William Fredrich Motehaven

Fictional Austrian composer (b. December 24, 1791) from a short piece "Program Notes on a Great Composer," a pastiche by a teenaged Philip K. Dick, published in the "Young Authors Club" series in the local paper, the Berkeley Daily Gazette, on September 23, 1944.

William Fredrich Motehaven was born on December 24, 1791, in the small Austrian town of Anderschlus. Unlike Mozart, he was born of humble parents, and so his musical ability was not noticed until he was almost grown. His father, Heinrich Motehaven, was the owner of a brewery, and his mother took in washing. When he was twenty-two (having had only a nominal amount of music lessons on the organ and pianoforte) the position of kappelmeister in the nearby court of the Prince of Saltzburg became vacant, and the Prince calledd for those, interested in filling the post to come forward.

On an lmpulse, Fredrich Motehaven decided to try for the post, and against the disapproval of his family and friends set forth from Anderschlus to the royal court. In order to gain tho desired post It was necessary for him to demonstate before a body of learned musicians his ability to play, com­pose, and improvise. Although he did not gain the position his remarkable playing come to the attention of Kauflter, then a guest of the prince, and this learned musician decided to take the young man on as his pupil.

External Links

• article on Google newspapers
• Mention in Dick bio Divine Invasions by Lawrence Sutin, 1989