You don’t need to submit a report on the horse, for anyone who gives away my things without my knowledge and against my wishes will replace them with something better: if he’s a gentleman who has only noble thoughts– – – –
It’s good that you’ve arranged for someone to write to Leipzig.6 Get them also to write to Herr Gräffer or Heufeld. Farewell! Farewell, all of you, I kiss you and Nannerl 1000 times. Best wishes to the whole of Salzb. I am your faithful and sleepy husband
Mzt
It wasn’t a bad idea to send us the ball minuet7 in Bologna so that it could be arranged for the keyboard, as there’s no one in Salzb. who could have done it. Wolfg, I may add, couldn’t have been more pleased and thanks Herr von Schiedenhofen and Nannerl. He’ll be writing himself very soon. I wrote this yesterday when he was already in bed and I’m adding this now while he’s still asleep, as the post leaves in a moment. He’s now sending you the minuet that Monsieur Picq danced in the theatre in Milan. Best wishes to all our good friends. Please ask Herr von Schiedenhofen, Herr von Mölk and others who’ve written to me not to take it amiss that I’ve not replied. I hope that on reflection they’ll realize what a traveller has to do, especially as I’m on my own. Kommabit aliquando Zeitus bequemmus schreibendi. nunc Kopfus meus semper vollus est multis gedankibus. 8
Wolfg. kisses you and Nannerl 1000 times.
Keep sending your letters to Herr Troger in Milan. They’re arriving safely and don’t cost me very much. Once we’re in Rome, I’ll write more on this matter.
Among the medical prescriptions you’ll find one for a coltsfoot electuary9 – I think it’s on a long piece of paper – as you know, it’s one I’ve often had made up for myself. Please copy it out clearly in your next letter. Thank God, there’s nothing wrong with me, but I suddenly thought of this coltsfoot electuary as one never knows what might happen. So far, we’ve opened the medicine bag only once, thank God – it was to give Wolfg. a spoonful of tartar.
[ Postscript, written on one of Mozart’s manuscripts ]
Padre Martini has asked me for a copy of the Violinschule, so you’ll have to speak to the consignee, Herr Haffner.10 Would he be kind enough to take one with him to Bozen and include one with a bale of linen for Herr Prinsechi? But you’ll have to have it bound first. But only in half-calf, very light: but it has to be bound because the Italians wouldn’t understand the instructions to the binder.
From Bologna Leopold and Wolfgang travelled to Florence, where they took the chance to hear again the violinist Pietro Nardini, met the famous contrapuntist Eugenio, Marquis de Ligniville (1730–88) and renewed their acquaintance with the castrato Giovanni Manzuoli (c. 1720–82), whom they had first met during their visit to London in 1764–5. Mozart also struck up a friendship with the fourteen-year-old English prodigy, Thomas Linley (1756–78), who was a violin pupil of Nardini’s. Almost of the same age and height, they performed together several times, playing ‘not like boys, but like men!’, according to Leopold. On the last occasion ‘Little Tommaso accompanied us home and wept bitter tears, because we were leaving the following day.’ Mozart later wrote to Linley (see letter 29), but they did not meet again. The Mozarts set out from Florence on 6 April, arriving at Rome on 11 April.
25. Leopold Mozart to his wife, 14 April 1770, Rome
We arrived here safely at midday on the 11th. It would have been easier to persuade me to go to Salzb. than Rome as we spent 5 days travelling from Florence to Rome in the most appalling rain and cold wind. In Rome itself I heard that it’s been raining constantly for the last 4 months, and we certainly got a taste of it when we went to the Sistine Chapel to hear the Miserere 1 during Mass on the Wednesday and Thursday, setting off on both occasions in fine weather, only to be surprised by such a terrible downpour on our way home that our coats have never been as wet as they were on that occasion. But I won’t bore you with a long description of our appalling journey here. Imagine only a largely uncultivated country and the most appalling inns, filth everywhere, nothing to eat except – if we were lucky – the occasional meal of eggs and broccoli: and sometimes they even made a fuss about giving us eggs on fast days. Fortunately we got a decent supper and slept well in Viterbo. While there we saw St Rosa of Viterbo – like St Catherine of Bologna, she can be seen in a perfectly preserved state. From the former we took away an ague powder and some relics as a souvenir, while from the latter we brought with us a belt. After arriving here on the 11th, we went to St Peter’s after lunch and then to mass, on the 12th we attended the foot washing and found ourselves very close to the pope2 while he was serving the poor at table, as we were standing beside him at the top of the table. This is all the more surprising in that we had to go through two doors guarded by Swiss Guards in armour and force our way through several 100 people – and remember that as yet we’d made no acquaintances. But our fine clothes, the German language, and my usual freedom in telling my servant to speak to the Swiss Guards in German and make way for us soon helped us through everywhere. They thought Wolfg. was a German gentleman, others even took him for a prince, and our servant let them believe this; I was taken for his tutor. And so we made our way to the cardinals’ table. There it chanced that Wolfg. ended up between the chairs of two cardinals, one of whom was Cardinal Pallavicini.3
The latter beckoned to Wolfg. and said to him: Would you be good enough to tell me in confidence who you are? Wolfg. told him everything. The cardinal replied with the greatest surprise and said: Oh, so you’re the famous boy about whom so many things have been written?
To this, Wolfg. asked: Aren’t you Cardinal Pallavicini? – – The cardinal answered: Yes, I am, why? – –
Wolfg. then said to him that we’d got letters for His Eminence and were going to pay him our respects. The cardinal was very pleased by this and said that Wolfg. spoke very good Italian, saying, among other things: ik kann auck ein benig deutsch sprecken 4 etc. etc.
As we were leaving, Wolfg. kissed his hand, and the cardinal removed his biretta and bowed very politely.
You’ll often have heard of the famous Miserere in Rome, which is held in such high regard that the musicians in the chapel are forbidden on pain of excommunication to remove even a single part, to copy it or to give it to anyone else. But we already have it. Wolfg. has already written it down, and we’d have sent it to Salzb. with this letter except that it would require our presence to perform it; the manner of its performance must play a greater role than the work itself, and so we’ll bring it home with us, and as it’s one of the secrets of Rome, we don’t want it to fall into the wrong hands, ut non incurremus mediate vel immediate in Censuram Ecclesiæ.5
We’ve already explored St Peter’s thoroughly, and I’ve no doubt that of all the sights here, none will be overlooked. Tomorrow – God willing – we’ll see His Holiness preach. You simply can’t imagine how arrogant are the local clergy. Any individual who has the slightest contact with a cardinal thinks himself as good as the cardinal. And whenever he’s on papal business, every cardinal drives with a cortège of 3 or 4 carriages, each of them crammed full of chaplains, secretaries and valets, each taking up as much space as he can, and so I’m looking forward to tomorrow when I shall walk past all these proud gentlemen and leave them guessing who we are, as we’ve not yet presented ourselves anywhere because of the foot washing. On Monday we’ll make a start on delivering our 20 letters of recommendation.
Pleased though I am that the two of you didn’t come on this trip with us, I’m sorry that you’re not able to see all the towns and cities of Italy, but especially Rome. It’s useless, indeed impossible, to describe it in only a few words. Once again I advise you to read Keyssler’s account of his travels. I wrote to you from Bologna and Florence. 2 hours after our arrival we called in at the German College and found Herr von Mölk in excellent health, as were all our other acquaintances there. Out of regard for Herr von Mölk I intend to get Wolfg. to perform for the whole college as they’d very much like to hear him. Abbate Marcabruni6 had a
lready sorted out our lodgings in a private house and we were able to move in straightaway: but since there’s only one room here and we must have 2 rooms to receive people who call on us, we’ll be moving this evening to more spacious accommodation. Today and yesterday I’ve been something of an invalid, as I took 3 digestive powders, but I now feel well, thank God. Wolfg. also feels well and is sending you a contredanse.7 He’d like Herr Cyrill Hofmann8 to compose the steps for it; when the 2 violins play as leaders, he wants only 2 people to lead the dance, but each time that the full orchestra comes in with all the instruments, the whole company should then dance together. It would be best if it were danced by 5 couples. The first couple starts the first solo, the 2nd dances the 2nd and so on, as there are 5 solos and 5 tuttis.
The season is fast approaching that causes me the greatest anxiety, as it will soon be getting hot; but everyone tells me that Naples has incomparably more air and that it’s much healthier than Rome. And so I’ll need to take all possible precautions to ensure that we can set off on our return journey with no risk to our lives, especially from the bad air and malaria. But since everything depends on the weather and especially on heavy rain and wind, I can neither decide nor write. Herr Meissner is in Naples, we hope to see him there in 3 or 4 weeks. Pray to dear God for our health: we’ll be all right, for I can assure you that we are taking every possible care and that Wolfg. pays as much attention to his health as if he were the most grown up of people. May God keep you, too, in good health. Remember us to all our good friends, I am your old
Mzt
Wolfg. and I kiss you and Nannerl 1000 times.
[ Mozart’s postscript ]
Praise and thanks be to God, I and my wretched pen are well, and I kiss Mama and Nannerl a thousand or 1000 times. I only wish my sister were in Rome, she’d certainly like the city, as St Peter’s is regular, and many other things in Rome are regular, too. The most beautiful flowers are just being carried past in the street, Papa has just this moment told me. I’m a fool, as everyone knows. Oh, I’m having a hard time, there’s only one bed in our lodgings, Mama can easily imagine that I get no sleep with Papa, I’m looking forward to our new lodgings: I’ve just drawn a picture of St Peter with his keys, St Paul with his sword and St Luke with my sister etc. etc., I had the honour of kissing St Peter’s foot in St Peter’s, and as I’m unlucky enough to be so small, it was necessary for me, that same old fool
Wolfgang Mozart,
to be lifted up
26. Pietro Lugiati1 to Maria Anna Mozart, 22 April 1770, Verona
Madame,
Since the beginning of this year, this City of ours has admired in the most highly prized Person of Sgr Amadeo Volfango Mozart, Your Son, a prodigy, it may be said, of nature in Music, inasmuch as Art could not yet have performed her Office if she had not taken account of his tender age.
I have certainly been among his admirers, even though, however much pleasure Music may invariably have afforded me and however much I may have heard on my travels, I cannot hope to be an infallible judge of it; but I am certainly not mistaken in the case of so rare and prodigious a Youth, and I have conceived such a regard for him that I have had him painted from life with the inscription copied from the end of the cantata2 – which he will be pleased to read.
This sweet likeness is a comfort to me, and it also serves as a stimulus to take up his Music from time to time, so far as my public and private preoccupations allow me, although I have not lost track of Sgr Amadeo and Sgr Leopoldo, his most amiable Father, having with pleasure received news of them from Mantua, Milan and most recently from Florence, reporting universal applause, as we shall soon hear from Rome, where I have already directed them to the most illustrious people.
I cannot but recall, Madame, the pleasure you felt on taking him at an even more tender age to the leading Cities in Europe, together with your astonishing Daughter, who was the object of universal admiration, as he himself is at present.
I can only repeat the esteem that I feel for the one as for the other and, in consequence, how much I prize their Parents who with such careful education have cultivated such rare talents, talents which, having given you such lively pleasure, shall yet offer the world cause for universal admiration.
Please accept these sentiments, which are born of good intentions and true esteem, since while expressing them I take this opportunity to fulfil a commitment to let your Son have two pieces of Music which he saw while he was staying with me and which I have had copied in order to please him, 3 so that he may make full use of them. You will receive these from the merchant Sgr Soldini, who assures me that he will deliver them safely to you. I shall be grateful if you will acknowledge them at your convenience.
I may conclude by wishing you and your most esteemed Family every happiness, while signing myself, with sincere and devoted esteem, Madame,
Your Most Devoted and Humble Servant
Pietro Lugiati
From Rome, Mozart and his father travelled on to Naples, arriving there on 14 May, after a journey of a week. During their stay in the city, they met the distinguished English ambassador Sir William Hamilton, gave a concert on 28 May, and on 18 and 19 June visited Vesuvius and Pompeii.
27. Leopold Mozart to his wife, 19 May 1770, Naples
You’ll have received my last letter from Rome by now – the one dated 2 May. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to write for so long – you must have been very anxious in the meantime. We left Rome at 10 in the morning on 8 May in the company of three other sedias – 2-seater carriages – and had a light lunch at 1 o’clock at the Augustinian monastery at Marino. On the evening of the 11th we were again well looked after at another Augustinian monastery at Sessa, calling in on the Augustinian friars in Capua at midday on the 12th in the belief that we’d be in Naples that same evening. But on the 13th, as fate would have it, a woman was to take the veil at a convent where one of my travelling companions, Padre Segarelli, was Father Confessor some years ago. He was to attend the ceremony and asked us to remain there, too, and so we attended the ceremony, which was a splendid occasion and for which a Kapellmeister with 3 or 4 carriages of virtuosos arrived on the evening of the 12th, opening the proceedings with some symphonies and a Salve Regina.
All these virtuosos stayed at the monastery, so you can easily imagine that we got to bed very late that evening. The veiling or, rather, the service did not take place until noon on the Sunday, and the whole affair went on until around 3. Apart from those ladies and gentlemen who were close friends of the woman, nobody apart from us 2 was invited to dine at the convent. It would be impossible to describe it all. On the Monday we slept until 10 and after lunch drove to Naples, where we arrived in good time that same evening. We spent 2 nights in a house belonging to the Augustinian monastery of San Giovanni a Carbonara, but we’re now in rooms for which we’re having to pay 10 silver ducats a month, or 4 ducats in our own money. We drove out to Portici yesterday to call on the minister, Marchese Tanucci.1 We’ll be driving out there again tomorrow. We had terrible rain yesterday and a very cool breeze. We left our fine cloth suits in Rome and have had to wear our beautifully braided summer suits. Wolfg.’s is made of pink moiré, but the colour is so unusual that in Italy it’s called colore di fuoco, or flame-coloured: with silver lace and lined with a light sky-blue material. My suit is a kind of cinnamon colour, piquéd Florentine cloth, with silver lace and lined in apple-green. Both suits are very beautiful, but we’ll look like a couple of old maids by the time we get home. Yesterday evening we called on the English ambassador, Sir William Hamilton (our acquaintance from London), whose wife plays the keyboard with exceptional feeling and who is a most pleasant person.2 She trembled at having to play for Wolfg. She has a valuable instrument made in England by Tschudi, 3 with 2 manuals and pedal stops that can be uncoupled by means of the foot. Also present were Mr Beckford and Monsieur Vyse, 2 other acquaintances from England. On the 16th we lunched with Baron Tschudi, who had been in Salzb. He asked me to convey his good wishes t
o His Excellency Count Spaur4 and all our good friends, especially you and Nannerl. He kissed us countless times, especially when we arrived and as we were leaving, and offered us his services, no matter what the occasion. The day before yesterday we bumped into Monsieur Meuricoffre5 from Lyons, who had been looking everywhere for us. He’d left a card for us, with his address, at the Augustinian monastery and had finally run into us by chance. He came back with us to our rooms and then took us to his own house. We were supposed to have lunch with him tomorrow, but as we have to go to Portici tomorrow, we can’t make it. He sends you his cordial best wishes. He’s set up a company here with another person: both of them have offered me their services in all eventualities. I expect you still remember him: a young man with brown hair, who often had to sing the Italian song to Wolfg. with his glasses on his nose. I still can’t tell you how long we’ll be staying here. It could be 5 weeks or 5 months. I think it’ll be 5 weeks, but it all depends on the circumstances.
While I was listening to High Mass on the Feast of St Philip and St James in the Church of the Holy Apostles in Rome, I saw a familiar face. He came over to me; and who do you think it was? – – it was our former servant, Porta. He was neatly dressed, lace cuffs, a gold watch, etc. etc. He’d been with the French troops in Corsica. The next day he came to offer me his services just as Herr Meissner was arriving. I refused even so much as to listen to him. Just ask Herr Meissner, he saw him. The fellow’s an adventurer.
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