News

The mysterious death of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart at the tender age of 35 has long fascinated scholars, but researchers now have a new theory.

The composer - who died in Vienna in 1791 - may have succumbed to complications from a sore throat, caused by a bacterial infection.

The University of Amsterdam team think the streptococcal infection triggered a fatal swelling of his kidneys.

Previous theories include poisoning, rheumatic fever and eating bad pork.

Some say the Austrian maestro simply overworked himself into an early grave.

The latest study is published in this week's issue of the US medical magazine, Annals of Internal Medicine.