which the famous master,
Padre Martini, presided. The conditions of membership required the
candidate to write an elaborate motette in six parts, founded upon a
melody assigned from the Roman Antiphonarium, the work to conform to
the strictest rules, with double counterpoint and fugue. In
consequence of the nervous feeling due to the limit of time allowed,
candidates very often failed. Mozart, however, took his paper in the
cheerful frame of mind which everywhere distinguished him, and was
duly locked up. In less than three-quarters of an hour he rapped at
his door and asked to be let out. The authorities sent him word not
to be discouraged, but to keep on trying, as he had yet three hours,
and might accomplish it. They were greatly astonished on finding that
he had already finished, having produced a complete master work,
abundantly up to all requirements, the whole written in his peculiarly
neat and accurate manner.

His compositions had already reached the number of eighty, including a
number of symphonies. It was now late in the yea