was mozart able to support himself as a freelance musician
Wagner 20 years after B was employed as a court musician at Dresden-I doubt he knew the limitations of his talent! Perhaps it can be summed up thus: Mozart was the first freelance musician to almost succeed; Beethoven was the first TO succeed. I don't think B could have succeeded without the financial support of his patrons-On his own as Mozart was, he would have been in dire straits, as he nearly was anyway on occasions.