Mozart's circumstances had worsened toward the end of the decade.

He had ceased to appear frequently in public concerts around 1786, and his income shrank.

This is a difficult time for musicians in Vienna because of the Austro-Turkish War: both the general level of prosperity and the ability of the aristocracy to support music have declined.

By mid-1788, Mozart and his family had moved from central Vienna to the suburb of Alsergrund.

Although it has been suggested that Mozart's aim was to reduce his rental expenses, research shows that by moving to the suburb, Mozart had not in fact reduced his expenses (as claimed in his letter to his friend and fellow Mason Michael Michael Puchberg), but merely increased the housing space at his disposal.

Mozart had begun to borrow money, most often from Puchberg.

Major works of the period include the last three symphonies (Nos. 39, 40, and 41, all from 1788), and the last of the three Da Ponte operas, Così fan tutte, premiered in 1790.

Mozart makes some long journeys around this time, hoping to improve his fortunes: to Leipzig, Dresden, and Berlin in the spring of 1789, and to Frankfurt, Mannheim, and other German cities in 1790.