Mozart Honors Starling, Not Father

When Leopold Mozart died in 1787, his son Wolfgang Mozart did not attend his funeral. About a week later, Mozart held a surprisingly elaborate ceremony in Vienna for his deceased pet starling instead. He organized a small procession, had hymns performed, and read a personal poem he wrote for the bird. The contrast between ignoring his father’s funeral and staging a formal send-off for a starling has puzzled biographers ever since.

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