Mozart: A Life in Letters: A Life in Letters (63 page)

When your Grace was so gracious yesterday as to invite me to lunch tomorrow, Sunday, it did not occur to me that a week ago I had already agreed to have lunch that same day in the Augarten.
¹
–

Martin,
²
the little angel, thinks he’s under an obligation to me for several things and absolutely insists on treating me to a collation; – I thought yesterday that it might still be possible to bring about an accommodation and that by dint of some reorganization I might still be able to rearrange the matter in accordance with my own wishes; but this wasn’t possible as the little angel had already ordered and arranged everything and would therefore have been put to great expense for nothing; – as a result and in consequence of this, I beg your Ladyship’s dispensation on this occasion, and with your Ladyship’s approbation we shall both have the honour of offering you our salutations and congratulations next Tuesday and giving
Fräulein von Auernhammer an enema if she insists on one of her presentations.
³
– But, joking apart, I don’t want the concerto that I played at the theatre
⁴
to go for less than 6 ducats, conversely I don’t mind paying for the copying. – As for the beautiful red coat that tickles my fancy so dreadfully, I’d be grateful if you could let me know
where I can get it
and
how much it costs
, as I’ve forgotten – I was so taken by its beauty that I didn’t notice the price. – I really have to have a coat like that, as it’s worth it just for the buttons that I’ve been hankering after for some time; – I saw them once, when I was choosing some buttons for a suit at Brandau’s button factory opposite the Café Milani on the Kohlmarkt. – They’re mother-of-pearl with some white stones round the edge and a beautiful yellow stone in the centre. – I’d like to have everything that’s good, genuine and beautiful! – But why is it that those who are not in a position to do so want to spend all their money on such things, whereas those who
are
in a position to do so do not do so? – Well, I think it’s long past the time when I should have put an end to this scribbling, – I kiss your hands, and hoping to see you in good health the Tuesday I am your most humble servant
⁵

Mozart

Constanze, my other half, kisses your Ladyship’s hands 1000 times and gives Fräulein Auernhammer a kiss, but I’m not supposed to know about this, otherwise it’ll give me the creeps.

For the next six months, Mozart worked hard to establish himself as a
composer and performer in Vienna.
Die Entführung aus dem Serail
was
performed on 8 October in the presence of Grand Duke Paul of Russia and on 3 November Mozart played at a concert given by Josepha von Auernhammer. In December Wolfgang and Constanze moved from her mother’s house to the Hohen Brücke 412 (now Wipplingerstrasse 14) and that same month he played twice for Countess Thun. At the end of the year he completed the first of the quartets eventually dedicated to Joseph Haydn, K387
.

Most Esteemed Baroness,

I find myself in a pretty pickle!

Herr von Trattner
¹
and I recently agreed that we needed a 2-week extension; – as every businessman does this, assuming he’s not the most disobliging man in the world, I was completely relaxed about the matter and hoped that by then, even if I wasn’t in a position to repay the sum myself, I’d have been able to borrow it! – – Well, Herr von Trattner now tells me that the man in question absolutely refuses to wait and that if I don’t pay him between today and tomorrow, he’ll institute
legal proceedings
against me; – your Ladyship can well imagine what an unpleasant blow this would be for me! – I can’t pay at present – not even half! – If I could have foreseen that I’d make such slow progress with the subscription of my concertos,
²

your Ladyship’s

most obedient children

W. A. & C. Mozart

Mon très cher Pè;re
,

I hope you haven’t been worried but that you guessed the reason for my silence, which is that I couldn’t be sure how long you’d remain in Munich, with the result that I didn’t know where to write to and therefore waited until now, when I could be certain that my letter would find you in Salzburg. – My sister-in-law, Fräulein Lange, gave a concert yesterday at the theatre and I played a concerto.
¹
– The theatre was very full; and I was again received by the local public in so gratifying a manner that I have every reason to feel pleased. – I’d already left but they wouldn’t stop clapping – so I had to repeat the rondo; – there was a veritable torrent of applause. – This is a good advertisement for my own concert, which I’m giving on Sunday 23 March.
²
– I’ve also included my symphony from the Concert Spirituel.
³
– My sister-in-law sang the aria ‘
Non so d’onde viene
’
⁴
–
Gluck
had the box next to the Langes, where my wife was sitting. – He couldn’t find words enough to praise both the symphony and the aria and has
invited all four of us to lunch next Sunday. – It may well be that the German opera will continue, but no one knows about it:
⁵
–

What’s certain is that Fischer
⁶
is going to Paris in 8 days’ time. As for Ramm’s oboe concerto,
⁷
I’d very much like to have it, and very soon; – at the same time you could send me some other things, such as my masses in full score – my 2 Vespers
⁸
in full score – this is just so that Baron van Swieten can hear them. – He sings treble, I sing alto – and play at the same time – Starzer tenor – and young Teyber
⁹
from Italy bass. – In the meantime, I’d like
Haydn’s Tres sunt
until such time as you can send me something else of his; – I’d very much like them to hear his ‘Lauda Sion’. – The
Tres sunt
must exist in full score in a copy in
my own hand
. – The fugue ‘In te Domine speravi’ has been universally applauded, as have the
Ave Maria
and
Tenebrae
¹⁰
etc. – Please enliven our Sunday music practices with something
soon
.
¹¹
– On Carnival Monday our company of masqueraders performed at the ball – It consisted of a pantomime that filled the half hour when there was no dancing. – My sister-in-law was Columbine, I was Harlequin, my brother-in-law Pierrot, an old dancing master –
Merk
– Pantaloon. A painter (Grassi)
¹²
the Dottore. –

The plot of the pantomime and the music were both mine.
¹³
– The dancing master Merk was kind enough to direct us, and although I say it myself, we gave a really fine performance. – Enclosed is a copy of the programme, which a masquerader, dressed as a local postman, handed out to the other masqueraders. – The verses, though only doggerel, could have been better; they weren’t by me. – Müller the actor
¹⁴
cobbled them together. – I must close now as I have to go to a concert at Count Esterha´zy’s.
¹⁵
Farewell for now – please don’t forget the music. – My wife and I kiss your hands 1000 times and embrace our dear sister with all our hearts. I am ever your most obedient son

W. A. and C. Mozart

Mozart’s grand academy at the Burgtheater on 23 March consisted entirely of his own compositions: he performed the concertante movements from the serenade K320, a revised version of the ‘Haffner’ symphony K385, the piano concerto K175 with the newly composed finale K382, the piano concerto K415, and an improvisation on themes by Paisiello and Gluck (K398 and 455) as well as a fugue; Anton Teyber’s sister Therese sang Giunia’s aria ‘Parto, m’affretto’ from
Lucio Silla,
Aloysia Lange sang Ilia’s aria ‘Se il padre perdei’ from
Idomeneo
as well as the recitative and rondo
Mia speranza adorata – Ah, non sai qual pena
K416, and Valentin Adamberger sang the scena
Misera, dove son! – Ah! Non son io che parlo
K369. In April, Mozart and Constanze, who was pregnant with their first child, took rooms on the Judenplatz 244.

I received your latest letter of the 8th inst. this morning and see you’ve received everything from Herr von Daubrawaick. – I’m sorry to say that the mail coach doesn’t leave again for another week so I can’t send you the 2 copies of my sonatas
¹
until then. –

At the same time I’ll send you the ornamented voice part for the aria ‘
Non sò d’onde viene
’ etc. – If you’re planning to send me anything, please include the rondeau for alto voice that I wrote for the castrato with the Italian troupe in Salzburg and the rondeau that I wrote for Ceccarelli in
Vienna
;
²
– when it gets warmer, please look in the attic and send us some of your church music; – you really have no need to be ashamed of it. – Baron van Swieten and Starzer know as well as you and I that taste is continually changing and that this unfortunately extends even to church music, although it shouldn’t do – but that’s why true church music is now found in attics and virtually eaten by worms. – If, as I hope, I come to Salzburg in July with my wife, I’d like to discuss this point with you in greater detail. – When Herr von Daubrawaick left, my wife could hardly be held back, so insistent was she on following me. – She thought we could get to Salzburg before Daubrawaick; – and if it hadn’t been for the very short time that we could have stayed – what am I saying? – she might even have had to be confined in Salzburg! – And so – because it was impossible, our most ardent wish to embrace you, my beloved father, and my sister would already have come true; – as far as my wife is concerned, I’d have had no misgivings about such a short trip. – She’s in such good health and has put on so much weight that all women should thank God if they are so fortunate during their pregnancy. And so, as soon as my wife is able to travel after her confinement, there’ll be no keeping us from coming to Salzburg at once. –

You’ll have seen from my last letter that I had to play at another concert, namely, that of Mlle Teyber.
³
– The emperor was there too.– I played the first concerto from my concert
⁴
– they wanted me to repeat the rondo – so I sat down again – but instead of repeating the rondo, I had the desk removed and played on my own. – You should have heard how delighted the audience was at this little surprise – they didn’t just clap but they also shouted
bravo
and
bravissimo
. – The emperor too stayed till the end – and as soon as I left the piano, he left his box. – So he was interested only in hearing me. –

If possible, could I also ask you to send me a
report
on my concert.
⁵
– I’m genuinely pleased that the little I was able to send you came in handy. – There’s so much I could still tell you but I’m afraid the post will ride off without me, it’s already a quarter to 8. – In the meantime farewell. My dear little wife and I kiss your hands 1000 times and embrace our dear sister with all our hearts. We are ever your most obedient children

W. C. Mozart

Best wishes to the whole of Salzburg.
Adieu.

Monsieur,

It’s 2 years now since I’ve been living in Vienna; – you’ll presumably know of my pianoforte sonatas
²
with violin accompaniment which I’ve had engraved here by Artaria & Co.; – but I’m not entirely happy with local engraving methods and even if I were, I’d still like my fellow countrymen in Paris to have something of mine, and so I’m now writing to inform you that I have completed 3 keyboard concertos
³
that can be performed with full orchestra or with oboes and horns – and also merely
ò quatro
; – Artaria wants to engrave them. But I’d like you, my good friend, to have first refusal; – and in order to avoid any unnecessary delays, I’ll tell you the lowest price that I’ll accept; – if you’ll give me 30 louis d’or for them, I’ll consider the matter settled. – I’m also working on 6 quartets for 2 violins, viola and bass
⁴
– if you want to engrave these, too, I’ll give them to you as well. – But I can’t let these go as cheaply – I can’t let you have these 6 quartets for under 50 louis d’or; – and so, if you’re able and willing to do business with me, I would ask you only to reply and I shall send you an address in Paris where you will receive my works in return for your payment.
⁵
– Meanwhile I remain your most obedient servant

Wolfgang Amadè Mozart

Mon très cher Pèr;e,

Praise and thanks be to God, I’m fully recovered! – But my illness has left me with a cold as a souvenir, which was very nice of it, I’m sure! – I’ve received my dear sister’s letter. My wife’s name day is neither in May nor March but on 16 February and is not to be found in any diary. – But my wife thanks both of you most cordially for your kind good wishes which are appropriate even without her name day. – She wanted to write to my sister herself, but in her present condition one should not hold it against her if she’s a little
commode
or if – in German – she’s taking it easy. – According to the midwife’s examination, she should have been brought to bed on the 4th of this month – but I don’t think anything will happen before the 15th or 16th. – She’d like it to be sooner rather than later, especially as she would then have the pleasure of embracing you and my dear sister all the sooner in Salzburg. – As I didn’t think that the matter would take so serious a turn so quickly, I’ve kept delaying going down on my knees, clasping my hands together and begging you most humbly, my dearest father, to be godfather! – But as there is still time, I am doing so now. – Meanwhile – in the confident hope that you’ll not refuse me my request and now that the midwife has undertaken the
visum repertum
– I’ve already seen to it that someone presents the child in your name, whether it be
generis masculini
or
faeminini
!
¹
–It will be called Leopold or Leopoldine. – I must now say a few words to my sister about Clementi’s sonatas;
²
– that they have no value as compositions will be felt by everyone who plays or hears them; – they contain no remarkable or striking passages except those in 6ths and octaves – and I would ask my sister not to waste
too much
time on these otherwise she’ll spoil her relaxed and even touch and her hand will lose its natural lightness, flexibility and fluency at speed. –
For what do you end up with? – Even if she plays the 6th and octaves with the utmost velocity – something that no one can do, not even Clementi himself – all she’ll produce is a frightful chopping sound and nothing more! – Clementi is a
ciarlatano
³
like all Italians. – He writes presto or even prestissimo and alla breve over a sonata – and still plays it as an allegro in 4/4 time; – I know, because I’ve heard him. – What he does really well are his passages in 3rds; – but he sweated over them day and night in London; – but apart from this, there’s nothing he can do – absolutely nothing – he doesn’t have the least idea how to perform a piece, he’s no taste, still less does he have feeling. –