Wolfgang Amade Mozart
Baron Dürnitz6 wasn’t in Munich when I was there. I’ll write to Prince Zeil7 on the next post day in order to expedite matters in Munich. If you too were to write to him, I should be most grateful. But short and to the point. Just don’t grovel, that’s something I can’t bear. One thing is certain: if he wants to, he can certainly arrange it, for all Munich told me so.
[ Maria Anna Mozart’s postscript ]
My Dear Husband,
You want to know how much we’ve spent on our journey, we’ve already told you what Albert’s bill came to, in Augsburg it came to 38 florins, Wolfgang told you that we’d made a loss of 24 florins, but he didn’t include the expenses incurred on the concert, which came to a further 16 florins, nor did he include our landlord’s bill, so that by the time we reached Mannheim we’d no more than 60 florins left, if we’d left again after a fortnight, there’d have been very little left. Travelling expenses have gone up as everything has become so expensive, it’s not like it used to be, you’d be surprised. As for Wolfgang’s journey to Paris, you must decide soon whether you’re in agreement, at this time of the year there’s nothing that can be done anywhere except in Paris. Monsieur Wendling is an honest man, whom everyone knows, he’s travelled widely and has been to Paris more than 15 times, he knows it like the back of his hand, and our friend Herr von Grimm is his best friend, too, and has done a lot for him. So you can decide, whatever you want is all right by me. Herr Wendling has assured me that he will be a father to him, he loves him like a son and he’ll be as well looked after as if he were with me. As you can imagine, I don’t like to let him go nor do I want to travel home on my own, it’s such a long way: but what’s to be done? To undertake such a long journey to Paris is difficult for someone of my age, and also too expensive. It’s easier to pay a quarter of the total than to pay for everything as you’d have to if you were on your own.
I’ll write more next post day, today I’ve a headache and think I may be coming down with a cold. It’s very cold here, I’m so frozen I can hardly hold the pen. Wolfgang has gone out to look at some rooms, the cheaper ones are very difficult to find here, but there’s no shortage of expensive ones.
Tell Nannerl that people don’t wear jackets here except indoors. Out of doors, it’s mostly cloaks and polonaises, the bonnets are much prettier than in Salzburg and very different, too, their hairstyles incomparable, not raised up at the front, the women dress with great taste. If it weren’t so far, I’d have sent her a bonnet and a tippet. Addio. Keep well. I kiss you both many 1, 000, 000 times and remain your faithful wife
Maria Anna Mozart
To all our good friends especially Monsieur Bullinger, Mistress Sallerl, Katherl Gilowsky, the Antretters, Hagenauers, Robinigs, Frau von Gerlichs, the Schiedenhofens, Mölks, Mistress Mitzerl, Herr Gött, 8 Mistress Sandl, 9 and Tresel all conceivable good wishes.
A little kiss to Pimperl.
68. Leopold Mozart to his son, 18 December 1777, Salzburg
Mon très cher Fils,
The news contained in your letter of the 10th concerning the unfavourable outcome of the matter in hand did not find me unprepared as I’d already predicted as much to Herr Bullinger and your sister and never imagined that it would turn out any differently. You too will have gathered this from each and every one of my letters. That I’d have preferred a different outcome is quite true, as you could then still have undertaken other journeys from time to time. You’ll also have found that in all my letters I had my eyes fixed firmly on Paris. I must now write more fully. You know that for many years our patience was sorely tested in Salzb.: and you know how often you and I wanted to leave. You’ll also recall the objections I raised, objections that made it impossible for us all to leave Salzb.; you now have proof of this – the great expense of travelling and the fact that one’s income is so little or at least insufficient to defray those costs, especially with an entire family. At that time I couldn’t let you travel on your own, you know that you weren’t used to sorting things out on your own, not used to doing this and that without the help of others – you were largely unfamiliar with different currencies and knew nothing whatever about foreign ones and you didn’t have the least idea about packing and about the many needs that arise when one’s travelling. I often pointed out to you that – even if you were to remain in Salzb. until a couple of years after you’d turned twenty – you’d lose nothing because in the meantime you’d have a chance to get a taste of other useful sciences, to develop your intellect by reading good books in various languages and to practise foreign tongues. I also pointed out that even if a young man can look down on all his teachers, he will still not gain the respect that he deserves: this takes a certain number of years; and until he reaches 20, his enemies and persecutors and those who envy him know that the basis of their censure and of the objections they raise to him can be attributed to his youth, his lack of years, his lack of status and his inexperience. Do you doubt that such things were not brought to the elector’s attention with regard to your teaching his children? – Moreover, I am no more a lover of grovelling than you are, and with regard to Munich you’ll remember that I told you not to demean yourself : and all these attempts to persuade a group of 10 people to arrange things so that you could stay on there seemed to me to involve too much grovelling. You were persuaded to stay by kind-hearted and well-meaning friends; yet these are straw fires that flare up quickly – and end in smoke: it was well meant! It’s true that I’d like you to have a post, but only one like Munich or Mannheim or else one in which – importantly – you wouldn’t be prevented from making the occasional journey. In my view, not a lifetime appointment per decretum. If you had such a post even for only a couple of years, you’d be able to travel to France and Italy. One acquires more prestige and respect etc. by virtue of the length of time you spend in a post and by the title that you hold as composer to an elector etc. You already know this. That’s also my thinking on Munich. As long as you’re looking for a fixed-term post, it’s certainly not grovelling, as you’re merely looking for a chance to show what you can already do and know how to do, as there are people at every court who try to prevent this because time and opportunity are needed to show oneself in the right light. – Let’s come now to your journey to Paris. – I wish you were already there: that was very much my concern during your disastrously long stay in Mannheim. It’s entirely natural that the gentlemen1 with whom you’re to travel to Paris don’t want to let you leave without them: they need a fourth person; and where will they find a fourth person like you? That Herr Wendling is your friend, that he means well, that he knows Paris and will take the best possible care of you – none of this do I doubt for a moment. Nor do I doubt that he’ll try to ensure that you find some means of supporting yourself in Mannheim between now and March – after all, he’s keen to have your company: there’s a reason for every friendship. If this Dutch gentleman2 gives you 200 florins, you can survive in Mannheim, especially if you dine with Herr Wendling. Supposing that Mama spends 3 florins a week on food, that makes 12 florins a month, or could Herr Cannabich or – for all I care – Herr Wendling – not feed her for 4 florins a week? That would be 16 florins a month – and what might a room cost for a month? – If you get the 200 florins from the Dutchman and if the two of you spend 50 florins a month, that makes 100 florins in two months: but if you were also to get a couple of pupils, you’d still have more than 100 florins left, and how can the two of you spend 50 florins a month if you have free board? – In short, all this is fine by me: the only thing I won’t have is for you to live with some anonymous privy councillor and for Mama to live on her own. As long as Mama remains there, you should remain with her. You should not and must not leave Mama to mope on her own or to be abandoned to other people as long as she is with you and you are with her: however small the room, there’ll still be space for a bed for you. – And why not find a larger room straightaway? It will cost only a few florins more, but that doesn’
t matter for a couple of months, whatever it costs it will still be barely half of what you had to pay at the inn.
If only you’d done what I told you to do in Augsburg and on repeated occasions since then, namely, to look round for a private apartment in Mannheim, you’d have saved a lot of money as you could then have eaten whenever you wanted or made more appropriate arrangements for this – especially as both of you or at least one of you often ate out. Yes – who’d have thought that we’d stay there for so long? – Who?–– I not only thought it, I knew it. If only you’d taken Munich as your yardstick and looked at a calendar, you’d have discovered, after only a few words of enquiry, that it’s impossible to obtain a hearing in less than a week and that by the time you’ve received your present – and until you can put forward the proposal that you have in mind – until you receive an answer to it – then pack all your belongings together again – and say goodbye to all your good friends and the acquaintances that you’ve just made and finally get away – another 3 or 4weeks will have passed without your knowing where they’ve gone. As a result, you could have taken an apartment on a weekly basis or even for a month, and even if you’d paid for an extra week, you’d still have emerged the winner. Mama should think back to our earlier travels. I never put up at inns when I suspected that we’d be staying for any length of time: Paris, London, Vienna etc., even Brünn etc. are all places where we simply don’t know the inns or, if we do, only as temporary accommodation. You’ll no doubt appreciate that Mama can’t leave Mannheim at present, now that the coldest weather is setting in; also I have to work out the easiest and most convenient way of getting her back. Meanwhile be sure that you stay with her and look after her, so that she lacks nothing, just as she cares for you in turn. But if the Indian’s 200 florins turn out to be no more than another straw fire that has gone up in flames in the first flush of friendship and already turned to smoke, then you should pack up and go: but if I’m wrong, you should get down to work as soon as possible: and you’d also do well to write a large-scale new mass for the elector; and so you’ll have to plan your time carefully during these next 2 months: Best of all would be for you to write to Prince Zeil. Tell him that you are certainly not demanding that the elector take you on permanently and per decretum but that he might like to take you on for a couple of years in order to give you the opportunity and privilege of serving him and affording him proof of your talent. I’ll write again next post day. You must also write to Herr von Grimm, as I shall too. Herr Bullinger etc. etc. and all our good friends send their best wishes. Nannerl and I kiss you millions of times. I am your solicitous father
Mzt
Please give our good wishes to the whole of the Cannabich and Wendling households.
[ Postscript to Maria Anna Mozart ]
My Dear Wife,
I’ve replied above to the main matter concerning the journey to Paris with Herr Wendling: if it’s true about the 200 florins, then I’d like you and Wolfg. to remain together; but if there’s a problem here and insufficient certainty, you should pack everything together and go to Mainz at once. As soon as you arrived in Mannheim, you should have sought the help of young Herr Danner or someone similar and looked round for a private apartment without delay. You should have done this without listening to any of the objections that others may have raised: after all, I wrote and told you this often enough; but, to our detriment, you didn’t do so. You say that you wrote to inform me of Albert’s bill. I received not a word! I saw from your letters that both of you tossed them off in a hurry late at night, when you were both half asleep and that as a result you wrote down only the first thing that came into your heads: in short, you yourself don’t know what you wrote; and I bet you rarely read any of Wolfg.’s letters to me. My God! What prize specimens you are! – – I can well believe that your expenses have gone up with the general increase, but postal charges are still the same; and I’d already worked out that you’d spent a lot. In a word, if you’d read my letters properly, you’d have known what needed to be done even if you’d arrived penniless in Mainz. But that’s how things are! No one has worked more against Wolfg. than Vogler. I said so long ago to Herr Bullinger and Nannerl. If it’s true that you’ve received 200 florins from the Dutchman, I must consider how to get you back home, for it can’t be now, it would be too cold for you now, as the cold is at its worst around Christmas and Twelfth Night: and how? In our chaise? – – On your own?––It must be given some thought. If only you were in Augsburg! Do you think Wolfg. will now take charge of his affairs? – I hope he’ll have got used to this and that his head won’t always be full of music. Keep well. I am your old husband
Mzt
The wretched actors arrived from Vienna 2 days ago. Peringer the clockmaker has died suddenly.
69. Leopold Mozart to his wife and son, 29 December 1777, Salzburg
My Dear Wife and Dear Wolfg.,
We wish you both a very happy New Year! I pray to God that 1778 may bring us more contentment than the year that has just ended, we hope for this from God’s grace and mercy and from the talent, hard work and skill but especially the good heart of our dear Wolfgang, who will undoubtedly do everything to win glory, honour and money in order to save us and to prevent his father from being exposed to the scornful contempt and ridicule of certain persons whom I may not name but whose ridicule would undoubtedly be the death of me. His good fortune and fame will be our sweetest revenge, and indeed we have already had a foretaste of it. Count Starhemberg called on Count Arco while he was being bled. The conversation turned to Adlgasser’s death.1 Count Arco : You’re stuck, aren’t you? – Young Mozart would have done you good service. Count Starhemberg : Yes, it’s true, he could have been a bit more patient. Count Arco : What, be patient? Don’t make me laugh! Who could have predicted this sudden death? – – And even if they had done, what would you have given him in addition to his shitty florins? He’s done well to leave! People treated him abominably for long enough. Count Starhemberg : Yes, I must admit that he was very badly treated: everyone must admit that he’s the finest keyboard player in Europe. But he could still have been more patient. Count Arco beside himself with anger! Shit, yes! He’s doing very well in Mannheim, he’s found some good companions with whom he’s going to Paris, you’ll never get him back, it serves you right! The same will happen to Hagenauer!2 Count Starhemberg : The latter will now be receiving a salary from the start of the New Year. Count Arco : That’ll be nice, but even so: you’ve messed him around for long enough and led him by the nose. The conversation then turned to me, with Count Starhemberg claiming that he thought it impossible to find a better teacher than me. You’ll notice that Count Arco kept saying ‘you’ = Count Starhemberg and the rest of the company, in order not to have to name the prince and out of political expediency to shift the burden of guilt to his cronies on the other side of the river. As for Hagenauer, he’ll be going to Gurk with Prince Auersperg, the bishop of Gurk, 3 to design a building for him there. If the archbishop’s decision turns out badly, he’ll not object but he won’t be coming back.
I was just about to say myself that in future you should write only once a week; there’s not enough to write about at present to justify a letter each post day, and letters are so expensive. If I’ve anything to say, I’ll continue to write each post day, if not, you won’t hear from me on some post days, but I’ll always indicate this in the following letter.
I now have a lot of letters to write in any case as I’ve decided to activate a whole host of people in Vienna so that, if it’s still possible, I can obtain a letter of recommendation from the Viennese court to the queen of France.
Although you’ll have received the fullest account in Mannheim of the critical state of the elector of Bavaria’s health, 4 I’m none the less copying out the report that I received from Munich dated 24 Dec. It reads:
Until now most of the intrigues and confusions at our court have been due to the Italian nation, and now it looks as though we are to lose His Excel
lency the Elector to them, too. Prince Gonzaga has a niece who has been studying for many years at the convent at Nymphenburg but who has been ill for most of that time; as a result the prince tookher to Italy, where, much against her old uncle’s wishes and intentions, she fell in love. And so he forced her to return with him to Munich, and the elector was obliged to make her a lady-in-waiting.
She’d been there, entirely against her will, for only a short time when she contracted smallpox of the worst possible kind. The doctors may not have realized what it was at the beginning, but the main point is that the Italians kept it a secret and covered it up for so long that in the end she had to stay at the Residence. – Normally everyone has to leave at the slightest sign of smallpox, and this includes even the courtiers and officers, who have to stay away from the court for 6 to 8 weeks if anyone in their household catches smallpox. Meanwhile they all spoke about this Marchesa Riva in the most painfully sympathetic tone in the elector’s presence, until the elector finally expressed a certain apprehension and even spoke about it himself: indeed, they were so thoughtless that on occasion they even took the elector past the staircase where her room was situated and where her staff were preparing her meals. – And so it was on the 9th of Decemb. that the elector suffered his first attack, including a headache. On the 10th the master of hounds tookhim hunting, and they remained away for 6 hours when the weather was extremely cold. In the evening there was the vigil for the Empress Amalia; once again they tookhim past the invalid’s room to the church of the Theatines, where he spent another hour in the cold. He’d suffered a severe shockwhile out hunting, when his postilion, who was in charge of his relay horses, almost sankinto the bog with all 4 horses before his very eyes. – On the 11th he fainted on the privy, his headache got worse and his face turned all red, like a rash. He had to stay in his room – he was given some mild medication and told he was suffering from measles. He was still well on the 12th, 13th and 14th, but on the 15th things got so bad that his personal physician, Dr Sänfftel, told him to stay in bed. From then on things got progressively worse. They were reluctant to call off the plays in order not to alarm even further the general public, which was in any case already dismayed by events. This also explains why no public prayers were arranged until the Augustinian Fathers finally held a votive service on the 17th, and this was followed by others, with 3, 4 or 5 votive services held in the different churches by all the staff-officers – and every social class – indeed, by all the guilds and craftsmen, so that it’s impossible to describe the grief, the packed churches, the sight of people weeping and praying. The night of the 19th to the 20th and 21st was the most critical. On the night of the 20th to the 21st he was already close to death, and if his personal valet and his assistant equerry, Baron Segesser, who were with him all the time, hadn’t been present, we’d no longer have an elector. Others thought he was asleep, but these two men didn’t wait for the doctor on duty to run and fetch his personal physician, but instead decided to seize the elector and shake him violently, bringing him round and causing him to vomit, producing nothing but matter from his mouth, throat and nose. Since then the situation has improved; but we’re not yet out of danger :
Mozart: A Life in Letters: A Life in Letters Page 26