His latest opera, The Marriage of Figaro, had thrilled music lovers there and won rave reviews. Rumours began to circulate that Mozart himself would come to the city to give concerts and maybe even lead a performance of his hit opera. He did both in a visit that was among the most satisfying and successful of his career.

Mozart travelled to Prague in style, with a retinue that included his wife, Constanze, several fellow musicians, a servant, and even his dog. The Mozarts stayed in the palace of Count Franz Joseph Thun, a patron whose relationship with the composer dated back to his Salzburg days. Mozart et al. Enjoyed sumptuous meals, extravagant musical entertainments, and lavish balls and parties. The visit culminated in two public appearances by Mozart, leading a concert at the National Theatre and a performance of Figaro there three days later.

Mozart’s early biographer Franz Niemetschek remembered the concert, which he had attended: ‘We did not, in fact, know what to admire most, whether the extraordinary compositions or his extraordinary playing; together they made such an overwhelming impression on us that we felt we had been bewitched.’