In order to defend me against such gossip, my son had to play through the whole opera at the clavier at the home of young Baron van Swieten in the presence of Count Spork, 7 the Duke of Braganza and other people knowledgeable about music. They all expressed their surprise at the behaviour of Affligio and the singers; all were much exercised by this turn of events and declared to a man that such un-Christian, untruthful and malicious behaviour was incomprehensible, that they preferred this opera to many an Italian opera and that instead of encouraging such a heaven-sent talent, a cabal was behind it all, a cabal evidently designed to prevent the innocent boy from achieving the honour and fortune he deserved.
I went to see the impresario to learn the truth of the matter. He said to me: he had never been against performing the opera, but I would surely not hold it against him if he looked to his own interests; some doubts had been expressed to the effect that audiences might not like it; he’d put La Caschina into rehearsal and now intended to do the same with La buona figliuola , 8 but after that he’d perform the boy’s opera; if, contrary to his wishes, it failed to please, he would at least be provided with two other operas. I drew his attention to my already lengthy stay and the fact that I had had to extend it. He replied: Come now! What are 8 days more or less, I’ll then take it in hand at once. And we left it at that. Caratoli’s arias were altered; everything was sorted out with Garibaldi; and the same was true of Poggi and Laschi etc. Each of them assured me repeatedly that they had no objections; everything depended on Affligio. Meanwhile more than a month had passed. The copyist told me that he had received no further instructions to copy out the revised arias; and on hearing at the dress rehearsal of La buona figliuola that Affligio was planning to give another opera, I tackled him myself. In the presence of myself and Coltellini he thereupon ordered the copyist to have everything distributed within two days and gave instructions for the opera to be rehearsed with the orchestra in a fortnight at the latest.
But the poor child’s enemies – whoever they may be – have again prevented this. That very same day the copyist received orders to stop work: and a few days later I discovered that Affligio had decided not to give the boy’s opera in the theatre after all. Wanting to know what was going on, I went to see him and was told that he had called the singers together and they had admitted that although the opera was incomparably well written it was untheatrical and as a result they could not perform it. Such talk was utterly incomprehensible to me. For would the singers really dare, without blushing for shame, to dismiss what they had earlier praised to the skies, a work that they themselves had encouraged the boy to write and that they had commended to Affligio himself? – – I replied to the effect that he could not expect the boy to have taken the trouble to write an opera for nothing. I reminded him of his agreement; I gave him to understand that he had led us by the nose for four months and that as a result we had incurred expenses of more than 160 ducats. I reminded him of the time I had wasted and assured him that I would hold him responsible not only for the 100 ducats that he had agreed with the physician-in-ordinary Laugier but also for all other expenses.
To this reasonable demand of mine he gave an incomprehensible answer that betrayed the embarrassment with which he now sought – I know not how – to rid himself of the whole affair, before leaving me with the most scandalously unkind remarks: if I wanted to see the boy prostituted, he would ensure that the opera was booed and laughed off the stage. Coltellini heard all this. Was this, then, to be the reward that my son was to be offered for the great labour of writing an opera – the manuscript of which runs to 558 pages – and for the waste of time and the expenses we have incurred? – – And ultimately – and it is this that concerns me most – what of my son’s honour and fame now that I no longer dare insist on a performance of the opera, since I have been given to understand plainly enough that no effort will be spared in performing it as wretchedly as possible; and since, furthermore, they are claiming now that the work is unsingable, now that it is untheatrical, now that it does not fit the words, now that he is incapable of writing such music – and all manner of foolish and self-contradictory nonsense, all of which would vanish like smoke to the shame of our envious and perfidious slanderers if, as I most urgently and humbly entreat Your Majesty for my honour’s sake, the musical powers of my child were to be properly examined, so that everyone would then be convinced that the only aim of these people is to stamp on and destroy the happiness of an innocent creature to whom God has granted an extraordinary talent and whom other nations have admired and encouraged, and to do this, moreover, in the capital of his German fatherland.
As a result of Leopold Mozart’s petition, Joseph II ordered an investigation by Spork, but nothing came of it and La finta semplice was not performed. Presumably as a consolation, Wolfgang composed a trumpet concerto (K47c, lost), offertory (K47b, lost) and mass (K139) that were given on 7 December at the dedication of the orphanage church Mariae Geburt in the Rennweg. He also composed the singspiel Bastien und Bastienne K50, but it is not known if it was performed. The family returned to Salzburg on 5 January 1769. The following letter, presumed to have been written at this time, is the first in Wolfgang’s own hand.
18. Mozart to an unknown girl, 1769(?), Salzburg
Dear friend,
Forgive me for taking the liberty of tormenting you with a few lines, but you said yesterday that you can understand everything, no matter what I may jot down in Latin, and so my curiosity has got the better of me and persuaded me to write down sundry Latin words and lines for you: once you’ve read them, please be so kind as to send your answer by one of Hagenauer’s maidservants, as our Nandl1 can’t wait (but you must write me a letter too). Cuperem scire, de qua causa, a quam plurimis adolescentibus otium adeo æstimatur, ut ipsi se nec verbis, nec verberibus, ab hoc sinant abduci 2
Wolfgang Mozart
Its cancellation in Vienna notwithstanding, La finta semplice was performed in Salzburg about the beginning of May and during the summer Wolfgang may have composed some or all of the cassations and serenades K62, 63 and 100 – a performance of at least one of these works was given on 8 August as part of the graduation ceremonies at the Salzburg Benedictine University. Later, in October, he composed and performed the ‘Dominicus’ mass K66 for the celebration of Fr Dominicus Hagenauer’s first mass. Archbishop Schrattenbach appointed the thirteen-year-old Wolfgang third concertmaster in the Salzburg court music establishment; although the position was unpaid, it represented the normal first step towards full, paid employment at court. On 13 December father and son set out for Italy with the purpose of giving Wolfgang the opportunity to win fame and commissions through public concerts in the towns they visited and private performances at the homes of influential noblemen; even in the late eighteenth century, Italy remained the first port of call for aspiring composers and performers. But first came the arduous journey across the Alps.
19. Leopold Mozart to his wife, 14 December 1769, Wörgl
We arrived in Kaitl at 1 o’clock and had some potted veal for lunch accompanied by the most fearful smell; we washed it down with a few draughts of good beer as the wine was no better than a laxative.
It was after seven by the time we reached Lofer; after I’d ordered the meal, we went to visit the prefect, who was very put out that we’d not called on him straightaway. As we’d already ordered our meal at the inn, we had it brought over to the prefect’s house and ate it there, gossiping till 10 o’clock, when we were given a fine room and a good bed there, in the morning I had some chocolate to drink and Wolfg. had some excellent soup. By midday we were in St Johann and arrived this evening in Wörgl, where I’d arranged for us to meet the vicar, Herr Hartmann Kellhammer from Chiemsee. He has just arrived. He sends his good wishes. It’s now 10 o’clock, we have to go to bed as we’ve got to be up at 5 in the morning. I’m told that the roads were very bad, but I slept soundly throughout the journey as I saw that we had a very good driver. There’s an amazing amount of snow her
eabouts, especially between Lofer and St Johann. Keep well and stay cheerful! I’ll write again from Innsbruck.
[ Postscripts added by Mozart, to his mother and sister ]
Dearest Mama,
My heart is bursting with sheer pleasure as I’m enjoying this journey so much, it’s so warm in the carriage and our coachman is a jolly fine fellow who drives so fast whenever the road lets him. Papa will already have given Mama an account of the journey, my reason for writing to Mama is to show that I know my duty and that I am, with the deepest respect, her devoted son
Wolfgang Mozart
[ Next section entirely in Italian ]
My dearest sister,
We’ve arrived safely in Wörgl, thank God, if I must tell the truth, I have to say that travelling is good fun and that it’s not at all cold and that it’s as warm in our carriage as in a room. How’s your sore throat? Didn’t our Signor Seccatore1 turn up on the day we left? If you see Signor Schiedenhofen, 2 tell him that I’m for ever singing:
Tralaliera, Tralaliera, and tell him that it’s not necessary for me to pour sugar in my soup now that I’m no longer in Salzburg. At Lofer we ate and slept at the home of Signor Helmreichen, who’s the prefect there. His wife is a splendid woman, she’s the sister of Signor Moll.3 I’m hungry, I feel a great desire to eat something. Meanwhile, farewell. Addio :
Wolfgang Mozart
PS: My best wishes to all my good friends, to Signor Hagenauer (the merchant), to his wife, to his sons and daughters, to Signora Rosa and her husband, and to Signor Adlgasser and Signor Spitzeder. Ask Signor Hornung4 from me whether he again thought it was me in bed, not you.
From Wörgl, the pair continued on through the mountains to reach Verona on 27 December. On 5 January 1770, Wolfgang gave his first Italian concert, at the Philharmonic Academy of Verona.
20. Leopold Mozart to his wife, 7 January 1770, Verona
I’m very sorry not to have received your first letter. It must still be lying at the post office in Bozen.1 I’ll make enquiries: it will have gone there from Innsbruck. Let me say straightaway that we’re all well, thank God. You’d be doing me a great favour by letting me know how many letters you’ve received from me: I sent you one from Wörgl, one by the hired coachman, one by post from Innsbruck and one from Bozen. I must start by asking you to give Herr Ranftl my best wishes and telling him that we were given a warm welcome by Herr Stockhammer and most lavishly entertained. I also met my old acquaintance Herr Stickler there. Please give my best wishes to Herr Kerschbaumer, too, and tell him that Herr Senblrock received us most courteously and also gave us a letter of recommendation to take with us to Bologna. We spent only a day and a half in Bozen. We’d only just arrived in Rovereto when we received a visit from a certain Cristani, who took the woman’s part in the play Cato’s Child at the Collegio Rupertino and who invited us to have lunch with him and his brother the next day. And who was this brother?––The very same Nicolò Cristani who stayed with the Master of the Pageboys and consistorial councillor Johann Andreas Cristani and whom I taught to play the violin; he’s now the most important person in Rovereto and the whole district, namely, the country lieutenant, representing Her Majesty the Empress. I expect you’ll still remember him, he stayed with the pageboys. As soon as we arrived, he said how much Wolfg. resembles you, he remembers just what you look like. And who else did we find there? – – Signor Comte Settimo Lodron, 2 consistorial councillor Cristani, a certain Pilati, Festi etc.: the first 2 of them had driven over from Villa Lagarina on Count Lodron’s3 estates, for the news that we were coming had already reached Rovereto from Innsbruck. You can easily imagine how pleased we were to see each other again after 19, 20 and more years and that it was a most enjoyable lunch. While we were at table, Herr Cosmi’s valet arrived and invited us to lunch the next day. It was another delightful occasion, all the more so in that as a widower Herr Cosmi was engaged to a respectable young lady whom he married a few days after we’d left. His mother and 3 sisters were also there. If we’d remained in Rovereto any longer, we’d have had to stay with them; and if ever we return, we are to lodge with them. Baron Pizzini and Count Lodron, to whom we were recommended by His Excellency the Marshal of the Prince’s Household, honoured us with all manner of civilities. The nobility organized a concert at the home of Baron Todeschi.4 And who was this Baron Todeschi? – – The same gentleman whom Herr Giovanni once brought to us in Vienna to hear Wolfg. play. Perhaps you still remember him. I don’t need to say what a credit to us all Wolfg. has been. In the afternoon of the following day we went to see the organ in the main church; and although only 6 or 8 leading persons knew we were coming, we found the whole of Rovereto assembled in the church and some strong fellows had to go ahead and make way for us to the choir, where it then took us another five to ten minutes to get to the organ as everyone wanted to get close to us. We spent 4 days in Rovereto. It’s not a large town and was once very run-down, but thanks to the hard work of its inhabitants it has become increasingly fashionable for as long as people can remember, with most of the population earning their living by growing wine and trading in silk. There are now many well-to-do houses here, and the people are very polite towards strangers.
In Verona there is an opera every day and so it took the nobility a week to organize a concert or academy, to which we were invited. The cavalieri to whom we were given letters of recommendation are il Marchese Carlotti, il Conte Carlo Emilei, il Marchese Spolverini, il Marchese Donisi dei SS Fermo e Rustico al Ponte, Il Sigr. Conte Giusti del Giardino and il Sig. Conte Allegri. We have a standing invitation to visit Marchese Carlotti, also from Herr Locatelli. We’ve dined twice with Marchese Carlotti, and also with Conte Carlo Emilei. On 2 occasions we were with Conte Giusti, who has a beautiful garden and an art gallery. You’ll perhaps find them in Keyssler’s accounts of his travels.5 Then, yesterday, we dined with Herr Locatelli, while today there was utter confusion, which I must tell you about in more detail. We were invited to visit a certain honest individual by the name of Herr Ragazzoni.6 The receiver general of Venice, Signor Lugiati had asked the cavalieri to obtain my permission for Wolfg. to have his portrait painted;7 this took place yesterday morning, and he was to have a second sitting today after church. We were also intended to dine there. Signor Lugiati went in person to see Herr Ragazzoni to ask him to leave us to him, and the latter had to agree to this, albeit most reluctantly, as Lugiati is very powerful in Venice. And so we were to go to Herr Lugiati’s house this morning after church and sit for the painter again before lunch. But then an even more powerful or greater man appeared, namely the Bishop of Verona, from the house of Giustiniani, who sent word through Herr Locatelli that he not only wanted us to call on him after church but also to have lunch with him. But when he heard that Wolfg.’s portrait was currently being painted and that we wanted to leave, he agreed to our having lunch with Herr Lugiati but still kept us until after 1 o’clock. The painter then got on with Wolfg.’s portrait and it wasn’t until 3 o’clock that we sat down to eat. After lunch we drove to St Thomas’s in order to play on the church’s 2 organs; and although we decided to do this only over lunch and only a few tickets had been sent to Marchese Carlotti and Count Pindemonte, there was such a crowd inside the church when we arrived that there was hardly enough room for us to get out of the coach. The crush was so great that we were forced to go through the monastery, where so many people rushed up to us that we wouldn’t have found any space at all if the fathers who were waiting for us at the monastery gates hadn’t taken us into their midst. Once it was over, the noise was even greater as everyone wanted to see the little organist. As soon as we were in the carriage, I asked to be driven home, where I locked the door and began to write this letter: I had to tear myself away, otherwise we wouldn’t have been left in peace long enough to write a letter. Tomorrow we’re going to see the amphitheatre and other rare sights with Herr Locatelli, we’ll then dine with him and afterwards pay our farewell visits, the day after tomorrow we’ll pack and on Wed
nesday evening, with God’s help, we’ll travel on to Mantua, which, although it’s near, is a short winter day’s journey away on account of the muddy road. Have you received no letters from Herr Lotter reporting the safe arrival of the money? – – Has Herr Breitkopf not written from Leipzig to say that he’s received the 100 books? – – Have the books been sent to Vienna, and has Herr Gräffer reported their arrival? 8 – – You must drop me a couple of lines to report on all these matters. – Did you have nice weather – not too cold – in Salzb. during the Christmas holidays? – – It’s been very cold here for nearly a week. And just imagine, everywhere we dined, there were neither hearths nor stoves in the dining rooms. Your hands get terribly black and blue and red. I’d rather eat in a cellar. More on this – the greatest cross we have to bear – another time. Perhaps you could write and let me know how to make the hand paste, perhaps we’ll be needing it. In the meantime, bundle up 12 copies of the Violinschule and send them to Joseph Wolff’s bookshop in Innsbruck. Unless I’m much mistaken, the man who runs the shop in Innsbruck is called Felicius or Felicianus Fischer. They’ll tell you at Mayr’s bookshop.9 You don’t need to enclose anything more than a brief note, perhaps along the lines of: Here are 12 copies of the Violinschule that my husband has instructed me to send you from Verona. As agreed, you may retain them on commission and sell them at 2 f 15 kr (Tirolean currency) each, crediting my husband with 1 f 45 kr (in the same currency) for each copy sold: please would you advertise them in the newspaper and charge the cost to my husband. I’ve no more paper. Farewell. I’m your old
Mozart: A Life in Letters: A Life in Letters Page 12
