Mozart: A Life in Letters: A Life in Letters

by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

  For the present I must protest in optima forma that I have no wish to get involved: – but I wish to express an opinion and, indeed, must do so and say what I, as an honest man, think and what everyone is bound to think given the state of the world at present: namely, that servants are one of the biggest problems of domestic life and that it’s now more difficult than ever to find good servants. That they’re often less intelligent, that they cheat their employers more than they used to over articles of luxury and that, into the bargain, they demand better pay is indubitably clear from our everyday experience. And so I can no longer say: it was always like this; that’s how my parents did it. Times have changed. – Also, my son must bear in mind that he has young children. If Nannerl5 learns how to sew and stitch mob caps and do other linenwork, if she sees good home cooking and mixes with servants who have a little more style and who don’t set her a bad example, and if she doesn’t always hear stupid and silly things, it’ll be of more use to her than if she’s surrounded by coarse and clumsy peasants and infatuated and foolish mares, all too easily acquiring peasant customs and expressions that she’ll never entirely get rid of. Well, everything will sort itself out: I know the saying. But no, my dearest son, it doesn’t always sort itself out with all children. Not all children are equally intelligent. You, dear son, had a different kind of mother! – The mother of your children was a Polis,6e questo basta! One can’t be careful enough when bringing up children. On this occasion you won’t get a good and capable cook who can also do delicate tasks if she also has to do all the heavy work: – moreover, the more delicate tasks would be neglected, as every peasant girl – of which you have a whole village full – can help to carry wood. The little that you spend you’ll save by virtue of the fact that your daughter will become more skilful: my whole attention was invariably directed at my children’s education and training. First and foremost are good manners and knowledge, enlightened and sound common sense and skill; money and fortune are secondary to these in the eyes of every sensible person. – The first of these remains and cannot be taken away, whereas one can squander or lose or be cheated of the second etc.

  Frau Schörkhofer has just told me that she was mistaken. My son hasn’t dined with this woman’s foster-parents in Schörfling, but the manager of the brewery and his wife, together with their foster-daughter, dined with my son at the abbot’s house in Mondsee on the occasion of some Mass or other, so it was then that she had the honour of meeting my son, whom she found to be such an honest man. Frau Schörkhofer, who’d misunderstood, had to come specially to tell me as the girl doesn’t want the slightest untruth to be told about her. – My son may perhaps be surprised that I’ve gone into such detail in all these matters and filled whole sheets with my scribblings. But, as my daughter knows, that’s the way I am; with me, everything must be clear. – – What I wrote above was not aimed exclusively at this woman, but these are my honest thoughts that are based on experience: and with that – amen!

  Pauernfeind, the postmaster at Stein, is ill; Joseph Barisani7 has been out there since Friday, the 19th, and hasn’t returned yet. – It’s said that there’s not much hope. –

  Have I already told you that Baron Rechberg is going to Strasbourg? But I won’t have told you that Countess Wallis wants me to give keyboard lessons to her little son. It won’t be news to you that I’d now like to be in St Gilgen, shooting wild duck. – The cantor will no doubt have expressed his pleasure at having attended the theatre, seen a comedy, heard some beautiful symphonies and seen 2 plays – a tragedy and a comedy. The new counsellor of the exchequer, Herr Hartmann, should, as I understand it, be preparing to be appointed attorney to the exchequer. He went to Ulm, presumably to collect his wife and children, although I thought I saw him yesterday. Frau von Gerlichs is still in bed; you have to speak to her very loudly, as she can no longer hear very well: little sleep; – little appetite; – many years on her back; – still suffering from a cold––it will be quite something if she recovers; today she told me that she was feeling somewhat better. I should add that Herr von Kleinmayr visits her regularly. –

  I’m quite willing to believe that it looks like Siberia where you are; but that won’t stop me going out in boots whenever possible and at least keeping an eye open for wild duck by the lake. Not a word has been said here about any change at Strasswalchen.8 – Here’s a list of the promotions at court, promotions miraculously passed del petto nel culo and evacuated del culo.9 – As for my travel plans, there’s been talk of going to Munich for the Carnival and then going on to Vienna during the first week of Lent or even sooner: but there are still difficulties about the latter; the former, however, is certain, exceptional adverse circumstances notwithstanding. – The administrator of St John’s Hospital will not be thinking of marriage at present: he’s always sickly; who knows how long he’ll live. – The Kletzls are unlikely to begin before the new year or Christmas, they’re in Sieghartstein. Nannerl the parlourmaid has gone into service with the administrator of the Langenhof. Mitzerl is well. While I was at the opera, a whole host of people asked me to send their best wishes to St Gilgen; the Schiedenhofens, both the Hermes families etc., the chapter syndic, the Mölks, – Racher etc. were all sitting near me. I now kiss my dear son and my dear daughter and all your children with all my heart. Half blind from writing, your old father

  Mozart

  Mozart and Constanze’s second child, Carl Thomas, had been born on 21 September 1784. On 14 December Mozart became a Freemason, joining the lodge ‘Zur Wohltätigkeit’ (‘Beneficence’). His fame as a composer and performer was mounting, as Leopold found out when he visited Vienna early in 1785. Travelling via Munich, and accompanied by his pupil Heinrich Marchand, he arrived on 11 February to stay with Mozart and Constanze, now living in the Grosse Schulerstrasse 846.

  148. Leopold Mozart to his daughter, 16 February 1785, Vienna

  We left Munich at 8 o’clock on the morning of the 7th and drove as far as Altötting and left there between 5 and half past on the morning of the 8th, our luggage was inspected in Braunau, although in the event only the trunk was opened and closed again as the customs officials knew my name, we had lunch at midday and then drove to Ried, by which time it was still only half past 4, so we took a third horse as I’d been told that we’d have difficulty getting through the snow with even 3 horses. It would take far too long to describe the journey at night from Ried to Haag, but, to cut a long story short, we really thought that the carriage would get stuck in the snow and that we’d have to sleep inside it, which would not have been so unpleasant as we were really very warm, but the postilion would have had to have gone off with the horses in search of a remote farmhouse. But, in short, because Heinrich and I had had to get out when the carriage got stuck in a ditch and found ourselves up to our waists in snow, so that the postilion had to pull us out, and because we’d had to drive across fields in search of another route and the horses had been half worked to death, we continued on our journey to Haag, which we reached 4 hours later. We couldn’t leave till 9 the next morning as the peasants first had to clear a part of the road from Haag to Lambach. Shortly after leaving Haag we met 2 gentlemen coming towards us on foot and covered in sweat, they’d had to abandon their carriage and horses and leave them to dig their own way out of the snow. As soon as we came across the first group of peasants clearing snow from the road, we took 2 of them with us to walk alongside the carriage and stop it from running out of control – until we came to another gang of workmen and took another 2, and in this way and after a great deal of effort we finally reached Lambach at half past 1, and at 2 went on, without lunch, to Enns. The next day we travelled on to Perschling and at 1 o’clock on the Friday arrived at no. 846 Schulerstrasse, first floor. It was an appalling journey, what with the snow and ice and potholes, and everywhere there were workmen clearing away the snow.

  That your brother has beautiful, fully furnished rooms you’ll gather from the fact that he’s paying 460 florins in rent. At 6 o’clock t
hat same Friday1 evening we drove to his first subscription concert, which was attended by a great gathering of persons of rank. Everyone pays a gold sovereign or 3 ducats for these Lenten concerts. They’re at the Mehlgrube,2 he pays only half a gold sovereign each time he uses the hall. The concert was incomparable, the orchestra admirable, apart from the symphonies a soprano from the Italian theatre sang 2 arias.3 There was then an admirable new piano concerto4 by Wolfgang on which the copyist was still working when we arrived, your brother didn’t even have time to play through the rondeau as he had to oversee the copying. As you can imagine, I met many acquaintances there, all of whom came over to speak to me: but I was also introduced to some other people. On Saturday evening Herr Joseph Haydn and the 2 Barons Tinti5 came round and the new quartets were played, but only the 3 new ones that he’s written to go with the 3 we already knew,6 they’re a bit easier but admirably composed. Herr Haydn said to me: I say to you before God and as an honest man, your son is the greatest composer known to me in person or by name: he has taste and, what’s more, the greatest knowledge of composition. On Sunday evening the Italian soprano, Signora Laschi, who’s now leaving for Italy, gave a concert at the theatre.7 She sang 2 arias, there was a cello concerto, a tenor and a bass each sang an aria and your brother played a wonderful concerto that he’d written for Mlle Paradies8 in Paris. I was sitting at the back only 2 boxes away from the very beautiful Princess of Württemberg9 and had the pleasure of hearing the interplay between the instruments so clearly that it brought tears of pleasure to my eyes.

  As your brother was leaving, the emperor waved down to him with his hat and shouted bravo Mozart. – He’d already been much applauded when he came out to play. – We weren’t at the theatre yesterday as there’s a concert every day. It’s only now that I’ve started to feel the effects of the cold from the journey. Prior to the concert on Sunday evening I drank some elderflower tea, wrapped myself up very warm and on Monday drank some more tea in bed, remaining there till 10 o’clock, more tea in the afternoon and again this morning: – I was still in bed when I received a visit from the doctor, whom your sister-in-law had secretly summoned, he took my pulse and said it was regular and told me to continue the treatment I’d already started. There’s another concert at the theatre this evening, – your brother will again be playing a concerto. I now feel much better and shall again drink plenty of elderflower tea. I’ll be bringing back various new works by your brother. Little Carl looks just like your brother. He looked very well – but children sometimes have trouble with their teeth, so that he wasn’t very well yesterday – but he’s better again today. I should add that he’s a delightful child, uncommonly friendly, and he laughs as soon as you talk to him: I’ve seen him cry only once, but the very next moment he was laughing again. – He’s now in a lot of pain again with his teeth. – Yesterday, the 15th, there was another concert at the theatre for a young woman10 who sings charmingly, your brother played the new grand concerto in D [minor].11 Magnifique etc. Today we’re going to a concert at the home of the Salzburg agent, Herr von Ployer12 – how would it be if the emperor swapped countries with the elector of Bavaria and if Bavaria were exchanged for the Netherlands?13 The Dutch would keep the Scheldt closed, the Netherlands and the Palatinate would be closer together, just as Bavaria is better annexed to Austria. France wouldn’t then have such a dangerous neighbour in the Netherlands: Holland would remain in between and would be a good neighbour if France needed money etc.: your brother, sister-in-law, Marchand and I kiss you millions of times. I am ever your honest father

  Mozart

  149. Leopold Mozart to his daughter, 12 March 1785, Vienna

  Your letter of 25 Feb. has arrived safely: I hope you’ll be able to get the clavichord out to you as soon as the road allows it. I’m suffering from a slight chill and haven’t yet been able to shake it off. Heinrich’s concert1 was both bad and good: bad because there were so few people there and after taking account of his expenses of more than 115 florins, he was left with only 18 ducats, but good because he played so well that we can hope for something better at a second concert the day after tomorrow, the 14th.2 My son’s sister-in-law, Frau Lange – née Weber – is now back in Munich but left there for Salzburg last night in order to ensure that she becomes better known. She and her husband – both of whom have performed in Munich – are being accompanied on their journey by Fräulein Boudet and her husband3 and will be here during Holy Week, Fräulein Boudet has been engaged at the theatre for a short season, she’s receiving 50 ducats travelling expenses and 25 ducats each time she appears. Herr Lebrun and his wife4 have given 3 amazing concerts: they made 1100 florins at the first, 900 at the 2nd and 500 at the 3rd. Your brother made 559 florins at his concert, which we’d not expected, as he’s got a subscription for 6 concerts at the Mehlgrube for more than 150 people, each of whom is paying 1 sovereign for the 6 concerts: in addition he has, as a favour, often played at other concerts at the theatre. As for the keyboard arrangement of Die Entführung aus dem Serail, all I can say is that a certain Torricella5 is engraving it. But when it says chez Torricella, it actually means your brother: but he’s not quite finished it yet – perhaps only the first act: I’ll make enquiries. 3 sonatas6 have also been published by Torricella, only one of which includes a violin. Enough! I’ll buy everything that’s appeared. – I’ll find out something more definite about the silk, I’ve been told that you can get 16 ells of gros de Tours for 5 lbs of silk ravelling. But I’ll obtain some more reliable information. Quite by chance I stumbled upon old Frau Fischer and her daughter, they were so surprised that they started back in their delight and leapt into the air; I can’t begin to describe their delight, especially when they heard that you were married. – They never thought they’d see me again: so you can imagine the delight of these honest people – they now want to see you, too, before they die as they haven’t seen you since you were little: I spent 2 hours with them etc. etc. It was the same with Kapellmeister Bonno: but Nannerl is married. We never get to bed before 1 and never get up before 9, we eat at 2 or half past. Terrible weather! Every day a concert, always teaching, music, writing etc. Where should I betake myself off to? – – If only the concerts were over! It’s impossible to describe the trouble and the commotion: since I’ve been here, your brother’s fortepiano has been taken to the theatre or some other house at least 12 times. He’s had a large fortepiano pedal made that fits under the instrument and is about 3 spans longer and astonishingly heavy, it’s taken to the Mehlgrube every Friday and has also been taken to Count Zichy’s and Prince Kaunitz’s.7 – Joseph, the youngest son of the younger Prince Kaunitz, has died in Spain, where he was imperial envoy. I must close now as it’s dark and I’m shortly leaving for a concert at the theatre. We all kiss you all a million times with all our hearts. I am ever your honest father

  Mozart

  Tomorrow is the concert for the widows.8 And on Tuesday is the 2nd concert at which Heinrich has been asked to play a concerto. The sonata for 2 pianos9 must be there, in the chest in the hall. The scores must have got out of order.

  On 4 April, Leopold joined the Masonic lodge ‘Zur Wohltätigkeit’; to celebrate the occasion, Mozart composed the Masonic song ‘Die ihr einem neuen Grade’ K468. Father and son went to a meeting of the lodge ‘Zur wahren Eintracht’ on 24 April, at which Mozart’s cantata Die Maurerfreude K471 was performed; the next day, Leopold and Heinrich Marchand left to return to Salzburg. Earlier in the year, Anton Klein (1748–1810), professor of poetry and philosophy at the University of Mannheim, had sent Mozart a copy of his play Kaiser Rudolf von Habsburg in the hope that he might compose an opera based on it.

  150. Mozart to Anton Klein, 21 March 1785, Vienna

  Most Worthy Privy Councillor, –

  It was very wrong of me, I must admit, not to have written to you at once and acknowledged the safe receipt of your letter and the parcel you sent with it; but it’s not true that I have in the meantime received 2 more letters from you; I’d have been
instantly woken from my slumbers by the first of them and replied at once, as I’m doing now. – In the event, your 2 letters arrived together last post-day. – I’ve already admitted that it was wrong of me not to have replied straightaway; – but as far as the opera is concerned, I’d have been able to tell you as little about it then as I can now. – Dear Privy Councillor – ! – My hands are so full that I can scarcely ever find a minute to call my own. – As a man of such great insight and experience, you yourself know better than I that something like this must be read through not once but many times – and read through, moreover, with all possible care and attention. – Until now I’ve not yet had time to read it even once without interruptions. – All I can say at present is that I’d like to hold on to it; I’d be grateful, therefore, if you’d allow me to keep it for a little while longer. – In the event of my deciding that I should like to set it to music, I wonder if I could ask you at this point whether you have a particular place in mind where it could be performed? – In terms of both poetry and music, a work of this kind deserves better than to have been written in vain. – I hope to receive some clarification on this point. – At present, I can give you no more news about the German operatic stage of the future, as things have gone very quiet in this department – apart from the building work on the Kärntnertortheater that has been set aside for this purpose. – It’s supposed to be opened in early October. For my own part, I don’t expect it’ll be very successful. – To judge by the arrangements that have been made so far, I’d say that they were trying to undermine German opera at a time when it may have gone into only temporary decline, rather than help it to its feet again and provide it with proper support.1 – Only my sister-in-law, Frau Lange, has been allowed to join the German singspiel. – Cavalieri, Adamberger and Teyber – all Germans of whom Germany may be proud – have to remain at the Italian theatre – and have to compete with their own fellow-countrymen and women! – – – At present German singers, male and female, can be counted on the fingers of one hand! – And even if there really are any other singers as good as or even better than the ones I’ve mentioned, which I very much doubt, the directors of the local theatre seem to me to be too concerned with balancing their books and too unpatriotic in their thinking to offer large amounts of money to strangers, when they have better – or at least equally good – singers here on the spot who cost them nothing; – the Italian company doesn’t need them – at least as far as numbers are concerned; it’s entirely self-sufficient. – At the German opera the idea at present is to use actors and actresses who can also sing if necessary; – it is supremely unfortunate that the directors of both the theatre and the orchestra have been kept in their posts, as it is they who, through their ignorance and indolence, have done the most to undermine their own work. If there were only a single patriot in charge, it would all take on a different complexion! – But the National Theatre that is just beginning to burst into bud would then perhaps begin to flower, and it would, of course, be to Germany’s everlasting shame if we Germans seriously started to think like Germans – to act like Germans – to speak German – and even to sing in German!!!2 –