Just a few blocks from my apartment is Bertramka, the villa where Mozart lived while he was finishing Don Giovanni. At that time the villa was out in the country and old Wolfgang knuckled down and finished the opera, but just barely. The story goes, and is well-documented, that Mozart handed the orchestra members the final pages of their music (which they hadn’t previously seen, let alone played) on opening night.  Bertramka was owned by his friends, the Duseks, although it is now a national landmark and open to the public as a museum.  The home is situated on a hill and it’s a steep climb to reach the grounds, but well worth it.

Inside are a variety of period musical instruments, including this pianoforte that Mozart played on his first visit to Prague in 1787.

The museum also has on display this double manual harpsichord (built sometime around 1722) that Mozart played at the palace of one of his benefactors, Count Nostitz. It's not easy to tell from this picture, but there are two rows of keys, thus, a "double."

The museum also displays copies of letters written by and to Mozart, portraits of him and several of his contemporaries, and miscellaneous items that give a feel for the time period (for example a combination candy box and opera glasses that were owned by Josefina Dusek).

Finally, I couldn’t resist taking a picture of this “hook harp,” (a precursor to today’s lever harp) that was probably built in the late 1700s.  Apparently Mozart had heard a pub musician playing a similar instrument and was intrigued enough by it to pen a few ditties specifically for the harp, as a result.

Although the actual building and grounds aren't in themselves spectacular or amazing, the fact that Mozart was there -- walking on those floors, looking out those windows, writing in those rooms -- is inspiring all by itself.  Time to go practice... :-)