– In short, you’d not be far away: our income would be as I described it; – the life that you lead here wouldn’t prevent you from studying and making plans;you wouldn’t have to play the violin at court but could conduct from the keyboard, just as I’ve now been entrusted with the whole orchestra, all the prince’s scores and inspection of the Chapel House. Although our debts are considerable, they’re all owed to local people, who are very decent and who aren’t pressing for payment, and, as you’ll have seen from my last letter, our joint income will soon be enough to allow us to pay off a few hundred florins or so every year and yet still be able to amuse ourselves; and you’ll always be able to remind Munich of your existence. And there’s something else that you mustn’t forget. You must take with you the names and addresses of the best music dealers, who may buy something from you and have it engraved, so that you can then correspond with them. This applies especially to the dealer who bought your keyboard sonatas.2 In this way it’ll be just as though you were still in Paris, one can negotiate with them, then send the work to a businessman or friend who’ll deliver it to the music publisher in return for a cash payment, and in this way you can earn 15 or 20 louis d’or a year from Paris and in part make yourself better known and in part retain your existing reputation. – Ask Baron Grimm if I’m right. Here you’ll certainly find plenty to entertain you, if you’re not obliged to count every penny, then all will be well. During the carnival we can now attend all the balls in the town hall. The actors from Munich are coming at the end of Sept. and will be remaining here all winter until Lent, giving plays and operettas: we’ve got target practice every Sunday, and if we want to have company, it depends on us alone, it changes everything when you’ve got a better salary.
As for Mlle Weber, you mustn’t think that I’ve anything against this acquaintanceship. All young people have to make fools of themselves. You can continue to write to each other, I’ll not ask you about it, still less will I demand to read any of it. Moreover, I’ll give you some advice, you know enough people here, you can address your Weber letters to someone else and keep them to yourself if you don’t feel safe from my curiosity.
But it seems to me that, without the help of others, you’ll not be of much use to Herr Weber, nor will he be of much use to himself. Do you know why I wrote that I didn’t think Herr Weber had much of a head on his shoulders? It certainly gives one pause for thought.
– As for the question asked by the court: who’ll follow it to Munich etc? he replied in writing: However much I desire to do so, my circumstances are in such disarray that I am not in a position to follow my gracious lord to Munich. Now, it may be that I’m jumping to conclusions, as I don’t know how far this man is in debt, but in his place, having 4 days in which to act, I’d have gone to my creditors and said: It’s now a question of whether I can follow the court to Munich or not, if I can follow the court, I am confident that through my daughter I’ll be able to improve my own fortune, too, I’ll be at the court, where one can hope to earn some extra income and as a result am more justified in hoping that I’ll be able to satisfy my creditors: but if the burden of my debts means that I have to remain in Mannheim, my daughter will be out of sight of the court, Mannheim will become a desert, and I’ll have fewer opportunities for earning any extra income, so that on my death you’ll find a room full of children, rather than any money: if I move to Munich, I’ll still be serving the same master, and you’ll be able to find me just as easily as if I were in Mannheim. – I really can’t judge the matter properly as this would need a detailed knowledge of all the circumstances, but I’ll advise you and help you as best I can. You won’t be able to help them in Paris. Here you’ll soon hear people talk about Mlle Weber; I’ve praised her far too often, I’ll think of all the different ways of ensuring that she’s heard here. – I must now say something about the Duc de Guines’s debt. I hope that you’ll have demanded payment or that you’ll be doing so? – You won’t leave something like this behind? – – Baron Grimm will advise you. Has the concerto3 not been paid for either? – It’s quite appalling. I had a similar experience in Vienna,4 on that occasion I wrote to Princess Ulfeld’s maid, saying that we’d received no token of the princess’s gratitude and were forced to assume that, although she had no doubt made the necessary arrangements, the person who had received her orders had forgotten to carry them out and I was sure that the princess would be very upset if I left Vienna without reporting back to her and using the occasion to praise the house of Ulfeld’s innate generosity. The princess sent me 20 ducats and thanked me for having written, while apologizing for the oversight. Ask Baron Grimm whether – if the prince won’t admit you – the present affair may be dealt with in the same way. I must repeat – and I swear it to you as your father and friend – that you won’t have to play the violin at court but that, like the late Herr Adlgasser, you’ll only have to accompany singers. And you’ll have to play the cathedral organ only on the principal feast days, all the other duties will be taken by Paris.5 The last thing I want is to tie you down here, but if you and your friends want to try your luck at the court in Munich, it would be far easier to do so from here, as you can send 2 letters and receive 2 replies all within the space of a week and can discover and take advantage of every favourable opportunity. I’d far rather you commended yourself to the imperial ambassador, Baron Lehrbach, who’ll now be in Munich, and told him that you’re only wanting to write an opera in order to be able to show what you can do. How, in heaven’s name, is the elector supposed to make up his mind to take you on as his court composer as he’s not heard any of your works?
–
The matter must be sorted out from here, it’ll now be easier to obtain a commission to write an opera as the Italians can no longer interfere; the matter will then proceed of its own accord. And finally I solemnly swear to you that, as you yourself know, I bound myself to Salzburg only because of your dearly departed mother, in order to ensure that she would at least have a pension. This is all over now, I don’t need it any longer, from now on let’s not allow ourselves to be annoyed, otherwise we’ll leave. In your last letter you wrote: my heart leaps at the thought of the happy day when I shall have the pleasure of seeing you and embracing you with all my heart. That day is now coming, my dear son, I hope that God will let me live to see it, you’ll scarcely recognize your poor father, on the 2 occasions when I was summoned to see the archbishop, he was so shocked at my appearance that he told everyone about it. I was ill when you left me, it’s now just a year ago, and what haven’t I had to endure during that time?
–
I’ve an iron constitution, otherwise I’d already be dead, but if you don’t lift this heavy burden from my heart with your presence, it will crush me, all the restoratives in the world are powerless to heal a sick mind. No one can save me from death except you – and no one will help you more loyally than your father, who blesses, loves and kisses you and who desires with all his heart to embrace you and will do everything humanly possible to ensure your happiness
Mozart
My most humble good wishes to Baron Grimm.
I told you that the archbishop is in Laufen and that you shouldn’t leave until I have in my hands the signed decree. Because of the heavy rain no one has driven down there, – but some people went down there today, I’ll write one last time on the 7th inst. and at the same time make contact with Strasbourg, I’ll report back to you in the same letter.
I beg you, my dear son, to look after your health and, with it, my life, believe me when I say that I’ve thought through everything sensibly, with your own best interests at heart. You will see and discover for yourself that I’m taking you the quickest way to your own happiness, if God wills it so. Your sister kisses you a million times. Once again, my dearest Wolfgang, take pity on your old father and look after yourself.
94. Mozart to his father, 11 September 1778, Paris
Mon très cher Père,
Your 3 letters of 13, 27 and 31 Augus
t have all arrived safely; but for now I’ll reply only to the last, as this is the most important one;1 when I read it through – Monsieur Heina, who sends you both his best wishes, was here – I trembled with joy, already seeing myself in your arms; it’s true, as you’ll admit, that no great fortune awaits me there, but when I imagine kissing you, my dearest father, and you, my dear sister, with all my heart, no other happiness matters; and this is really the only thing that can serve as an excuse with the people here who are always going on at me to remain here: I always say to them at once: what do you want? – I’m content, and that’s all there is to it; I’ve somewhere that I can call my home – where I can live in peace and quiet with my beloved father and dearest sister – I can do as I like because, apart from the duties associated with my appointment, I’m my own master – I have a permanent livelihood – can leave when I like – can undertake a longer journey every other year – what more do I want? – If you want to know what I really feel, the only thing that disgusts me about Salzburg is that you can’t really mix with the people there – and that the orchestra isn’t held in higher esteem – and that the archbishop has no faith in intelligent people who have travelled the world – for I can assure you that people who don’t travel – at least people in the arts and sciences – are pitiful creatures! – and I assure you that if the archbishop doesn’t allow me to travel every other year, I can’t possibly accept the engagement; a man of mediocre talent remains mediocre, whether he travels or not – but a man of superior talent – which, without being Godless, I cannot deny is true in my own case – will go to seed if he stays in the same place all the time; if the archbishop were to trust me, I’d soon make his orchestra famous; this is undoubtedly true; – I assure you that this journey wasn’t a waste of time – from the standpoint of my work as a composer, I mean – for I already play the keyboard as well as I can; there’s only one thing I would ask for in Salzburg and that’s that I don’t have to play the violin as I used to – I want to give up being a violinist; I’ll conduct from the keyboard – and accompany the arias; it would have been good if I could have had a written assurance about the post of Kapellmeister; for otherwise I may have the honour of doing two jobs and being paid for only one – and in the end he may again appoint some stranger over my head; my dearest father! I have to admit that if it weren’t for the pleasure of seeing you both again, I really couldn’t agree to this – – and also to get away from Paris, which I can’t abide – even though my situation is starting to improve, and I’ve no doubt that if I could make up my mind to hold out here for a few years, I’d certainly be able to make a go of things; I’m now fairly well known – at least people know me, even if I don’t know them. My 2 symphonies2– the 2nd of them was performed on the 8th – have helped my reputation no end; now that I’ve said I’m leaving, I should really have written an opera – but I told Noverre: if you’ll guarantee that it’ll be produced as soon as it’s finished – and if I’m told exactly what I’ll get for it, I’ll remain here for another 3 months and write it – I couldn’t reject the idea out of hand, otherwise people would have thought that I’d no faith in my own abilities; but they wouldn’t agree to this – I knew in advance that they wouldn’t as it’s not the custom here; as you probably already know, the situation here is that when the opera’s finished, it’s put into rehearsal and if these stupid Frenchmen don’t like it, it’s not performed – and the composer has written it in vain; if they like it, it’s staged, and the more successful it is, the more the composer is paid; but there’s no certainty; in general, I’m saving up these matters to discuss with you in person; but I can tell you in all honesty that things were starting to look up for me; nothing can be hurried; chi va piano, va sano;3 my willingness to please has won me friends and patrons; if I were to write and tell you everything, my fingers would hurt; I’ll tell you all about it in person and explain to you in detail that Monsieur Grimm may be able to help children but not grown-ups and – but no, I don’t want to write about it – and yet I must; please don’t imagine that’s he’s the same person he was before; if it weren’t for Madame d’Épinay, I wouldn’t be in his house at all; and he needn’t be so proud about this fact as there are 4 houses where I could have had board and lodging; the good man didn’t know that if I’d remained here, I’d have moved out next month and gone to a less stupid and dull-witted household where people can do you a favour without constantly flaunting it in your face – in this way I could all too easily forget a favour done to me – but I mean to be more generous than he is – I’m only sorry that I’ll not be remaining here in order to show him that I don’t need him – and that I’m just as good as his Piccinni – even though I’m only a German; the greatest kindness he’s shown me consists of 15 louis d’or, which he lent me bit by bit while my dearly departed mother was still alive and then at the time of her death – do you think he’s afraid of losing them? – If he has doubts about this, he really deserves a kick up the backside – as he’s distrusting my honesty – which is the only thing capable of making me angry – and also my talent – but I already know this, as he once told me himself that he didn’t think I was capable of writing a French opera; I shall return the 15 louis d’or when I leave, accompanying my thanks with a few well-chosen words; my dearly departed mother often used to say: I don’t know, but he strikes me as completely changed; but I always took his part, even though I was secretly convinced that it was so; he spoke about me to no one – or if he did, it was always stupid and clumsy; – mean-spirited; he wanted me to keep running off to see Piccinni and Garibaldi – – there’s a wretched opera buffa on at present – but I always said: No, I shan’t take a single step in that direction etc. In a word, he’s in the Italian faction4 – he’s false – and he’s trying to hold me back; it’s incredible, isn’t it? – But it’s true; here’s the proof: I opened up my whole heart to him as a true friend – and he certainly made good use of it; he invariably gave me bad advice because he knew that I’d follow it – but he succeeded only 2 or 3 times as I didn’t ask him any more after that, or if he gave me his advice, I didn’t act on it; but I always said yes, so that I wouldn’t suffer any more of his rudeness;
But enough of this – we’ll talk about it more in person; Madame d’Épinay is certainly more kind-hearted; the room where I’m staying belongs to her, not to him; it’s the sickroom – when anyone in the house is ill, they’re taken there; there’s nothing attractive about it apart from the view; just bare walls; no cupboard or anything else – you can see now that I couldn’t have put up with it any longer; I’d have told you this long ago but was afraid you wouldn’t believe me
– but, whether you care to believe me or not, I can’t stay silent any longer – but I’m certain that you’ll believe me – I still have enoughcredit with you to convince you that I’m telling the truth; I also take my meals with Madame d’Épinay; you mustn’t think he pays her anything as I cost her next to nothing – they have the same meals whether I’m there or not; – they never know when I’ll be eating with them so they don’t count on me; and at night I eat only fruit and drink a glass of wine; throughout the time I’ve been in the house – which is now more than 2 months – I’ve not lunched with them more than 14 times at most; and so, apart from the 15 louis d’or, which I’ll be returning with thanks, he’s incurred no expenses with the exception of the candles; and I’d be more ashamed of myself than of him if I were to offer to supply my own; – I really couldn’t bring myself to say such a thing – on my honour; that’s the sort of person I am; recently, when he spoke to me in a quite gruff, silly and stupid way, I couldn’t bring myself to say that he needn’t worry about his 15 louis d’or – because I was afraid of offending him; I just put up with it – and asked him if he’d finished – and then said only that I was his most obedient servant; he claims that I should leave in 8 days’ time; he’s in such a hurry– I told him I couldn’t – and gave him the reasons; well, that makes no difference, it’s what your father wan
ts – I’m sorry, but he wrote to say that only when I received his next letter would I see when I should leave – just be ready to leave – I’m telling you that I can’t possibly leave before the beginning of next month – or by the end of this month at the earliest, as I still have to write 6 trios5 – for which I’ll be well paid – I still have to be paid by Legros and the Duc de Guines – and as the court is going to Munich at the end of this month, I’d like to be there to present my sonatas6 to the electress in person, which may perhaps lead to a present; I’ll pack my things together and talk to Herr Gschwendtner – and I’ll send them off at once or at least as soon as possible; it’s not advisable to leave things with him; in return for cash I’ll send 3 concertos – the ones for Jenamy and Lützow and the one in B flat7 – to the engraver who engraved my sonatas – and, if possible, I’ll do the same with my 6 difficult sonatas;8 even if it’s not very much – it’s still better than nothing. One needs money for the journey. As for the symphonies, most are not to the taste of the people here; if I’ve time, I’ll rearrange some of my violin concertos9 and make them shorter as the taste with us in Germany is for long works – but it’s better that they should be short and sweet – in your next letter I shall no doubt find some instructions for my journey – I only hope that you’ve written just to me as I don’t want anything more to do with him; I hope so – and it would also be better – in general, a Gschwendtner and a Heina can arrange things better than such an upstart baron10 – certainly I owe Heina more than I owe him if you examine the matter aright by the light of even the shortest piece of candle – well, I await an early reply to this letter and shan’t leave till I receive it; I’ve already worked it all out; you’ll receive this letter on 22 September and will reply straightaway; the post leaves on Friday the 25th, and I’ll receive your answer on 3 October; I can then leave on the 6th, as I don’t need to hurry, and my stay here isn’t futile or fruitless as I can shut myself away and work in order to earn as much money as possible; but there’s something I want to ask you – I still don’t know how you want me to travel; as I shan’t have much extra luggage with me – when I have a moment, I’ll send on in advance what I don’t need – I could perhaps get someone to give me a nice cabriolet of the kind that’s now very fashionable here – that’s what Wendling did; I can then continue the journey as I like and take the mail coach or a vetturino; the cabriolets here aren’t as they used to be, namely, open, but are closed – with glass – it’s just that they have 2 wheels and can seat 2 not very fat people; well, I can arrange all this when I receive your reply to this letter. I’ve something else to ask you and hope that you won’t refuse, namely, that if it’s the case that the Webers have not gone to Munich but have remained in Mannheim (although I hope and believe that this isn’t so), I’d like to have the pleasure of passing through and visiting them. – It’s a detour, of course, but only a small one – or at least it wouldn’t seem very much to me – but I don’t think that it’ll be necessary – I’ll meet them in Munich – I hope to be assured of this by a letter in the morning; but if this proves not to be the case, I’m already convinced in advance by your kindness that you won’t refuse me this pleasure. Dearest father! If the archbishop wants a new singer, by heaven I know of none better;11 he won’t get a Teyber or a de Amicis; and the rest are undoubtedly worse; I’m only sorry that when people go there from Salzburg for the coming carnival and Rosamunde is performed, it’s quite possible that they won’t like poor Fräulein Weber, or at least that people won’t judge her as she deserves to be judged as she has a wretched part, almost a persona muta12 – she has only a few verses to sing between the choruses, together with an aria in which you might expect the ritornello to be good, but the vocal line is à la Schweitzer, suggesting nothing so much as yelping dogs; she has only one number – a kind of rondeau in the 2nd act – where she has any sustained singing and can show what she can do; yes, unhappy the singer who falls into Schweitzer’s hands, for as long as he lives he’ll never learn how to write for the voice! Once I’m in Salzburg, I shall certainly not fail to show great enthusiasm in speaking out in favour of my dear friend – in the meantime I would ask you not to fail to do all you can for her, you can give your son no greater pleasure than that; I can think of nothing now except the pleasure of soon embracing you again – please make sure that everything that the archbishop has promised is fully assured – and the same applies to what I asked you about, that my place is at the keyboard; every good wish to all our good friends, especially Herr Bullinger; oh, what fun we’ll have together! – I can think of nothing else and can already see it all in my mind’s eye; adieu. I kiss your hands 100,000 times and embrace my sister with all my heart; hoping to receive a reply at once, so that I can leave straightaway, I am your most obedient son
Mozart: A Life in Letters: A Life in Letters Page 40