On 5 December 1791, the composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died at his home in Vienna, Austria, at the age of 35. The circumstances of his death have attracted much research and speculation.
The principal sources of contention are:
- Whether Mozart declined gradually, experiencing great fear and sadness, or whether he was fundamentally in good spirits toward the end of his life, then felled by a relatively sudden illness;
- Whether the cause of his death was from disease or poisoning;
- Whether his funeral arrangements were the normal procedures for his day, or whether they were of a disrespectful nature.
There is a range of views on each of these points, many of which have varied radically over time.