Did Mozart die of kidney disease? A review from the bicentennial of his death

Abstract

There has been a tremendous interest in the circumstances of Mozart's death. Theories of head trauma, poisoning, heart disease, and most prominently, renal failure have all appeared recently in scholarly musicology publications, the lay press, and the medical literature. The purpose of this article is to present the evidence behind each of these theories. Although this review cannot be considered comprehensive, with the overview provided, it will be shown that few conclusions can be drawn.