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| committer | nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org> | 2025-01-25 02:52:06 -0800 |
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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..87e3475 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #69304 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/69304) diff --git a/old/69304-0.txt b/old/69304-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index e121302..0000000 --- a/old/69304-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1755 +0,0 @@ -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 69304 *** -[Frontispiece: MOZART AS A YOUNG MAN. (_From a print by Schwërer._)] - - - - - Bell's Miniature Series of Musicians - - - - - MOZART - - - BY - - EBENEZER PROUT, B.A., Mus.D. - - PROFESSOR OF MUSIC, DUBLIN UNIVERSITY - - - - LONDON - GEORGE BELL & SONS - 1905 - - - - - First Published, November, 1903. - Reprinted, 1905. - - - - -TABLE OF CONTENTS - - -SOME BOOKS ABOUT MOZART - -THE CHILD (1756-1768) - -THE YOUTH (1769-1778) - -THE MAN (1779-1791) - -HIS ART--AN APPRECIATION - -LIST OF WORKS BY MOZART - - - - -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS - - -MOZART AS A YOUNG MAN ... _Frontispiece_ - (_From a print by Schwërer._) - -MOZART AT THE AGE OF SEVEN - (_From a scarce French print._) - -MOZART WITH HIS FATHER AND SISTER - (_From a rare print._) - -THE MOZART FAMILY - (_From the painting by Van de la Croce,_ - 1780, _in the Mozart Museum._) - -MOZART IN 1791 - (_From an original at Salzburg._) - -PART OF THE SCORE OF THE "DE PROFUNDIS" - -MOZART, BY JÄGER - - - - -SOME BOOKS ABOUT MOZART - - -Among the more important biographical and critical works on Mozart -are the following: - -NISSEN, G. N. VON. "Biographie W. A. Mozart's." Leipzig. 1828. - -HOLMES, EDWARD. "Life of Mozart, including - His Correspondence." London. 1845. - Second Edition, edited by the writer of this book. 1878. - -JAHN, OTTO. "W. A. Mozart." First Edition, - 4 vols. Leipzig. 1856-59. Second Edition, - 2 vols. 1867. English translation, 3 vols. - London. 1882. - -KÖCHEL, DR. LUDWIG RITTER VON. "Chronologisch-thematisches - Verzeichniss sämmtlicher Tonwerke Wolfgang Amade - Mozart's." Leipzig. 1862. - -POHL, C. F. "Mozart und Haydn in London." Vienna. 1867. - -NOHL, LUDWIG. "Mozart nach den Schilderungen seiner - Zeitgenossen." Leipzig. 1880. - - -The article on Mozart by C. F. Pohl in the second volume of Grove's -"Dictionary of Music and Musicians" is also well deserving of study, -being, in fact, an epitome of Jahn's great work. - - - - -LIFE OF MOZART - -THE CHILD (1756-1768) - -Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born at Salzburg on January 27, 1756. -His full name, as given in the church register, was "Joannes -Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus"; his father used the German -equivalent "Gottlieb" of this last name, and the composer himself -subsequently adopted the Latinized form "Amadeus." - -His family had long been settled in Augsburg, where Wolfgang's -father, Leopold Mozart, was born on November 14, 1719. With the -object of studying jurisprudence, Leopold entered the university of -Salzburg, supporting himself by teaching music and playing the -violin. He was a musician of considerable attainments, and in 1743 -the Archbishop of Salzburg took him into his service, later -appointing him Court composer and leader of the orchestra. He was a -voluminous composer, but his works show little inventive power. His -fame as a musician rests chiefly on his "School for the Violin," -printed in 1756--the year of Wolfgang's birth. This work, from which -Otto Jahn in his great monograph on Mozart gives several extracts, -was for many years the only work published in Germany on the subject, -and was held in great esteem not only for the thoroughness of its -instructions, but for the excellence of its style. - -In 1747 Leopold Mozart married Anna Maria Pertlin (or Bertlin), by -whom he had seven children, only two of whom survived infancy. The -elder of these two was a daughter, Maria Anna, born July 30, 1751; -the younger was the subject of the present volume. - -[Illustration: MOZART AT THE AGE OF SEVEN. (_From a scarce French -print._)] - -Like her illustrious brother, Maria Anna (generally spoken of in the -family by the pet name of "Nannerl") very early showed great aptitude -for music. At the age of seven her father began to give her lessons -on the clavier, on which she made remarkable progress. It was during -these lessons that Wolfgang's wonderful musical genius first showed -itself. Though the child was then only between three and four years -of age, he took the greatest interest in what his sister was doing, -and would amuse himself with picking out thirds on the clavier. When -he was four his father, more in joke than otherwise, began to teach -him little pieces, which he learned with astonishing ease. For a -short piece he required only half an hour, for longer pieces an hour, -after which he could play them with perfect correctness. What is -even more astonishing is that before he was five years of age he -began to compose and play little pieces which his father wrote down. -Some of these juvenile efforts have been preserved, and show that -while the young musician had not at that time acquired any -individuality of style, he had an instinctive feeling for clearness -of form, while his harmony shows a correctness which is absolutely -amazing in so young a child. - -J. A. Schachtner, Court trumpeter at Salzburg, an intimate friend of -the family, has preserved some reminiscences of the child's early -years in a letter which he wrote to the composer's sister soon after -Mozart's death. In this letter Schachtner relates how, on returning -from church one day with Leopold Mozart, they found little Wolfgang, -then four years old, hard at work writing: - - -"Papa. What are you writing? - -"Wolfgang. A piano concerto; the first part is nearly finished. - -"Papa. Let me see it. - -"Wolfgang. It is not ready yet. - -"Papa. Let me see it; it must be something pretty. - -"His father took it, and showed me a daub of notes, mostly written -over blots that had been wiped out. (N.B.--Little Wolfgang in his -ignorance had dipped his pen every time to the bottom of the -inkstand, and so made a blot each time he put it on the paper; this -he wiped out with his flat hand, and went on writing.) We laughed at -first over this apparent nonsense; but the papa then began to notice -the principal thing, the composition. He remained motionless for a -long while, looking at the page; at last two tears--tears of -admiration and joy--fell from his eyes. 'Look, Herr Schachtner,' -said he, 'how correctly and regularly it is all arranged, only it -cannot be used because it is so extraordinarily difficult that nobody -can play it.' Little Wolfgang broke in: 'That is why it is a -concerto; it must be practised till one gets it right. Look, this is -how it must go!' He played it, but could only just make enough out -of it to show us what he meant.' - -* * * * * - -"Soon after they returned from Vienna, and Wolfgang brought with him -a little fiddle that had been presented to him. The late Herr -Wentzl, an excellent violinist, who also did a little in composition, -brought six trios with him which he had written during your father's -absence, and asked his opinion on them. We played the trios, your -father taking the bass part on the viola, Wentzl the first violin, -and I was to play the second. Wolfgang begged that he might play the -second, but his father refused the foolish request, as he had not had -the slightest instruction on the violin, and the father thought he -was not in the least able to do it. Wolfgang said: 'To play a second -violin one need not have learned!' When his father insisted on his -going away and not disturbing us any further, he began to cry -bitterly, and rushed out of the room with his fiddle. I begged them -to let him play with me. At last papa said: 'Well, play with Herr -Schachtner; but so quietly that nobody hears you, else you must go.' -So Wolfgang played with me. I soon noticed with astonishment that I -was quite superfluous. I quietly put down my violin and looked at -your father, down whose cheeks tears of admiration and happiness were -rolling, and so we played all six trios. When we had finished -Wolfgang grew so bold with our applause that he declared he could -play the first violin part too. We tried it for a joke, and nearly -died of laughing when he played this part also, though with quite -incorrect and irregular fingering, yet so that he never stuck fast." - - -In January, 1762, Leopold Mozart took his children to Munich, where -they played before the Elector. Their visit lasted three weeks, and -was so successful that in September of the same year they started for -Vienna. They travelled leisurely, staying five days at Passau at the -request of the Bishop, and giving a concert at Linz under the -patronage of the Governor-General of the Province, Count Schlick. -The astonishment and delight at the performances of the two children -were unbounded. On arriving at Vienna, they received a command to -visit the Emperor at Schönbrunn. Both he and the Empress were good -musicians, and many incidents are related by Mozart's biographers -showing not only the interest taken in the youthful prodigy, but also -the tests of ability to which the Emperor submitted him. It was, of -course, only natural that the example set by royalty should be -followed by members of the Court, and the Mozarts were invited by all -the nobility of Vienna. Their visit must have been a source of -considerable profit, as many valuable presents were made them. Their -success was interrupted for a time, from Wolfgang being attacked by -scarlet fever; happily, the attack was not very severe, though -sufficient to confine him to the house for a month. The family -returned to Salzburg early in January, 1763. - -Encouraged by the success of his first venture, Leopold Mozart -resolved on a much longer tour, and on June 9, 1763, he, with his -wife and the two children, left home for Paris. At Wasserburg their -carriage broke down, and a day's delay was caused while it was being -repaired. Leopold Mozart writes to his friend Hagenauer: - - -"The latest thing is that, to amuse ourselves, we went to the organ, -and I explained the pedals to Wolferl, whereupon he at once, _stante -pede_, began to try them. Pushing back the stool and standing, he -preluded, stepping about on the pedals just as if he had practised -for many months. All were amazed; it is a new gift of God, which -many only attain after much trouble." - - -After passing through Munich, Augsburg, Mainz, Frankfort, Cologne, -and Brussels, giving many concerts by the way, they reached Paris on -November 18, where they were the guests of the Bavarian Ambassador, -Count von Eyck, whose wife was the daughter of an official at -Salzburg. By means of introductions which he had brought with him, -Leopold Mozart soon obtained permission for his children to play at -Court, where the King's daughters showed themselves extremely -friendly to them. The father in one of his letters tells how they -went on New Year's Day to the supper-room of the royal family, and -how Wolfgang stood near the Queen, who fed him with sweetmeats and -talked to him in German, interpreting his answers to the King, who -did not understand the language. Every where the child's -performances excited the greatest wonder and admiration. Not only -would he play anything set before him at first sight, but he would -transpose or accompany from a full score; his improvisations are also -spoken of as remarkable, not only for their melodic interest but for -their harmony. - -[Illustration: MOZART WITH HIS FATHER AND SISTER. (_From a rare -print._)] - -It was while he was in Paris that his father had his first -compositions printed for him. These were four sonatas for piano and -violin, published in two sets, the first of which was dedicated to -the Princess Victoria, the second daughter of the King, and the -second to the Comtesse de Tesse, lady-in-waiting to the Dauphiness. -It is not too much to say that these four sonatas are the most -remarkable examples in existence of precocious musical genius. It is -not so much that they show great originality in their subject-matter, -though in the slow movements, especially in that of the fourth -sonata, foreshadowings of the riper Mozart may be seen; it is the -wonderful command of form, the feeling for rhythm and for balance in -the different parts of a movement which excite astonishment. The -harmony, too, is for the most part absolutely correct, though in one -place--in the minuet of the fourth sonata--consecutive fifths are to -be seen. Leopold Mozart had corrected them in the proofs, but the -correction had not been made before printing, and the father consoled -himself with the reflection that they would serve as a proof that the -boy had really composed the sonatas himself, which people might -otherwise have been not unnaturally inclined to doubt. - -In April, 1764, the Mozarts left Paris and came to London. George -III. and Queen Charlotte were both extremely fond of music, and the -success the children had met with in Paris was even surpassed at the -English Court. Wolfgang played at first sight pieces by Wagenseil, -Bach, Abel, and Handel, which the King placed before him; he -accompanied the Queen in a song and a flutist in a solo; finally, he -took a bass part of one of Handel's songs, and extemporized a -beautiful melody above it. His father wrote of him at this time: "It -surpasses all conception. What he knew when we left Salzburg is a -mere shadow to what he knows now. My girl, though only twelve, is -one of the cleverest players in Europe; and the mighty Wolfgang, to -put it briefly, knows all, in this his eighth year, that one could -ask from a man of forty. In short, anyone who does not see and hear -it cannot believe it. You all in Salzburg know nothing about it, for -the matter is quite different now." - -On June 5 Leopold Mozart gave a concert to introduce his children to -a London public. The result was a great success, and he, in his own -words, "was frightened at taking one hundred guineas in three hours." -Subsequently Wolfgang played the piano and organ at a concert given -at Ranelagh Gardens for a charitable object. In August Leopold -Mozart was attacked by a dangerous inflammation of the throat, which -confined him to the house for seven weeks, during which time no music -was heard. Wolfgang utilized the occasion by writing his first -symphony for orchestra, and his sister afterwards told how, when she -was sitting at his side, he said to her: "Remind me to give the horns -something good." Like the first sonatas already spoken of, the first -symphony, though not remarkable for its themes, shows the wonderful -knowledge of instrumental forms that the child had almost intuitively -acquired. - -After the father's recovery the family were again invited to Court on -October 29 for the festivities on the fourth anniversary of the -King's coronation. In recognition of the royal favour, Leopold -Mozart had six sonatas by Wolfgang for piano and violin engraved at -his own expense. They were dedicated to the Queen, who rewarded the -composer with a present of fifty guineas. These sonatas, though -concise in form and bearing marks of immaturity, already show a -perceptible advance on those printed a year earlier in Paris. - -It was in London, at the Italian Opera, that the young composer first -had the opportunity of hearing great singers. Chief among these were -the male soprani, Manzuoli and Tenducci, the former of whom gave him -lessons in singing. How he profited by them we learn from his friend -Grimm, who, hearing him in Paris on his return there in the following -year, writes that he sang with as much feeling as taste. With so -impressionable a nature as his, it can scarcely be doubted that these -early lessons contributed not a little to the formation of that pure -style of vocal writing so characteristic of his music for the theatre -and the church. - -Finding that, when the novelty had worn off, the performances of his -children no longer attracted the same attention as before, the -Mozarts left London on July 24, 1765, on a visit to the Hague, as the -Princess von Weilburg, sister of the Prince of Orange, was very -anxious to see the boy. They were most graciously received, but had -not been long at the Hague when Marianne was taken so dangerously ill -that her life was despaired of, and extreme unction was administered. -Scarcely was she recovered when Wolfgang was seized with a violent -fever, which confined him to his bed for several weeks. Even during -this illness his ruling passion showed itself. He would have a board -laid upon his bed on which he could write, and even when he was -weakest it was difficult to restrain him from writing and playing. - -In January, 1766, two concerts were given in Amsterdam, the -programmes of which consisted entirely of Wolfgang's instrumental -compositions. Two months later they returned to the Hague to be -present at the festivities of the coming of age of the Prince of -Orange. Here Wolfgang, at the desire of the Princess of Weilburg, -wrote six more sonatas for piano and violin, besides several smaller -pieces for her. - -We must pass briefly over the remainder of this long tour. Passing -through Mechlin, they returned to Paris, thence by Dijon and Lyons to -Switzerland, where they stayed some time. It was not till the end of -November, 1766, that, after an absence of nearly three years and a -half, the family found themselves once more at home at Salzburg. - -It has been advisable to give in considerable detail the particulars -of Mozart's earliest years because the precocious development of his -genius is absolutely without a parallel in the case of any other -composer. The limits of the present volume will render it needful to -be somewhat more concise in dealing with the rest of the biography. -It is characteristic of the young Wolfgang that his simple nature -does not appear to have been in the least spoiled by successes which -were enough to have turned the head of an adult. Jahn tells us that -he would ride round the room on his father's stick, or jump up from -the piano in the middle of his extemporizing to go and play with a -favourite cat. Doubtless the judicious training he received from his -good and wise father furnishes the explanation of this estimable -trait in his character. - -For nearly a year the family remained at home, Wolfgang working hard -both at playing and composing. The chief works belonging to this -period, on none of which it is necessary to dwell, are the first four -concertos for the piano, a small sacred cantata, _Grabmusik_, and the -Latin comedy, _Apollo et Hyacinthus_, written for performance by the -students of the Salzburg University. In September, 1767, the whole -family left home on a second visit to Vienna, with the intention of -being present at the marriage of the Archduchess Maria Josepha with -King Ferdinand of Naples, which was shortly to take place. -Unfortunately, within a month after their arrival the Archduchess was -carried off by small-pox, and Leopold Mozart with all his family fled -to Olmütz. His children, nevertheless, did not escape; both were -attacked by the complaint, with such severity in the case of Wolfgang -that he lay blind for nine days. With the greatest kindness the Dean -of Olmütz, Count Podstatsky, who was also a Canon of Salzburg, and -therefore knew Mozart, received the whole family into his house, -procuring for them the best medical attendance and nursing. - -Returning to Vienna in January, 1768, they soon experienced -difficulties of all kinds. The Empress Maria Theresa, it is true, as -soon as she heard of the dangerous illness of the children whom she -had so admired five years before, sent for them; but this visit -brought them little profit, for the Emperor was parsimonious, and the -nobility followed his example. Even more adverse were the conditions -as regards the general public. The Viennese at that time, as Leopold -Mozart says in one of his letters, had no desire to see anything -serious and sensible, and little or no idea of it; all they cared for -was buffoonery, farces, or pantomime. The infant prodigy had been a -"draw" in 1762; but they cared little or nothing for the development -of the artist a few years later. Added to this was the active -opposition of envious musicians. Those who had admired the young -child now dreaded the boy of twelve as a dangerous rival. The father -says: - - -"I found that all the clavier players and composers in Vienna opposed -our progress, with the single exception of Wagenseil, and he, as he -is ill, can do little or nothing for us. The great rule with these -people was carefully to avoid all opportunity of seeing us or of -examining into Wolfgang's knowledge. And why? So that they, in so -many cases when they were asked if they have heard this boy and what -they think of him, might always be able to say that they had not -heard him, and that it was impossible it could be true; that it was -humbug and harlequinade; that matters had been arranged, and that the -things given him to play were what he knew already; that it was -ridiculous to think he could compose. You see, that is why they -avoid us. For anyone who has seen and heard him can no longer say -this without the risk of dishonour. I have trapped one of these -people. We had arranged with someone to let us know quietly when he -would be present. He was to come and bring an extraordinarily -difficult concerto. We managed the matter, and he had the -opportunity of hearing his concerto played off by Wolfgang as if he -knew it by heart. The astonishment of this composer and performer, -the expressions which he used in his admiration, gave us all to -understand what I have just been pointing out to you. At last he -said: 'I can, as an honourable man, say nothing else than that this -boy is the greatest man now living in the world; it was impossible to -believe.'" - - -Isolated cases of this kind could do but little to stem the torrent -of calumny and depreciation to which the young composer was exposed. -But now the Emperor came forward and proposed that Wolfgang should -write an opera. The proposal was eagerly accepted; the father saw -that a success would not only establish the lad's reputation in -Vienna, but would pave the way for further successes in Italy. The -text of an opera buffa, _La Finta Semplice_, was obtained from -Coltellini, the poet connected with the theatre, and Wolfgang set to -work at once. The score, which contained twenty-five numbers and 558 -pages, was soon completed. Jahn, who gives a detailed analysis of -the whole opera, concludes his criticism by saying that the work was -fully equal to those at that time to be heard on the stage, while in -single numbers it surpassed them in nobility and originality of -invention and treatment, while it pointed clearly to a greater -future. And this, be it remembered, was the composition of a boy of -twelve! - -In spite of the support of the Emperor, the unscrupulous intrigues of -Mozart's enemies, of which his father's letters convey a vivid idea, -so influenced the manager of the theatre, Affligio--a scoundrel who, -it is satisfactory to learn, ended his days at the galleys--that the -opera was never produced. By way of consolation, however, the father -had the pleasure of hearing a German operetta by Wolfgang performed. -This was _Bastien und Bastienne_, a piece in one act, which was -written for Dr. Messmer, a rich amateur who had built a small theatre -in his garden. Wolfgang was also commissioned to compose the music -for the dedication of the chapel of an orphan asylum, and to conduct -the performance of the same. For this occasion he composed his first -Mass (in G major), and an offertorium, _Veni sancte Spiritus_, of -which the latter is the more striking. - -On the return of the Mozart family to Salzburg, about the end of -1768, the Archbishop, gratified at the success obtained by a native -of the city, had the opera performed by musicians who were in his -service. He further appointed Wolfgang concertmeister--that is, -leader of the orchestra--and his name appears in this capacity in the -Court calendars of 1770. - - - - -THE YOUTH (1769-1778) - -The greater part of the year 1769 was spent quietly at Salzburg, -where Wolfgang, under his father's direction, diligently pursued his -studies. In December of that year the father and son set off for -Italy, Leopold rightly feeling that such a tour would not only be -advantageous to Wolfgang's reputation as a musician, but would -enlarge his views and give him wider experience of the world. - -The lad was now no longer an infant prodigy, but, it might almost be -said, already a mature artist, whose powers were ripening daily, -thanks hardly less to his father's judicious training than to his own -natural genius. It is noteworthy that he never seems to have been in -the least spoiled by his successes; he remained the same natural, -affectionate boy that he had always been. The letters that he wrote -during his tour to his sister at home are full of charm. While often -overflowing with fun, they also show how acute a critic he was of the -music which he heard, and how keen an observer of all that passed -around him. In this respect they may be compared with the letters -written from Italy more than sixty years later by Mendelssohn. - -Travelling by way of Innsbruck, Roveredo, and Verona, and meeting -everywhere with a most enthusiastic reception, Mozart, with his -father, reached Mantua on January 10, 1770. The Philharmonic Society -of the city gave a concert on the 16th of the same month, which was -in reality a public exhibition of Wolfgang's powers. The programme -has fortunately been preserved, and we learn from it that in addition -to two of his symphonies, of which he probably directed the -performance, he played at first sight a concerto for the harpsichord -that was placed before him. He also played at sight a sonata, -introducing variations of his own, and afterwards transposed the -whole piece into another key. More remarkable still was his -improvisation. He extemporized a sonata and a regularly constructed -fugue on themes given him at the moment. He also sang and composed -extempore a song on words not previously seen, accompanying himself -on the harpsichord. - -The travellers' next stay was at Milan, where they found a warm -friend in Count Firmian, the Governor-General of Lombardy, who -interested himself with such success on behalf of Wolfgang that the -latter received a commission to compose an opera for the next season, -after giving proof of his powers for serious opera by setting three -songs from the poems of Metastasio. - -Passing through Parma, Bologna (where they made the acquaintance of -the celebrated theorist Padre Martini) and Florence, the Mozarts -arrived in Rome during Holy Week. It was on this occasion that -Wolfgang performed the feat, so often recorded, of writing down from -memory Allegri's _Miserere_ after having heard it sung, in the -Sistine Chapel. After a visit for a month to Naples, they returned -to Rome, where the Pope invested Wolfgang with the order of the -Golden Spur. - -Revisiting Bologna on his return journey, the lad received the honour -of being elected a member of the Philharmonic Society of that city. -As a test-piece he composed an antiphon in four parts, _Quœrite -primum regnum Dei_, in the strict contrapuntal style of the old -Church music. His father, writing home an account of the affair, -says: - - -"The princeps academiæ and the two censors, who are all old -kapellmeisters, put before him in the presence of all the members an -antiphon from the Antiphonarium, which he was to set in four parts in -an adjoining room, to which he was conducted by the beadle and locked -in. When he had finished it, it was examined by the censors and all -the kapellmeisters and composers, who then voted upon it with black -and white balls. As all the balls were white, he was called in, and -all clapped on his entry, and applauded him after the princeps -academiæ had announced his reception in the name of the society. He -returned thanks, and all was over. I was meantime shut up in the -library on the other side of the hall. All were astonished that he -had done it so quickly, as many take three hours over an antiphon of -three lines. You should know, though, that it is no easy task, for -there are many things forbidden in this kind of composition, as he -had been previously told. He finished it in exactly half an hour." - - -While staying at Bologna, Mozart received from Milan the libretto of -the opera which he was to write. According to his custom, he wrote -the recitatives first, deferring the composition of the airs till he -had made acquaintance with the singers, in order that he might suit -them the better with their parts. On October 18, Wolfgang and his -father returned to Milan, and the boy at once set to work diligently -to finish the opera, which was to be produced at Christmas. The -subject of the work was _Mitridate, Re di Ponto_, the libretto being -written by a poet of Turin named Cigna-Santi. All the airs were -written after consultation with those who were to sing them. - -As at Vienna, so at Milan: jealous musicians intrigued to hinder the -success of the work, but their efforts were in vain. The principal -singers and the members of the orchestra were delighted with the -music, and on December 26 it was produced, with so brilliant a result -as to silence the detractors. The opera was repeated twenty times to -always crowded houses, and with ever-increasing success. At the end -of March, 1771, Wolfgang was again in Salzburg. - -Two important musical works were the result of the success of -_Mitridate_. The impresario at Milan engaged Wolfgang to write an -opera for the season of 1773, while the Empress Maria Theresa -commissioned him to compose a theatrical serenata for the marriage of -the Archduke Ferdinand, which was to take place at Milan in October, -1771. The work was _Ascanio in Alba_, which was produced on October -17 with very complete success. The celebrated Hasse, a friend of the -Mozarts, and an honourable man, who had always sided with Wolfgang -against his detractors, had written an opera, _Ruggiero_, for the -same festivities. Leopold Mozart writes home: "I am sorry that -Wolfgang's serenata has so eclipsed Hasse's opera that it is -indescribable." Hasse himself was generous enough to acknowledge his -defeat, and to say: "This youth will make us all to be forgotten," a -prophecy that has been amply fulfilled. - -During the greater part of the year 1772 Wolfgang was at home, -composing music of almost every kind. An event which took place at -this time had an important influence on his future. This was the -death of the Archbishop of Salzburg, and the election in his place of -Hieronymus, Count of Colloredo, a haughty and surly man, who cared -nothing whatever for music. For his installation Mozart composed the -one-act allegorical opera, _Il Sogno di Scipione_--not one of his -stronger works. In November of the same year we find him once more -in Milan, busy with the new opera that he had been engaged to write. -This was _Lucio Silla_, the words of which were written by a local -poet. It was produced on December 26, and repeated more than twenty -times to crowded houses. The opera contains some beautiful numbers; -but Mozart had not yet emancipated himself from tradition, and it is -not till some years later that his dramatic genius shows itself in -its full strength. After the production of _Lucio Silla_, Leopold -Mozart, with his son, remained some time in Italy, in the hope of the -latter obtaining an appointment in the Court of the Grand Duke -Leopold at Florence. This hope was not realized, and in March they -returned to Salzburg. - -[Illustration: THE MOZART FAMILY. (_From the painting by Van de la -Croce, 1780, in the Mozart Museum._)] - -With the exception of a two months' visit to Vienna, Mozart remained -at home for the rest of the year and for nearly the whole of the -following one, composing almost incessantly and in nearly every -style. To this period belong two of his best Masses--those in F and -D--the fine _Litaniœ Lauretanœ_ in D, four symphonies, six -quartetts, concertos for various instruments, serenades, -divertimenti, and smaller pieces of all kinds. In the course of the -year 1774 Mozart received a commission to write a comic opera for -Munich for the Carnival of 1775, and in December of that year he went -there with his father. The opera which he had to write was _La Finta -Giardiniera_, the libretto of which had already been set to music by -Piccinni in 1770 and Anfossi in 1774. The first performance took -place on January 13, 1775, with a success which the composer -described the next day in a letter to his mother: - - -"My opera was produced yesterday, and had, thank God! such success -that I cannot possibly describe to mamma the noise and commotion.... -At the close of every air there was a terrible noise with clapping -and shouting 'Viva maestro!' ... I and my father afterwards went into -a room through which the whole Court pass, and where I kissed the -hands of the Elector, the Electress, and others of the nobility, who -were all very gracious. His Highness the Bishop of Chiemsee sent to -me early this morning with congratulations on my success." - - -Very interesting is the following extract from Schubert's "Teutsche -Chronik": - - -"I have also heard an opera buffa by the wonderful genius Mozart; it -is called _La Finta Ciardiniera_. Flames of genius flashed forth -here and there; but it is not yet the quiet fire on the altar which -rises to heaven in clouds of incense--a perfume sweet to the gods. -If Mozart is not a plant forced in a hot-house, he must become one of -the greatest musical composers that has ever lived." - - -In the music of _La Finta Giardiniera_ a great advance on any of -Mozart's previous operas is to be seen. Not only is there a richness -of melodic invention worthy to compare with that of his later and -greater works, but there is more organic unity in the music as a -whole. Though some of the airs now appear unduly spun out, it must -be remembered that long solos were the fashion of the day. The -orchestra is treated with more independence than hitherto, and the -score abounds with beautiful effects of colouring, though in most -numbers but few wind instruments are employed. The great duet toward -the close of the third act and the elaborate finales which conclude -the first and second acts are admirable, and might be inserted into -_Figaro_ without producing too strong a feeling of incongruity. - -Among those who witnessed the triumph of Mozart's opera was the -Archbishop of Salzburg, who was at the time on a visit to the Elector -of Bavaria. Though he did not himself hear the work, he was -congratulated upon it by the members of the Court, and, as Mozart -records, "was so embarrassed as to be unable to make any reply except -by shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders." - -Returning to Salzburg in March, 1775, Mozart remained there for -nearly three years--probably the least happy of his life. The entire -want of appreciation showed him by the tyrannical Archbishop rendered -his position most irksome. Though the final rupture did not come -till later, he was subjected to constant indignities, while the -remuneration he received was ridiculously disproportionate to the -services that he rendered, both as composer and performer. Yet his -activity in production never ceased. The catalogue of the -compositions he produced during these years is nearly as astonishing -for the large number of masterpieces it contains as for the variety -of style that it shows. Nearly a hundred works, including four -symphonies, fifteen serenades and divertimenti, ten concertos for -various instruments, six sonatas for clavier, six Masses, the grand -Litany in E flat, a number of smaller works for the Church, the opera -_Il Rè Pastore_, many songs, some with orchestra, others with piano, -bear witness no less to his industry than to the fecundity of his -genius. Many of these works were written for performance at the -Archbishop's palace, at which concerts were frequently given; but the -Archbishop, though fully knowing what a treasure he had in Mozart, -not only never paid him for any of his compositions, but insulted him -by contemptuous remarks about them, thinking this the best means of -keeping the young master from asking for an advance in his salary, -which, it should be said, amounted at this time to about £15 sterling -per annum! On one occasion, as we learn from a letter written by -Leopold to Padre Martini, the Archbishop went so far as to tell -Wolfgang that he knew nothing about his art, and that he ought to go -to Naples to study. It became more and more evident that there was -no prospect of the young man's obtaining an honourable and -remunerative post at Salzburg. It was therefore decided that -Wolfgang should make another tour, in the hope of obtaining a better -appointment. But when he applied for leave of absence that he might -earn some money as an addition to his small salary, the Archbishop -refused with the ungracious remark that "he could not suffer a man -going on begging expeditions." Wolfgang thereupon tendered his -resignation, which the Archbishop angrily accepted. - -As it was impossible for Leopold to accompany his son on this -journey--the Archbishop having refused him leave of -absence--Wolfgang's mother went with him. They left Salzburg on -September 23, 1777, for Munich, where they stayed till October 11, -Wolfgang hoping either to find a post there or to obtain a commission -to write an opera. From Munich they went to Augsburg, where Mozart -gave a concert which brought him much glory but very little profit. - -On October 30 Mozart and his mother arrived at Mannheim. The long -stay of between four and five months which they made in this place -had in more than one respect an important influence on Mozart's -future. The orchestra at Mannheim was considered the finest in -Europe, and the young composer writes of it to his father in -enthusiastic terms. He was especially struck by the clarinets, which -he here for the first time met with in the orchestra. He writes: -"Ah, if we only had clarinets! You cannot believe what a splendid -effect a symphony makes with flutes, oboes, and clarinets." The -Mannheim orchestra included among its members many of the finest -performers on their respective instruments then living, and -contemporary testimony was to the effect that they were unsurpassed -in execution and finish. The first kapellmeister was Christian -Cannabich, an excellent violinist, and a very good friend to Mozart; -the second was the Abbé Vogler, a clever but eccentric man, of whom -Mozart writes: "He is a fool, who fancies that there can exist -nothing better or more perfect than himself. He is hated by the -whole orchestra. His book will better teach arithmetic than -composition." In another letter he gives a criticism of Vogler's -music which is so characteristic as to deserve quotation: - - -"Yesterday was again a gala day. I attended the service, at which -was produced a bran new Mass by Vogler, which had been rehearsed only -the day before yesterday in the afternoon. I stayed, however, no -longer than the end of the 'Kyrie.' Such music I never before heard -in my life, for not only is the harmony often wrong, but he goes into -keys as if he would pull them in by the hair of the head, not -artistically, but plump, and without preparation. Of the treatment -of the ideas I will not try to speak; I will only say that it is -quite impossible that any Mass by Vogler can satisfy a composer -worthy of the name. For though one should discover an idea that is -not bad, that idea does not long remain in a negative condition, but -soon becomes--beautiful? Heaven save the mark! it becomes -bad--extremely bad, and this in two or three different ways. The -thought has scarcely had time to appear before something else comes -and destroys it, or it does not close so naturally as to remain good, -or it is not brought in in the right place, or it is spoiled by the -injudicious employment of the accompanying instruments. Such is -Vogler's composition." - - -It is hardly surprising that there should be little sympathy or -cordiality between Vogler and Mozart, but there is no ground for the -suspicion entertained by Leopold Mozart that the Abbé was plotting -against his son. - -Mozart was very desirous of obtaining an appointment at Mannheim -under the Elector, and this was one of the causes of his long stay -there. But, as usual, nothing came of it. The Elector was very -complimentary to the composer, but after a delay of nearly two months -finally said that he could do nothing. It was therefore the father's -wish that they should continue the journey towards Paris. Mozart, -however, was in no hurry to leave Mannheim; the society of the -members of the orchestra, some of whom--among them Wendling, the -flutist, and Ramm, the oboist--were close personal friends, was very -congenial. But there was another and more powerful reason: he had -for the first time fallen seriously in love. The object of his -affection was a young singer, Aloysia Weber, the second daughter of -Fridolin von Weber, at that time copyist and prompter in the Mannheim -theatre. She was very beautiful, had a fine voice, and sang with -great taste and expression. For her Mozart wrote one of the finest -of his concert arias, _Non so donde viene_; he also gave her lessons. -His affection would seem to have been returned, but his father was -not unnaturally opposed to the youth's fettering himself by such a -union. Wolfgang's idea was to make a professional tour in company -with the Webers, and to try to procure engagements in Italy for the -young lady as a prima donna, and for himself as a composer, Leopold, -however, was experienced enough to see clearly that such a scheme was -impracticable, and that a young girl who had never appeared on the -stage would have no chance of success in an Italian theatre, however -well she might sing. He therefore, in order to free his son from the -entanglement, wrote a long letter to him, putting the case very -plainly and sensibly, and urging him at once to go to Paris to try to -make a position there. Like a dutiful son, as he always showed -himself, Wolfgang obeyed, and left Mannheim with a heavy heart on -March 14, 1778, arriving nine days later at Paris. - -The time of his visit was not favourable to his hopes. Musicians in -the French capital were busy with the great struggle for supremacy in -opera between Gluck and Piccinni, which was then at its height. -Besides this, the frivolous Parisian public, who had been so -attracted by the infant prodigy, cared little for the mature artist. -Mozart obtained an introduction to Le Gros, the director of the -Concert Spirituel, who gave him a commission to write some movements -of a _Miserere_, of which, however, only two choruses were performed. -Besides this, Mozart composed for the same concerts a _Sinfonie -Concertante_ for four wind instruments, with orchestra. But once -more the intrigues of enemies pursued him. Two days before the -concert was to be given the parts of the new work had not been -copied, and when Mozart went to Le Gros to inquire the reason, the -latter merely said that he had forgotten it. Mozart suspected, and -probably correctly, that Cambini, an Italian composer whom he had -unintentionally offended, was at the bottom of it. - -For the Duc de Guines, to whom he obtained an introduction through -his old friend Grimm, Mozart wrote a double concerto for the unusual -combination of flute and harp, to be played by the Duke and his -daughter. The two instruments were those which Mozart detested; yet -the concerto, though not a great work, is most effectively written -for both instruments, and is very pleasing music. Besides this, he -gave lessons in composition to the Duke's daughter, who, though a -clever performer, seems to have had but little idea of writing. -Mozart, in one of his letters to his father, gives a very amusing -account of a lesson in which he had tried to make the young lady -compose a minuet. He wrote later that she was both stupid and lazy, -and he finally gave up the lessons in disgust. - -Mozart's great desire, as always, was to write an opera, and, through -Noverre, the ballet-master of the Grand Opera, whose acquaintance he -had made in Vienna six years before, there seemed to be a fair -prospect of the realization of his wish. Noverre set a librettist to -work, and the text of the first act of an opera was soon ready. -Meanwhile Noverre wanted some ballet music, and Mozart wrote for him -the overture and incidental dances for _Les Petits Riens_. Nothing -more, however, came of the opera. The composer, nevertheless, had -one musical success during his stay in Paris. This was the -production at the Concert Spirituel of his symphony in D, known as -the "Parisian." In a letter to his father Mozart tells how warmly it -was received, and how the audience were struck with certain passages -and began applauding in the middle of the movements. There is no -doubt that the symphony was the finest that he had composed up to -that time; being written to suit the Parisian taste, it is lighter -and more brilliant in style than most of its predecessors, without -becoming thereby tawdry or frivolous. This was the first symphony -that Mozart had scored for full orchestra, and the rich and varied -colouring of the wind instruments shows how he had profited by -listening to the fine performances at Mannheim. - -Whether the success of his symphony would have led to Mozart's -ultimately obtaining a good appointment at Paris cannot be said, for -almost immediately after the production of the work a sad event -brought about an entire change in his plans. This was the death of -his mother, which occurred on July 3, 1778, after a fortnight's -illness. His father was anxious, for more than one reason, that he -should return home. Not only was there the natural desire for his -son's company and support in his bereavement, there was also the -apprehension that the young man, now that his mother's restraining -influence was removed, might fall into the hands of bad companions. - -At this juncture an opening unexpectedly presented itself in -Salzburg. The Archbishop had by this time become conscious of the -mistake he had made in allowing the young genius to leave him, and -was anxious to have him back if possible. The death of the old -kapellmeister Lolli, which occurred at this time, gave the Archbishop -the opportunity he desired, and, after long negotiations, Lolli's -post was offered to Leopold Mozart, and that of second kapellmeister -to his son, whose salary was to be 500 florins a year. It was also -conceded that he should have leave of absence whenever he wanted to -write an opera. - -Greatly as Mozart disliked Salzburg--and with good reason, after the -Archbishop's treatment of him--he at once yielded to his father's -wishes, and accepted the post. There can be no doubt that he did so -all the more readily in consequence of one piece of news contained in -his father's letter. This was that his beloved Aloysia Weber was -engaged to sing at Salzburg, and would be living with the Mozarts. -He therefore left Paris on September 26, travelling by way of -Strasburg, Mannheim, and Munich, at each of which places he remained -for some time. At Munich he visited the Webers, who had removed -thither from Mannheim. Here a great disappointment awaited him. His -beloved Aloysia had proved faithless, and received him coldly. -Mozart thereupon sat down to the piano and sang, "Ich lass das Madel -gern, das mich nicht will," (I willingly leave the maid who does not -want me). Aloysia subsequently made an unhappy marriage with an -actor named Lange, and became a distinguished prima donna. In her -later years she confessed that she had failed to realize the genius -of Mozart, and saw in him nothing but a little man. - - - - -THE MAN (1779-179l) - -In the middle of January, 1779, Mozart was once more in Salzburg, and -for nearly two years he remained in that city, busied with his duties -at the Archbishop's palace, and composing works of all kinds. The -record of these years is chiefly one of almost ceaseless writing. -Many of Mozart's best and ripest works date from this period. Among -these are the Mass in C, published as No. 1, though really the -composer's fourteenth. This is one of the finest of the series, as -well as one of the most popular. The "Agnus Dei," a solo, the chief -theme of which foreshadows the "Dove sono" of _Figaro_, was formerly -a favourite air with soprani who valued expression above mere -display. Another important work dating from this period is the -incidental music to Gebler's drama _Thamos, König in Ægypten_. This -music consists partly of entr'actes and incidental music, but it also -contains three magnificent and amply developed choruses, which may -justly be described as among the most noble choral pieces that Mozart -ever wrote. The play was a failure, but the composer, regretting -that the music could not be used, had the choruses adapted to Latin -hymns; in this form they have become well-known and popular as the -three great motets, _Splendente te, Deus_, _Ne pulvis et cinis_, and -_Deus, tibi laus et honor_. To this period also belong the two-act -German opera _Zaide_, two vespers, two symphonies, two great -serenades--one being the magnificent one for thirteen wind -instruments--the _Symphonie Concertante_ in E flat, for violin and -viola, the concerto in the same key for two pianos, and some of his -best sonatas for piano solo, besides smaller pieces, vocal and -instrumental, too numerous to mention. - -In the latter part of the year 1780, Mozart received from the Elector -of Bavaria a commission to write an opera for Munich, for the -Carnival of 1781. The Archbishop had promised him leave of absence, -and on November 6, 1780, he left Salzburg for the Bavarian capital. -The libretto was written by the Abbé Varesco, Court chaplain at -Salzburg, the subject selected being _Idomeneo_, and it was founded -on a French opera on the same subject that had been composed by -Campra, and produced in 1712. - -Mozart, on his arrival in Munich, was received with open arms by his -many friends in that city, and he worked at the opera with an -enthusiasm that may be easily imagined. Though his principal -vocalists were not all that he could have desired, he had a splendid -orchestra at his disposal, and from the first all the performers were -delighted with the music. His letters to his father while writing -the opera are full of interesting details. After the first -rehearsal, Ramm, the first oboe, an old friend of the composer, -assured him that he had never yet heard any music that made so great -an effect upon him. Mozart's father, who was most anxious for the -complete success of the work, wrote urging his son "to think not only -of the musical, but also of the unmusical public. You know, there -are a hundred without knowledge to every one connoisseur, so do not -forget the so-called 'popular' that tickles even the long ears." -Wolfgang replied: "Don't trouble yourself about the so-called -'popular,' for in my opera is music for all kinds of people--only not -for the long ears." - -_Idomeneo_ was produced on January 29, 1781, with a success that must -have satisfied not only the composer, but also his father and sister, -who came over from Salzburg to hear it. In this opera we find Mozart -in his full maturity. Whether in the flow of his melody, the -richness of the harmony, the power of dramatic characterization, or -the beauty and variety of the orchestration, this work shows a -decided advance on any of its predecessors, and marks a turning-point -in the history of dramatic music. - -Thanks to the fact that the Archbishop of Salzburg was at this time -in Vienna, Mozart was able to prolong his visit to Munich; but in -March he was summoned to join his employer, and on March 12 he -arrived in Vienna. Here he was treated by the Archbishop with the -utmost indignity; not only was he made to take his meals with the -servants, but he was refused permission to take any engagements -whereby he might add to his meagre income. Insult followed insult, -till at length the crisis came, and Mozart resigned the appointment -which his self-respect forbade him longer to hold, and determined to -seek his fortune in Vienna. - -Though now thrown entirely on his own resources, Mozart was very -sanguine about the future. At first he earned only a precarious -livelihood by playing at fashionable parties and teaching the piano; -but he looked forward with great hopes to obtaining an appointment -with the Emperor Joseph II. But the monarch, though always affable -and even cordial to the composer, preferred Italian music to the more -solid style of Mozart, whom he esteemed as a pianist rather than as a -composer. "He cares for no one but Salieri," said Mozart of him; and -there can be no doubt that the influence of the Italian on the -Emperor was very great. Salieri, a musician of talent, though not of -genius, saw in Mozart a formidable rival, and, while outwardly -polite, secretly intrigued against him. - -Joseph II. took great interest in the establishment of a school of -German opera, and engaged an excellent company of vocalists, among -whom was Mozart's old flame, Aloysia Weber, for the theatre. Mozart, -who always delighted in writing for the stage, had brought with him -to Vienna his German opera _Zaide_. He scarcely hoped that it would -be produced, as he thought the libretto unsuited to the Viennese -public; but Stephanie, the inspector of the opera, was so pleased -with the music that he promised to give Mozart a good text to set. -The Emperor was quite willing to see what the composer could do in -German opera; and in July Mozart, to his great delight, received the -libretto of _Belmont und Constanze_, now known under its second -title, _Die Entführung aus dem Serail_. Owing to various causes, -among others the cabals of Mozart's enemies, the production of the -opera was much delayed; it was only by the express command of the -Emperor that it was at length performed for the first time on July -13, 1782. It was of this opera that the Emperor said to the -composer: "Too fine for our ears, and an immense number of notes, my -dear Mozart!" which called forth the reply: "Exactly as many notes, -your Majesty, as are needful." - -The success of the work was immediate and complete. Here Mozart was -virtually on new ground. Excepting the operetta _Bastien und -Bastienne_ and the _Zaide_ above-mentioned, all Mozart's preceding -operas had been written to Italian words; and though in _Idomeneo_ a -fusion of Italian and German styles is to be seen, it is not till -_Die Entführung_ that we find an important work genuinely German in -character. Of Italian influence there is but little trace except in -some parts of the music allotted to Constanze. This role was -undertaken by Madame Cavalieri, a great bravura singer, but little -more; and many of the florid passages in her songs remind one of the -popular ornate style of the day. It is difficult to speak too highly -of the wealth of melodic invention, the truth of expression, or the -skill shown in differentiating the various characters of the drama to -be found in this work, while the picturesqueness of the orchestration -is perhaps even superior to that of _Idomeneo_, and certainly far -surpasses that of any of the early operas. - -At this time Mozart's old friends, the Webers, had removed to Vienna, -and the composer had resumed his intercourse with them. A mutual -attachment had grown up between him and Constanze, a younger sister -of Aloysia, who had jilted him. He wrote to his father asking his -consent to his marriage; but Leopold, knowing that his son had no -regular appointment, and that his income was precarious, strongly -opposed the step, and for some time the course of true love by no -means ran smooth. - -Through the influence of a patroness of Mozart, the Baroness von -Waldstadten, the obstacles were ultimately surmounted, and the -marriage was celebrated at the Baroness's house on August 4, 1782. -Though the union was, from one point of view, very happy, owing to -the true affection that existed between husband and wife, it cannot -be doubted that it was, to a great extent, the cause of much of -Mozart's later troubles. Constanze, though endowed with many -excellent qualities, was a bad housekeeper, while Mozart, besides -being generous to a fault, had not the least capacity for business, -nor even any idea of economy. No wonder, then, that when to the care -and expense of a young family was added a long and severe illness of -the wife, they were often in sore pecuniary difficulties. Jahn says -that if Mozart had been as good a man of business as his father, he -would have done very well in Vienna, for he earned a very good -income. As a matter of fact, from this time to the end of his -career, his life was one long struggle, and not always a successful -one, to keep his head above water. - -Mozart's chief source of income at this time seems to have been -derived from his playing, for he was in great demand, not only at -concerts, but in the houses of the nobility. According to the -unanimous verdict of his contemporaries, he was the greatest pianist -and (in the best sense of the term) virtuoso of his day. After his -death, Joseph Haydn is reported to have said, with tears in his eyes: -"I can never forget Mozart's playing; it came from the heart." The -Emperor also highly appreciated the composer's genius, and it is -probably only owing to the intrigues of the Italian musicians by whom -he was surrounded that he did not confer some adequately paid -appointment upon Mozart. - -In July, 1783, shortly after the birth of his first child, Mozart -took his wife to Salzburg to introduce her to his father and sister. -He had, before his marriage, made a vow that, if ever Constanze -became his wife, he would compose a new Mass for performance at -Salzburg. The work was not quite completed, but he supplied the -missing numbers from one of his earlier Masses. As the Archbishop of -Salzburg refused permission for the Mass to be performed in the -cathedral, it was given in St. Peter's Church, Constanze singing the -principal soprano part. The Mass, which is in C minor, is laid out -on a much larger scale than those which Mozart wrote for Salzburg, -the "Gloria" being in seven movements, while two of the choruses are -in five and one in eight parts. The work is a curious mixture; many -of the choruses are quite elevated in style, and not unworthy of the -"Requiem" itself. The solos are much lighter, and of a florid -character. Mozart never finished the Mass, but he used the music two -years later for his cantata, _Davide Penitente_. - -During his visit to Salzburg Mozart began work on two new buffo -operas, _L'Oca del Cairo_, the libretto by Varesco, who had written -the text of _Idomeneo_, and _Lo Sposo Deluso_, by an unknown poet. -Neither work, however, was completed. - -After his return to Vienna in October, 1783, Mozart's time was fully -occupied with concerts and composition. The year 1784 saw the birth -of many of his finest works, which at this time were exclusively -instrumental. Among them are several of his best piano concertos, -which he wrote for his own performance at concerts in which he took -part. The list also includes the great sonata in C minor for the -piano, a work not without influence on Beethoven, and the beautiful -sonata in B flat for piano and violin, composed for Mdlle. -Strinasacchi, a young violinist for whose benefit concert, Mozart had -promised to write a new work. Being pressed for time, Mozart had -deferred writing the sonata till the day before the concert, when the -young lady, with much trouble, obtained from him the violin part -only. She practised it the next morning, and in the evening played -it with the composer without any rehearsal. The Emperor was present -at the concert, and, looking through his opera-glass, noticed that -Mozart had a blank sheet of music-paper before him. After the sonata -was finished, the Emperor sent a message that he wished to see the -manuscript. The composer brought the blank sheet. "What, Mozart!" -said Joseph, "at your tricks again?" "Please your Majesty," was the -reply, "there was not a note lost." Only musicians will be able -fully to appreciate the wonderful feat of memory which such a -performance involved. - -In 1785 Leopold Mozart returned his son's visit, and it was at this -time that he made the acquaintance of Joseph Haydn, with whom -Wolfgang was on intimate terms. Leopold met Haydn for the first time -at a party at his son's house, where three of Mozart's recently -composed quartetts were played. It was on that occasion that Haydn -said to the proud father: "I declare to you before God, and as a man -of honour, that your son is the greatest composer that I know; he has -taste, and beyond that the most consummate knowledge of the art of -composition." - -In February, 1786, was produced the music to _Der -Schauspieldirector_, a German comedy in one act, for some festivities -given by the Emperor at Schönbrunn. Mozart's share of the work -consisted merely of an overture and four vocal numbers. Though the -music is extremely melodious, it adds nothing to the composer's fame. -Far more interesting and important were the two piano concertos in A -major and C minor, both written in March of the same year. But all -other compositions of this time sink into insignificance by the side -of the opera _Le Nozze di Figaro_, which was produced in Vienna on -May 1, 1786. The libretto was adapted by Lorenzo da Ponte, a -theatrical poet who was a favourite with the Emperor, from -Beaumarchais' comedy, "Le Mariage de Figaro." The subject was -suggested by the composer himself. As on so many previous occasions, -there were violent intrigues against the piece; but, thanks probably -in a great measure to the support of the Emperor, these were -unsuccessful, and the Irish singer, Michael Kelly, who took the part -of Basilio at the first performance, says in his "Reminiscences": -"Never was anything more complete than the triumph of Mozart and his -_Nozze di Figaro_, to which numerous overflowing audiences bore -witness." Almost more enthusiasm was shown at Prague, where the -opera was given a few months later. At the invitation of some of his -friends, Mozart went to Prague to witness the success of his work. -His reception there was overwhelming. Two concerts which he gave in -the city realized a profit of 1,000 florins. At the first of these -was produced the fine symphony in D known as the "Prague Symphony." -At the same concert he extemporized, in his own masterly manner, for -half an hour, after which, in reply to a call for "something from -_Figaro_," he improvised variations on "Non più andrai." This visit -had an important result. Mozart remarked to Bondini, the manager of -the theatre, that, as the people of Prague appreciated him so much, -he should like to write an opera for them, whereupon the manager took -him at his word, and commissioned an opera from him for the following -season. - -[Illustration: MOZART IN 1791. (_From an original at Salzburg._)] - -As the libretto of _Figaro_ had suited him so well, it was only -natural that Mozart should again apply to Da Ponte for a book for the -new work. The subject chosen was the old legend of _Don Giovanni_, -and in September, 1787, Mozart and his wife went to Prague in order -that he might, as was his custom, be near the artists who were to -sing in the work. Meanwhile his pen had been by no means idle. From -the autograph catalogue of his works, which he began to keep in 1784 -and continued till his last illness, we find that between _Figaro_ -and _Don Giovanni_ he wrote thirty works, including some of the more -important of his compositions in the domain of chamber music. Among -these maybe specially named the string quintetts in C major and G -minor, the two great pianoforte duet sonatas in F and C, the charming -trio in E flat for piano, clarinet, and viola, and the sonata in A -for piano and violin. - -Arrived in Prague, Mozart first lodged at an inn, but later removed -to the house of his friend Duschek, in the suburbs of the city. Here -a great part of the opera was written, each number being sent to the -singers as soon as it was completed. Visitors to Prague are still -shown the summer-house with a stone table in the garden of Duschek's -house, at which Mozart used to work at his opera while his friends -were playing at bowls. It is said that he would leave his work from -time to time to take his part in the game, and then resume it without -having lost the thread of his ideas. The story has often been told -how, on the night before the production of the opera, the overture -was still unwritten. Mozart had parted late in the evening from his -friends, and his wife mixed him a glass of punch and sat up with him -while he wrote, telling him fairy tales to keep him awake. At last -sleep overpowered him, and she persuaded him to lie down for an hour -or two. At five she woke him, and when at seven the copyist came for -the score the overture was ready. There was barely time to get the -parts copied before the evening, and the excellent orchestra played -it at sight without rehearsal. Mozart, who was conducting, said to -the players near him: "A good many notes fell under the desks, but it -went very well." - -The first performance of _Don Giovanni_ took place on October 29, -1787, and excited the utmost enthusiasm. Unfortunately, the -composer's father was not able to witness his son's triumph, as he -had died in the preceding May, after a long illness. Mozart returned -to Vienna shortly after the production of his opera, but his success -brought about but little improvement in his pecuniary circumstances. -True, the Emperor appointed him "kammermusikus" in December, but the -salary attached to the post--800 florins--was ridiculously small. -His only duty was to write dance music for the masked balls of the -Imperial Court; this caused him to make the bitter remark that his -salary was too much for what he did, and too little for what he could -do. - -On May 7, 1788, _Don Giovanni_ was given at Vienna. For this -performance the composer had written three additional numbers, two of -which were Don Ottavio's air, "Dalla sua pace," and Elvira's "Mi -tradi quell' alma ingrata." The work, nevertheless, proved a -failure; the style was too novel for the taste of the audience. The -Emperor, after hearing it, said: "The opera is divine--perhaps even -more beautiful than _Figaro_--but it is no food for the teeth of my -Viennese." When this was repeated to Mozart, he said: "Let us give -them time to chew it, then!" and, by his advice, the opera was -repeated at short intervals until the public became accustomed to its -beauties. The applause increased at each fresh performance. - -The most important works composed in the year 1788 were the three -great symphonies in E flat, G minor, and C major (generally known as -the "Jupiter"), the last of forty-nine which Mozart wrote. In these -he rises to a height which in his previous instrumental works he had -seldom attained. The symphony in G minor, unquestionably the finest -work ever written for a small orchestra, has never been surpassed in -its combination of passion and pathos; while the finale of the -"Jupiter" symphony, with its elaborate fugal counterpoint, still -remains without a rival in its combination of the most consummate -learning with the utmost profusion of melodic invention. - -It was toward the close of this year that the Baron van Swieten, an -enthusiastic lover of Handel's music, commissioned Mozart to arrange -_Acis and Galatea_ for performance at some concerts with which the -Baron was connected, and of which he superintended the preparation. -In Mozart's autograph catalogue, already spoken of, we find that the -arrangement was made in November, 1788. In the course of the -following year he made a similar arrangement of the _Messiah_, and, -in 1790, of _Alexander's Feast_ and the _Ode for St. Cecilia's Day_. -Space will not allow a detailed criticism of these arrangements; it -must suffice to say that, while often extremely beautiful, they are -not always in accordance with Handel's spirit or intentions, the -probable explanation being that Mozart, as we learn from Otto Jahn, -knew but little of Handel's music till introduced to it by Baron van -Swieten. - -In 1789 Mozart accepted an invitation from his pupil and patron, -Prince Karl Lichnowsky, to accompany him on a visit to Berlin. The -composer, whose pecuniary position was still very precarious, no -doubt hoped that he might find some post in the North of Germany -which would be worthy of his acceptance and relieve him from his -pressing embarrassments. Leaving Vienna on April 8, he arrived four -days later at Dresden, where he played before the Court, receiving -for his performance the sum of 100 ducats. Thence he proceeded to -Leipzig, where he made the acquaintance of Rochlitz, who, in his "Für -Freunde der Tonkunst," has preserved some interesting reminiscences -of his visit. It was here also that, through Doles, the cantor of -the Thomas-Schule, he learned to know the great motetts of Sebastian -Bach, for which he expressed the highest admiration. - -On his arrival at Berlin, Mozart was at once conducted by Prince -Lichnowsky to Potsdam, to be presented to the King, Frederick William -II., who was a great lover of music and a good performer on the -violoncello. The King received him very warmly, and took special -pleasure in hearing him improvise. Mozart, however, derived but -little pecuniary advantage from his visit. The King, it is true, -offered him the post of kapellmeister at his Court with a salary of -3,000 thalers, but the composer, with whom worldly considerations had -little weight, declined the offer, saying: "Can I leave my good -Emperor?" The only profit made by the tour was a present from the -King of 100 friedrichs d'or, which was accompanied by a wish that -Mozart should write some quartetts for him. Three string quartetts -(in D, B flat, and F), in all of which the part for the violoncello -is of more than usual prominence, were written for and dedicated to -the King. - -After his return to Vienna Mozart's embarrassments became more -pressing than ever. The ill-health of his wife involved him in -constant expense, and his income was at all times precarious. By the -advice of his friends he informed the Emperor of the offer that had -been made him by the King of Prussia. The Emperor asked if he were -really going to leave him, and Mozart replied: "Your Majesty, I throw -myself upon your kindness; I remain." No improvement, however, -resulted in his position, though it was at the suggestion of the -Emperor that he was commissioned to write a new opera for Vienna. -This was the two-act opera buffa _Cosi fan tutte_, the libretto of -which was again from the pen of Da Ponte, and which was produced on -January 26, 1790. The first performances appear to have been -successful; but the death of the Emperor in the following month -caused the theatre to be closed for some time; in all it was given -ten times, and then fell out of the repertoire. The plot of the -opera is weak and improbable, and the indifferent quality of the -libretto is without doubt the chief reason why the music is as a -whole inferior to that of _Don Giovanni_ and _Figaro_. _Cosi fan -tutte_, nevertheless, contains some of its composer's best work, -especially in the concerted movements, such as the trio "Soave sia il -vento," the quintett and sextett in the first act, and the two -finales. The orchestral colouring also is almost richer and more -varied than in any of Mozart's preceding operas. - -The accession of Leopold II. to the throne of Austria brought no -improvement in the composer's circumstances, for the new Emperor's -tastes differed widely from those of Joseph, and it soon became -evident that those who had enjoyed the favour of the latter had but -little to hope from his successor. Mozart applied for the post of -second kapellmeister, and also asked to be allowed to teach the young -Princes; but both requests were refused. Thinking that the -coronation of the Emperor at Frankfort might afford him a favourable -opportunity for an artistic tour, Mozart, who was obliged to pawn his -plate in order to procure the necessary funds, started for that city -on September 26, and gave a concert of his own compositions in the -Stadt-Theatre on October 14. But neither here nor at Mannheim and -Munich, which he visited on his return journey, did he make much -profit, and he returned to Vienna with little or no improvement in -his circumstances. Here he had the pain of parting with one of his -dearest friends, Joseph Haydn, who was just leaving for London with -Salomon, who had engaged him for a series of concerts.* Salomon also -entered into negotiations with Mozart for a similar series in the -following year, but before that time the composer was no more. He -and Haydn never met again. - - -* It was for these concerts that Haydn composed his best-known and -finest symphonies--those called in this country the "Salomon Set." - - -In May, 1791, an old acquaintance of Mozart's, Emanuel Schickaneder, -the manager of a small theatre at Vienna, being in embarrassed -circumstances, proposed to Mozart to write an opera on a magic -subject, of which he, Schickaneder, would prepare the libretto. -Mozart, always ready to help a friend, agreed, though with some -little hesitation, saying that he had never written a magic opera. -The work was _Die Zauberflöte_, and Mozart began its composition at -once. Various causes interfered with its rapid progress. It was -while working at it that the first signs of the breaking up of his -vital powers showed themselves. He suffered from fainting fits, and -in June he was obliged to suspend work on the opera and go to Baden, -a suburb of Vienna, to recruit his health. - -It was while engaged on the composition of _Die Zauberflöte_ that -Mozart received from a mysterious stranger the commission to write a -_Requiem_ Mass. He was asked to name his own terms, but was enjoined -to make no effort to discover who it was that had ordered the work. -Mozart, who had written no church music since his Mass in C minor -eight years before, eagerly accepted the commission, and began work -at once. It is now ascertained beyond a doubt that the individual -who visited Mozart was the steward of a certain Count Walsegg, an -amateur musician who desired to be thought a great composer, and who -actually copied the score of the _Requiem_ and had it performed as -his own work. - -Mozart's work on the _Zauberflöte_ and the Requiem were alike -interrupted in August by a commission which it was needful to execute -at once. This was the composition of an opera for Prague, to be -performed there on the occasion of the coronation of the Emperor -Leopold II. as King of Bohemia. The libretto selected was -Metastasio's _La Clemenza di Tito_, which had been already set to -music by several eminent composers. As the coronation was to take -place in the following month, Mozart had but little time for -composition; according to Jahn, the opera was completed in eighteen -days. Its first performance took place on September 6, and was not a -success. Mozart, who was in bad health when he arrived in Prague, -and who had become still worse through his arduous exertions in -getting the work ready in time for the performance, was greatly -depressed at its failure. - -Returning to Vienna in September, with health and spirits alike -failing him, Mozart resumed work on _Die Zauberflöte_, which was -produced on the 30th of the same month, the composition of the -overture and the march which opens the second act having been only -completed two days previously. Though the success of the first -performance was less than had been anticipated, the public soon began -to appreciate its beauties; it was given twenty-four times in the -following month and reached its hundredth performance in a little -more than a year. - -[Illustration: PART OF THE SCORE OF THE "DE PROFUNDIS." (_British -Museum._)] - -As soon as the opera was off his mind, Mozart returned to his still -incomplete _Requiem_, a work which now engrossed all his attention -and energy. In his enfeebled and depressed state he formed the idea -that he was writing the _Requiem_ for himself, and had a firm -conviction that he had been poisoned. By the advice of his doctor -his wife took away the score from him, and a temporary improvement -resulted, which enabled him to write a small cantata for a masonic -festival--the last work which he entered in the thematic catalogue -already mentioned. At his request his wife returned him the score of -the _Requiem_, but as soon as he resumed work upon it all the -unfavourable symptoms returned with increased violence, and partial -paralysis set in. In the latter part of November he took to his bed, -from which he was never to rise again. By a sad irony of fate, it -was during his last illness that fortune smiled upon him for the -first time: some of the Hungarian nobility joined to assure him of an -annual income of 1,000 florins, while music publishers at Amsterdam -gave him commissions for compositions which would have insured him -against want for the future. But all came too late for the dying -composer, and his last hours were embittered by the thought of -leaving his wife and children unprovided for at the very time when he -would have been able to support them in comfort. To the last his -mind was full of his unfinished _Requiem_, and on the afternoon -before his death, he had the score laid on his bed, and the music -sung by his friends, he himself taking the alto part. When they -reached the opening bars of the "Lacrymosa," Mozart burst into a -violent fit of weeping, and the score was laid aside. In the evening -the physician told Mozart's pupil, Süssmayr, in confidence that there -was nothing more to be done; but he ordered cold bandages to be -applied to the head, which brought on such convulsions that Mozart -lost consciousness; he never recovered it, but died at one o'clock on -the morning of December 5, 1791. He was buried the next day in the -churchyard of St. Marx in so violent a storm that the mourners all -turned back before reaching the graveyard, where the great composer -was laid, not in a grave of his own, but in that allotted to paupers. -When the widow was sufficiently recovered from the first shock to be -able to go to the burial-ground to look for the grave, a new sexton -was there who knew nothing about the matter, and the exact spot under -which Mozart's remains rest has never been identified with certainty. - - - - -THE ART OF MOZART - -In surveying Mozart's art work as a whole, one of the first things to -strike the student is the comprehensiveness of his genius. There is -hardly another of the great composers who has produced so many -masterpieces in so many different styles. It may be at once conceded -that in certain directions he has been surpassed by one or other of -those who have succeeded him. Very few musicians will be found who -will place him, either as a symphonist or as a writer for the piano, -by the side of Beethoven; but, on the other hand, the latter is far -inferior to Mozart in his treatment of the voice. Again, Mozart's -songs, taken as a whole, will not compare with those of Schubert, but -as an operatic composer Schubert has written nothing to approach, -still less to equal, _Figaro_ or _Don Giovanni_. There is hardly one -department of musical composition on which the genius of Mozart has -not left its mark. From this point of view, it will be scarcely too -much to call him the most wonderful "all-round" musician that the -world has ever yet seen. - -Without underestimating his remarkable natural gifts, it can hardly -be doubted that Mozart's surroundings conduced not a little to the -versatility of his genius. Both in Salzburg and in Vienna Italian -music was in the ascendant; and in this the vocal element was of far -more importance than the instrumental. With his extraordinary power -of assimilating all that was best in whatever he heard, and the -almost supernatural facility in composition which seems to have come -to him instinctively, it is not surprising that his earliest works -show strong traces of Italian influence. This was no doubt to some -extent modified by the journeys which, as a child, he made with his -father to Paris and London, in which cities he learned to know much -of both French and German music; but nearly to the end of his life -his style, especially in his vocal music, was rather Italian than -distinctively German. - -One of the most striking features of Mozart's music is the perfect -command of form seen in even his earliest works. He was never a -great innovator in the sense in which that word may be applied to -Haydn, Beethoven, or Schumann; he worked on lines that had been -already laid down by others, contenting himself with improving as far -as possible on his models. If his earlier operas be compared with -the works of his Italian contemporaries, it will be found that the -form of the songs and concerted pieces differs in no material respect -from that to be seen in the operas of Cimarosa, Paisiello, or Sarti; -that which distinguishes Mozart's work is its wonderful flow of -melody, its perfect feeling for euphony, and the true dramatic -instinct displayed wherever the libretto affords an opportunity. But -his later operas, beginning with _Idomeneo_, stand upon an altogether -higher footing. Mozart had at this time come under the influence of -Gluck, whose works he had learned to know in Paris. - -If we compare the score of _Idomeneo_ with that of Gluck's _Alceste_, -we cannot but see the similarity of style. True, Mozart's flow of -melody is more abundant--we might even say more spontaneous; it is in -the more dramatic treatment of the orchestra, and especially in the -large amount of accompanied recitative (as distinguished from -_recitativo secco_) that we note the resemblance. Yet while the -influence of the older master is clearly to be traced, there is an -essential difference in the method of the two composers. Gluck -sometimes sacrifices his musical forms for dramatic effect; Mozart -treats the accepted forms in such a way as to make them capable of -expressing the emotions of the drama. - -An important point, in which Mozart surpassed not only Gluck, but all -other composers of his day, was his treatment of the orchestra. In -his earlier works his employment of the instruments was somewhat -conventional; but he soon freed himself from the trammels of -tradition, and tried experiments in tone combination that were as new -as they were striking. These novelties are to be seen less in his -operas and symphonies than in his serenades and divertimenti.* It was -not till his visit to Paris in 1779 that his command of orchestration -reached its highest development. In his works from this time -forward, whether purely instrumental, or vocal with orchestral -accompaniment, are seen a richness and a feeling for beauty of -colouring in advance of anything previously heard. It was the -elaborate accompaniments of his operas, as compared with those of -other composers of his day, that caused Gretry to reproach him with -having placed the pedestal on the stage and the statue in the -orchestra. At the present time we are so accustomed to the rich -instrumentation of the modern school that Mozart's scores seem -comparatively thin. - - -* As examples, may be named the serenade for two orchestras, one -consisting of two violins, viola, and double-bass, and the other of -string quartett and kettle-drums, and the very curious little pieces -for two flutes, five trumpets, and four drums. - - -If we compare Mozart's instrumental works with those of Haydn, it -will be seen that the difference between them is one of spirit rather -than of form. Haydn's music flows on in a clear stream, of no great -depth in general, but always pleasing, always intelligible, and most -logical and coherent in its thematic developments. In Mozart's music -the lyrical element predominates. His slow movements are in general -more emotional than those of Haydn, both melody and harmony are -richer, and the workmanship more finished. This statement must be -taken only as a generalization, for in the later years of Haydn's -life the influence of Mozart on his style is clearly to be seen, and -some of the slow movements in the Salomon symphonies or the later -quartetts are not unworthy to be placed by the side of Mozart's best. -On the other hand, we find in Haydn's minuets and finales an element -of humour, sometimes even of broad fun, which is rarely seen in -Mozart's instrumental music, though abundant enough in the lighter -scenes of his operas. - -With a few important exceptions, Mozart's pianoforte works do not -rank among his greatest achievements. Many of his sonatas, -variations, etc., were written for his pupils, and possess little -more than historical interest. Mozart lived at the transitional -period in which the harpsichord was giving place to the piano, and in -his earlier sonatas, etc., the style of harpsichord music is often to -be seen. Yet some of his later works for the piano, such as the two -fantasias in C minor, the sonatas in B flat and C minor, the rondo in -A minor, and the adagio in B minor, though now, owing to the changes -in popular taste, seldom heard, are far from deserving the neglect -into which they have fallen. The same may be said of the best -sonatas for piano and violin, and of many of the concertos. It is -hardly a generation since the latter were often to be heard in -public; the modern love of sensationalism and of display for its own -sake seems to have banished them--it is to be hoped not -permanently--from the concert room. - -In estimating Mozart's Church music, it is needful to bear in mind -that much of it, more especially the Masses composed at Salzburg, was -written under special and in some respects arbitrary restrictions. - -In a letter written in 1776 to Padre Martini, Mozart tells him that a -Mass, including the regular five sections, besides an offertory or -motett and a sonata at the epistle, was not allowed to last longer -than three-quarters of an hour; for this reason most of his Masses -are very concise in their form as compared with the later masses of -Haydn or with Beethoven's Mass in C. Besides this, the Archbishop of -Salzburg loved a showy and brilliant style of music, and Mozart was -bound, to some extent, to make concessions to his taste. Yet it is -going too far to say, as some German critics have done, that these -masses are their composer's weakest works. Some of them, especially -those in F and D major, both of which were written at Salzburg in -1774, are in every way worthy of Mozart, while there are but few of -the others which do not contain movements of the greatest beauty. -The same may be said of his litanies, vespers, and smaller sacred -works. But his power as a composer of Church music is best shown in -portions of the great Mass in C minor, which he began at Vienna in -1783, but never completed, and most of all in the _Requiem_, in which -his genius rises to a greater height than in any of his other sacred -compositions. There is little reason to doubt that, had he been -allowed free scope, his works in this field of art would have been -little, if at all, inferior to those on which his fame most securely -rests. - -As a contrapuntist Mozart undoubtedly ranks second only to J. -Sebastian Bach, of whom, indeed, his astounding facility in solving -the most complex musical problems at times reminds us. Nowhere is -the _ars celare artem_ more perfectly exemplified than in the best -specimens of Mozart's fugal and canonic writing. The example most -frequently referred to as an illustration is the finale of the -"Jupiter" symphony, but such pieces as the "Rex tremendæ" of the -_Requiem_, with its quadruple canon, the final fugue in the _Davidde -penitente_, or the "Laudate pueri" of the second Vespers, are -scarcely less remarkable. The large number of canons for -unaccompanied voices which he wrote show his preference, no less than -his aptitude, for the stricter forms; yet, however elaborate, in his -hands they never become dry, but are always full of melodic beauty. -With Mozart technique is always the means, never the end. - -The influence of Mozart on the music of the first half of the last -century can hardly be fully estimated. It is clearly to be seen in -the earlier works of Beethoven. By this it is not meant that the -younger master borrowed, or even imitated, the actual themes of his -predecessor; his individuality was from the first too strongly -marked. But many of the works of what is known as Beethoven's "first -manner" are clearly modelled upon corresponding works by Mozart. -Thus, his trio for strings in E flat, Op. 3, was evidently suggested -by Mozart's trio in the same key, while the septett and the quintett -for piano and wind instruments clearly show traces of Mozart's -manner. The same may be said of the adagio of the first piano -sonata, and of the whole of the sonata in D for piano and violin--to -name but a few examples of many. Not the least disparagement of -Beethoven is intended in saying this: every great composer has begun -his career by imitating more or less closely the works of his -predecessors, and it was inevitable that Mozart should have -influenced one who had so many points of affinity with him. In -Beethoven's later works the similarity of style is no longer to be -noticed. - -[Illustration: MOZART. (_From a portrait by Jäger._)] - -Passing over with a mere word of mention such composers of the second -rank as Andreas Romberg and Hummel, we find two composers of marked -individuality--Schubert and Mendelssohn--in whose earlier works the -influence of Mozart is more or less traceable. As a song-writer, -Schubert was original from the first; even in his instrumental works -it is only occasionally that one is reminded of other composers. The -suggestions of Mozart are chiefly to be found in Schubert's earlier -symphonies. The variations which form the slow movement of the -symphony in B flat might be inserted in one of Mozart's serenades -without seeming out of place. In the works of Mendelssohn's youth -the Mozart influence is more distinct,* though, like Schubert, he -soon emancipated himself. - - -* The first subject of the finale of Mendelssohn's first piano -quartett is a very close, though probably unconscious, imitation of -the opening bars of the finale of Mozart's sonata in C minor. - - -Among composers of the present day one would seek in vain for any -traces of Mozart's influence. Times have changed, and the classical -style has been supplanted by the romantic. Whether this is -altogether to the advantage of modern music is a question which -cannot be discussed here; but an energetic protest may at least be -entered against the superficial criticism sometimes to be heard that -Mozart's works are weak and old-fashioned. That music has made much -progress since Mozart's days nobody will deny; the operatic reforms -of Wagner are far-reaching, while Schumann, Chopin, and Brahms--not -to mention more recent composers--have enlarged the harmonic -resources of the art. But on all those whose musical palates have -not been vitiated by the highly-spiced viands of the ultra-modern -school, Mozart's pure, natural, soulful music can never cease to -exert its charm. "A thing of beauty is a joy for ever," and, in -spite of the proverbial danger of prophesying, it is hardly rash to -predict that Mozart's best symphonies will outlive those of Berlioz -or Tschaïkowsky, and that his _Don Giovanni_ and _Figaro_ will -continue to be the delight and admiration of true musicians, even -though changes in the popular taste should banish them from the -stage. Mozart's place among the immortals is as secure as that of -Bach or Beethoven. - - - - -LIST OF WORKS. - -Of all the great composers, Mozart was one of the most prolific. The -chronological thematic catalogue of his works, by Kochel, published -at Leipzig in 1862, contains 626 numbers, varying in length from -short pieces of only a few bars to operas, the manuscripts of which -fill hundreds of pages. Even a clearer idea of the enormous quantity -of music written by Mozart in his short life of thirty-six years will -be gained when it is said that the complete collection of his works, -published by Breitkopf and Hartel, of Leipzig, fills nearly 13,000 -folio pages. The following list, compiled from Kochel's catalogue, -will show not only the extent, but the variety of the ground covered -by the composer. A few of the works mentioned by Kochel have been -lost, and are therefore not included in Breitkopf's edition. - - -1. VOCAL MUSIC. - -1. Nineteen Masses, and the _Requiem_. Of the Masses three are -incomplete, and the genuineness of one is doubtful. - -2. Four Litanies and three Vespers. - -3. Forty short pieces of sacred music (offertories, motetts, etc.). - -4. Two oratorios (_La Betulia Liberata_ and _Davide Penitente_) and -four cantatas. - -5. Twenty-three operas and other dramatic works. This list includes -the incidental music to the play _König Thamos_, and the two -unfinished operas, _L'Oca del Cairo_ and _Lo Sposo Deluso_. - -6. Sixty-six concert arias, trios, etc., with orchestral -accompaniment. Many of these were written by Mozart for his personal -friends; others were intended to be introduced, according to the -custom of the time, into operas by other composers. - -7. Forty songs, with accompaniment for the piano. - -8. Twenty-two canons for voices without accompaniment. Of these one -is for two voices, eight are for three, ten for four, two for six, -and one for three four-part choirs. - - -2. INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC. - -9. Forty-nine symphonies for orchestra. - -10. Thirty-three serenades and divertimenti for various combinations -of instruments. - -11. Twenty-seven miscellaneous instrumental works of various -kinds--symphony movements, minuets, marches, etc. - -12. Thirty-nine collections of dances, containing 194 separate -numbers. - -13. Six concertos for violin, one for two violins, and one for violin -and viola; also four single movements for a solo violin with -orchestra. - -14. Twelve concertos, or single movements, for various wind -instruments with orchestra. - -15. Nine string quintetts, of which one is with horn and another with -clarinet. - -16. Twenty-seven quartetts for strings, two for strings with flute, -and one for strings with oboe. - -17. One trio and three duets for strings. - -18. Twenty-seven pianoforte concertos, including one for two and -another for three pianos; also two rondos for piano and orchestra. - -19. A quintett for piano and wind instruments; two quartetts and -seven trios for piano and strings, and one trio for piano, clarinet, -and viola. - -20. Forty-three sonatas, and two sets of variations for piano and -violin. - -21. A fugue and a sonata for two pianos; five sonatas and a set of -variations for piano duet. - -22. Seventeen sonatas for piano solo. - -23. Four fantasias, fifteen sets of variations, and twenty various -pieces for piano solo. - -24. Seventeen sonatas for organ, with other instruments, written for -Salzburg. - - -In addition to the above works, Kochel's catalogue gives a list of -ninety-eight works which Mozart began, but, for some unknown reason, -never completed. - - - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 69304 *** diff --git a/old/69304-h/69304-h.htm b/old/69304-h/69304-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index 16475fc..0000000 --- a/old/69304-h/69304-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,2948 +0,0 @@ -<!DOCTYPE html> -<html lang="en"> - -<head> - -<link rel="icon" href="images/img-cover.jpg" type="image/x-cover"> - -<meta charset="utf-8"> - -<title> -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Mozart, by Ebenezer Prout -</title> - -<style> - -body { color: black; - background: white; - margin-right: 10%; - margin-left: 10%; - font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; - text-align: justify } - -p {text-indent: 4% } - -p.noindent {text-indent: 0% } - -p.t1 {text-indent: 0% ; - font-size: 200%; - text-align: center } - -p.t2 {text-indent: 0% ; - font-size: 150%; - text-align: center } - -p.t2b {text-indent: 0% ; - font-size: 150%; - font-weight: bold; - text-align: center } - -p.t3 {text-indent: 0% ; - font-size: 100%; - text-align: center } - -p.t3b {text-indent: 0% ; - font-size: 100%; - font-weight: bold; - text-align: center } - -p.t4 {text-indent: 0% ; - font-size: 80%; - text-align: center } - -p.t4b {text-indent: 0% ; - font-size: 80%; - font-weight: bold; - text-align: center } - -p.t5 {text-indent: 0% ; - font-size: 60%; - text-align: center } - -h1 { text-align: center } -h2 { text-align: center } -h3 { text-align: center } -h4 { text-align: center } -h5 { text-align: center } - -p.poem {text-indent: 0%; - margin-left: 10%; } - -p.thought {text-indent: 0% ; - letter-spacing: 4em ; - text-align: center } - -p.letter {text-indent: 0%; - margin-left: 10% ; - margin-right: 10% } - -p.footnote {text-indent: 0% ; - font-size: 80%; - margin-left: 10% ; - margin-right: 10% } - -.smcap { font-variant: small-caps } - -p.transnote {text-indent: 0% ; - margin-left: 10% ; - margin-right: 10% } - -p.intro {font-size: 90% ; - text-indent: -5% ; - margin-left: 5% ; - margin-right: 0% } - -p.quote {text-indent: 4% ; - font-size: 85% ; - margin-left: 5% ; - margin-right: 5% } - -p.finis { font-size: larger ; - text-align: center ; - text-indent: 0% ; - margin-left: 0% ; - margin-right: 0% } - -p.capcenter { margin-left: 0; - margin-right: 0 ; - margin-bottom: .5% ; - margin-top: 0; - font-weight: bold; - float: none ; - clear: both ; - text-indent: 0%; - text-align: center } - -img.imgcenter { margin-left: auto; - margin-bottom: 0; - margin-top: 1%; - margin-right: auto; } - -</style> - -</head> - -<body> -<div>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 69304 ***</div> - -<p><br><br></p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-front"></a> -<br> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-front.jpg" alt="MOZART AS A YOUNG MAN. (<i>From a print by Schwërer.</i>)"> -<br> -MOZART AS A YOUNG MAN.<br> -(<i>From a print by Schwërer.</i>) -</p> - -<p><br><br></p> - -<p class="t3b"> - Bell's Miniature Series of Musicians<br> -</p> - -<h1> -<br><br> - MOZART<br> -</h1> - -<p><br></p> - -<p class="t3b"> - BY<br> -</p> - -<p class="t2"> - EBENEZER PROUT, B.A., Mus.D.<br> -</p> - -<p class="t4"> - PROFESSOR OF MUSIC, DUBLIN UNIVERSITY<br> -</p> - -<p><br><br></p> - -<p class="t3"> - LONDON<br> - GEORGE BELL & SONS<br> - 1905<br> -</p> - -<p><br><br><br></p> - -<p class="t4"> - First Published, November, 1903.<br> - Reprinted, 1905.<br> -</p> - -<p><br><br><br></p> - -<p class="t3b"> -TABLE OF CONTENTS -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#chap01">SOME BOOKS ABOUT MOZART</a> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#chap02">THE CHILD (1756-1768)</a> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#chap03">THE YOUTH (1769-1778)</a> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#chap04">THE MAN (1779-1791)</a> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#chap05">HIS ART—AN APPRECIATION</a> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#chap06">LIST OF WORKS BY MOZART</a> -</p> - -<p><br><br><br></p> - -<p class="t3b"> -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#img-front">MOZART AS A YOUNG MAN</a> ... <i>Frontispiece</i><br> - (<i>From a print by Schwërer.</i>)<br> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#img-002">MOZART AT THE AGE OF SEVEN</a><br> - (<i>From a scarce French print.</i>)<br> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#img-006">MOZART WITH HIS FATHER AND SISTER</a><br> - (<i>From a rare print.</i>)<br> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#img-020">THE MOZART FAMILY</a><br> - (<i>From the painting by Van de la Croce,</i><br> - 1780, <i>in the Mozart Museum.</i>)<br> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#img-040">MOZART IN 1791</a><br> - (<i>From an original at Salzburg.</i>)<br> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#img-050">PART OF THE SCORE OF THE "DE PROFUNDIS"</a> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#img-060">MOZART, BY JÄGER</a> -</p> - -<p><br><br><br></p> - -<p><a id="chap01"></a></p> - -<h3> -SOME BOOKS ABOUT MOZART -</h3> - -<p><br></p> - -<p> -Among the more important biographical and -critical works on Mozart are the following: -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -NISSEN, G. N. VON. "Biographie W. A. Mozart's." Leipzig. 1828. -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -HOLMES, EDWARD. "Life of Mozart, including<br> - His Correspondence." London. 1845.<br> - Second Edition, edited by the writer of this book. 1878.<br> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -JAHN, OTTO. "W. A. Mozart." First Edition,<br> - 4 vols. Leipzig. 1856-59. Second Edition,<br> - 2 vols. 1867. English translation, 3 vols.<br> - London. 1882.<br> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -KÖCHEL, DR. LUDWIG RITTER VON. "Chronologisch-thematisches<br> - Verzeichniss sämmtlicher Tonwerke Wolfgang Amade<br> - Mozart's." Leipzig. 1862.<br> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -POHL, C. F. "Mozart und Haydn in London." Vienna. 1867. -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -NOHL, LUDWIG. "Mozart nach den Schilderungen seiner<br> - Zeitgenossen." Leipzig. 1880.<br> -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p> -The article on Mozart by C. F. Pohl in the -second volume of Grove's "Dictionary of -Music and Musicians" is also well deserving -of study, being, in fact, an epitome of Jahn's -great work. -</p> - -<p><br><br><br></p> - -<p><a id="chap02"></a></p> - -<p class="t2"> -LIFE OF MOZART -</p> - -<p><br><br></p> - -<h3> -THE CHILD (1756-1768) -</h3> - -<p> -Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart -was born at Salzburg on January 27, -1756. His full name, as given in the church -register, was "Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus -Theophilus"; his father used the -German equivalent "Gottlieb" of this last -name, and the composer himself subsequently -adopted the Latinized form "Amadeus." -</p> - -<p> -His family had long been settled in -Augsburg, where Wolfgang's father, Leopold -Mozart, was born on November 14, 1719. -With the object of studying jurisprudence, -Leopold entered the university of Salzburg, -supporting himself by teaching music and -playing the violin. He was a musician of -considerable attainments, and in 1743 the -Archbishop of Salzburg took him into his -service, later appointing him Court composer and -leader of the orchestra. He was a voluminous -composer, but his works show little inventive -power. His fame as a musician rests chiefly -on his "School for the Violin," printed in 1756—the -year of Wolfgang's birth. This work, -from which Otto Jahn in his great monograph -on Mozart gives several extracts, was for many -years the only work published in Germany on -the subject, and was held in great esteem not -only for the thoroughness of its instructions, -but for the excellence of its style. -</p> - -<p> -In 1747 Leopold Mozart married Anna -Maria Pertlin (or Bertlin), by whom he had -seven children, only two of whom survived -infancy. The elder of these two was a -daughter, Maria Anna, born July 30, 1751; the -younger was the subject of the present volume. -</p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-002"></a> -<br> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-002.jpg" alt="MOZART AT THE AGE OF SEVEN. (<i>From a scarce French print.</i>)"> -<br> -MOZART AT THE AGE OF SEVEN.<br> -(<i>From a scarce French print.</i>) -</p> - -<p> -Like her illustrious brother, Maria Anna -(generally spoken of in the family by the pet -name of "Nannerl") very early showed great -aptitude for music. At the age of seven her -father began to give her lessons on the clavier, -on which she made remarkable progress. It -was during these lessons that Wolfgang's -wonderful musical genius first showed itself. -Though the child was then only between three -and four years of age, he took the greatest -interest in what his sister was doing, and would -amuse himself with picking out thirds on the -clavier. When he was four his father, more -in joke than otherwise, began to teach him -little pieces, which he learned with astonishing -ease. For a short piece he required only half -an hour, for longer pieces an hour, after which -he could play them with perfect correctness. -What is even more astonishing is that before -he was five years of age he began to compose -and play little pieces which his father wrote -down. Some of these juvenile efforts have been -preserved, and show that while the young -musician had not at that time acquired any -individuality of style, he had an instinctive -feeling for clearness of form, while his harmony -shows a correctness which is absolutely -amazing in so young a child. -</p> - -<p> -J. A. Schachtner, Court trumpeter at Salzburg, -an intimate friend of the family, has -preserved some reminiscences of the child's -early years in a letter which he wrote to the -composer's sister soon after Mozart's death. -In this letter Schachtner relates how, on -returning from church one day with Leopold -Mozart, they found little Wolfgang, then four -years old, hard at work writing: -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p class="quote"> -"Papa. What are you writing? -</p> - -<p class="quote"> -"Wolfgang. A piano concerto; the first part is nearly -finished. -</p> - -<p class="quote"> -"Papa. Let me see it. -</p> - -<p class="quote"> -"Wolfgang. It is not ready yet. -</p> - -<p class="quote"> -"Papa. Let me see it; it must be something pretty. -</p> - -<p class="quote"> -"His father took it, and showed me a daub of notes, -mostly written over blots that had been wiped out. -(N.B.—Little Wolfgang in his ignorance had dipped -his pen every time to the bottom of the inkstand, and -so made a blot each time he put it on the paper; this -he wiped out with his flat hand, and went on writing.) We -laughed at first over this apparent nonsense; but -the papa then began to notice the principal thing, the -composition. He remained motionless for a long while, -looking at the page; at last two tears—tears of -admiration and joy—fell from his eyes. 'Look, Herr -Schachtner,' said he, 'how correctly and regularly it is -all arranged, only it cannot be used because it is so -extraordinarily difficult that nobody can play it.' Little -Wolfgang broke in: 'That is why it is a concerto; it -must be practised till one gets it right. Look, this is -how it must go!' He played it, but could only just -make enough out of it to show us what he meant.' -</p> - -<p class="t3"> -* * * * * -</p> - -<p class="quote"> -"Soon after they returned from Vienna, and Wolfgang -brought with him a little fiddle that had been -presented to him. The late Herr Wentzl, an excellent -violinist, who also did a little in composition, brought -six trios with him which he had written during your -father's absence, and asked his opinion on them. We -played the trios, your father taking the bass part on the -viola, Wentzl the first violin, and I was to play the -second. Wolfgang begged that he might play the second, -but his father refused the foolish request, as he had not -had the slightest instruction on the violin, and the -father thought he was not in the least able to do it. -Wolfgang said: 'To play a second violin one need not -have learned!' When his father insisted on his going -away and not disturbing us any further, he began to -cry bitterly, and rushed out of the room with his fiddle. -I begged them to let him play with me. At last papa -said: 'Well, play with Herr Schachtner; but so quietly -that nobody hears you, else you must go.' So Wolfgang -played with me. I soon noticed with astonishment that -I was quite superfluous. I quietly put down my violin -and looked at your father, down whose cheeks tears of -admiration and happiness were rolling, and so we -played all six trios. When we had finished Wolfgang -grew so bold with our applause that he declared he -could play the first violin part too. We tried it for a -joke, and nearly died of laughing when he played this -part also, though with quite incorrect and irregular -fingering, yet so that he never stuck fast." -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p> -In January, 1762, Leopold Mozart took his -children to Munich, where they played before -the Elector. Their visit lasted three weeks, -and was so successful that in September of the -same year they started for Vienna. They -travelled leisurely, staying five days at Passau -at the request of the Bishop, and giving a -concert at Linz under the patronage of the -Governor-General of the Province, Count Schlick. -The astonishment and delight at the performances -of the two children were unbounded. -On arriving at Vienna, they received a -command to visit the Emperor at Schönbrunn. -Both he and the Empress were good musicians, -and many incidents are related by Mozart's -biographers showing not only the interest -taken in the youthful prodigy, but also the -tests of ability to which the Emperor submitted -him. It was, of course, only natural that the -example set by royalty should be followed by -members of the Court, and the Mozarts were -invited by all the nobility of Vienna. Their -visit must have been a source of considerable -profit, as many valuable presents were made -them. Their success was interrupted for a -time, from Wolfgang being attacked by scarlet -fever; happily, the attack was not very severe, -though sufficient to confine him to the house -for a month. The family returned to Salzburg -early in January, 1763. -</p> - -<p> -Encouraged by the success of his first -venture, Leopold Mozart resolved on a much -longer tour, and on June 9, 1763, he, with his -wife and the two children, left home for Paris. -At Wasserburg their carriage broke down, and -a day's delay was caused while it was being -repaired. Leopold Mozart writes to his friend -Hagenauer: -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p class="quote"> -"The latest thing is that, to amuse ourselves, we went -to the organ, and I explained the pedals to Wolferl, -whereupon he at once, <i>stante pede</i>, began to try them. -Pushing back the stool and standing, he preluded, -stepping about on the pedals just as if he had practised -for many months. All were amazed; it is a new gift of -God, which many only attain after much trouble." -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p> -After passing through Munich, Augsburg, -Mainz, Frankfort, Cologne, and Brussels, giving -many concerts by the way, they reached Paris -on November 18, where they were the guests of -the Bavarian Ambassador, Count von Eyck, -whose wife was the daughter of an official at -Salzburg. By means of introductions which -he had brought with him, Leopold Mozart soon -obtained permission for his children to play at -Court, where the King's daughters showed -themselves extremely friendly to them. The -father in one of his letters tells how they went -on New Year's Day to the supper-room of the -royal family, and how Wolfgang stood near the -Queen, who fed him with sweetmeats and -talked to him in German, interpreting his -answers to the King, who did not understand -the language. Every where the child's -performances excited the greatest wonder and -admiration. Not only would he play anything -set before him at first sight, but he would -transpose or accompany from a full score; his -improvisations are also spoken of as remarkable, -not only for their melodic interest but for -their harmony. -</p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-006"></a> -<br> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-006.jpg" alt="MOZART WITH HIS FATHER AND SISTER. (<i>From a rare print.</i>)"> -<br> -MOZART WITH HIS FATHER AND SISTER.<br> -(<i>From a rare print.</i>) -</p> - -<p> -It was while he was in Paris that his father -had his first compositions printed for him. -These were four sonatas for piano and violin, -published in two sets, the first of which was -dedicated to the Princess Victoria, the second -daughter of the King, and the second to the -Comtesse de Tesse, lady-in-waiting to the -Dauphiness. It is not too much to say that -these four sonatas are the most remarkable -examples in existence of precocious musical -genius. It is not so much that they show great -originality in their subject-matter, though in -the slow movements, especially in that of the -fourth sonata, foreshadowings of the riper -Mozart may be seen; it is the wonderful -command of form, the feeling for rhythm and for -balance in the different parts of a movement -which excite astonishment. The harmony, too, -is for the most part absolutely correct, though -in one place—in the minuet of the fourth -sonata—consecutive fifths are to be seen. -Leopold Mozart had corrected them in the -proofs, but the correction had not been made -before printing, and the father consoled himself -with the reflection that they would serve as a -proof that the boy had really composed the -sonatas himself, which people might otherwise -have been not unnaturally inclined to doubt. -</p> - -<p> -In April, 1764, the Mozarts left Paris and -came to London. George III. and Queen -Charlotte were both extremely fond of music, -and the success the children had met with in -Paris was even surpassed at the English Court. -Wolfgang played at first sight pieces by -Wagenseil, Bach, Abel, and Handel, which the King -placed before him; he accompanied the Queen -in a song and a flutist in a solo; finally, he -took a bass part of one of Handel's songs, and -extemporized a beautiful melody above it. -His father wrote of him at this time: "It -surpasses all conception. What he knew when -we left Salzburg is a mere shadow to what he -knows now. My girl, though only twelve, is -one of the cleverest players in Europe; and the -mighty Wolfgang, to put it briefly, knows all, -in this his eighth year, that one could ask from -a man of forty. In short, anyone who does not -see and hear it cannot believe it. You all in -Salzburg know nothing about it, for the matter -is quite different now." -</p> - -<p> -On June 5 Leopold Mozart gave a concert -to introduce his children to a London public. -The result was a great success, and he, in his -own words, "was frightened at taking one -hundred guineas in three hours." Subsequently -Wolfgang played the piano and organ at a -concert given at Ranelagh Gardens for a -charitable object. In August Leopold Mozart -was attacked by a dangerous inflammation of -the throat, which confined him to the house for -seven weeks, during which time no music was -heard. Wolfgang utilized the occasion by -writing his first symphony for orchestra, and -his sister afterwards told how, when she was -sitting at his side, he said to her: "Remind me -to give the horns something good." Like the -first sonatas already spoken of, the first -symphony, though not remarkable for its -themes, shows the wonderful knowledge of -instrumental forms that the child had almost -intuitively acquired. -</p> - -<p> -After the father's recovery the family were -again invited to Court on October 29 for the -festivities on the fourth anniversary of the -King's coronation. In recognition of the royal -favour, Leopold Mozart had six sonatas by -Wolfgang for piano and violin engraved at his -own expense. They were dedicated to the -Queen, who rewarded the composer with a -present of fifty guineas. These sonatas, though -concise in form and bearing marks of immaturity, -already show a perceptible advance on those -printed a year earlier in Paris. -</p> - -<p> -It was in London, at the Italian Opera, that -the young composer first had the opportunity -of hearing great singers. Chief among these -were the male soprani, Manzuoli and Tenducci, -the former of whom gave him lessons in singing. -How he profited by them we learn from his -friend Grimm, who, hearing him in Paris on -his return there in the following year, writes -that he sang with as much feeling as taste. -With so impressionable a nature as his, it can -scarcely be doubted that these early lessons -contributed not a little to the formation of that -pure style of vocal writing so characteristic of -his music for the theatre and the church. -</p> - -<p> -Finding that, when the novelty had worn off, -the performances of his children no longer -attracted the same attention as before, the -Mozarts left London on July 24, 1765, on a -visit to the Hague, as the Princess von Weilburg, -sister of the Prince of Orange, was very -anxious to see the boy. They were most -graciously received, but had not been long at -the Hague when Marianne was taken so -dangerously ill that her life was despaired -of, and extreme unction was administered. -Scarcely was she recovered when Wolfgang -was seized with a violent fever, which confined -him to his bed for several weeks. Even during -this illness his ruling passion showed itself. -He would have a board laid upon his bed on -which he could write, and even when he was -weakest it was difficult to restrain him from -writing and playing. -</p> - -<p> -In January, 1766, two concerts were given -in Amsterdam, the programmes of which -consisted entirely of Wolfgang's instrumental -compositions. Two months later they returned to -the Hague to be present at the festivities of -the coming of age of the Prince of Orange. -Here Wolfgang, at the desire of the Princess -of Weilburg, wrote six more sonatas for piano -and violin, besides several smaller pieces for her. -</p> - -<p> -We must pass briefly over the remainder of -this long tour. Passing through Mechlin, they -returned to Paris, thence by Dijon and Lyons -to Switzerland, where they stayed some time. -It was not till the end of November, 1766, that, -after an absence of nearly three years and a -half, the family found themselves once more at -home at Salzburg. -</p> - -<p> -It has been advisable to give in considerable -detail the particulars of Mozart's earliest years -because the precocious development of his -genius is absolutely without a parallel in the -case of any other composer. The limits of the -present volume will render it needful to be -somewhat more concise in dealing with the rest -of the biography. It is characteristic of the -young Wolfgang that his simple nature does -not appear to have been in the least spoiled by -successes which were enough to have turned -the head of an adult. Jahn tells us that he -would ride round the room on his father's stick, -or jump up from the piano in the middle of his -extemporizing to go and play with a favourite -cat. Doubtless the judicious training he received -from his good and wise father furnishes the -explanation of this estimable trait in his -character. -</p> - -<p> -For nearly a year the family remained at -home, Wolfgang working hard both at playing -and composing. The chief works belonging to -this period, on none of which it is necessary to -dwell, are the first four concertos for the piano, -a small sacred cantata, <i>Grabmusik</i>, and the -Latin comedy, <i>Apollo et Hyacinthus</i>, written for -performance by the students of the Salzburg -University. In September, 1767, the whole -family left home on a second visit to Vienna, -with the intention of being present at the -marriage of the Archduchess Maria Josepha -with King Ferdinand of Naples, which was -shortly to take place. Unfortunately, within a -month after their arrival the Archduchess was -carried off by small-pox, and Leopold Mozart -with all his family fled to Olmütz. His children, -nevertheless, did not escape; both were attacked -by the complaint, with such severity in the case -of Wolfgang that he lay blind for nine days. -With the greatest kindness the Dean of Olmütz, -Count Podstatsky, who was also a Canon of -Salzburg, and therefore knew Mozart, received -the whole family into his house, procuring for -them the best medical attendance and nursing. -</p> - -<p> -Returning to Vienna in January, 1768, they -soon experienced difficulties of all kinds. The -Empress Maria Theresa, it is true, as soon as -she heard of the dangerous illness of the children -whom she had so admired five years before, -sent for them; but this visit brought them little -profit, for the Emperor was parsimonious, and -the nobility followed his example. Even more -adverse were the conditions as regards the -general public. The Viennese at that time, as -Leopold Mozart says in one of his letters, had -no desire to see anything serious and sensible, -and little or no idea of it; all they cared for -was buffoonery, farces, or pantomime. The -infant prodigy had been a "draw" in 1762; -but they cared little or nothing for the -development of the artist a few years later. Added -to this was the active opposition of envious -musicians. Those who had admired the young -child now dreaded the boy of twelve as a -dangerous rival. The father says: -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p class="quote"> -"I found that all the clavier players and composers -in Vienna opposed our progress, with the single exception -of Wagenseil, and he, as he is ill, can do little or -nothing for us. The great rule with these people was -carefully to avoid all opportunity of seeing us or of -examining into Wolfgang's knowledge. And why? -So that they, in so many cases when they were asked -if they have heard this boy and what they think of him, -might always be able to say that they had not heard -him, and that it was impossible it could be true; that -it was humbug and harlequinade; that matters had -been arranged, and that the things given him to play -were what he knew already; that it was ridiculous to -think he could compose. You see, that is why they -avoid us. For anyone who has seen and heard him -can no longer say this without the risk of dishonour. -I have trapped one of these people. We had arranged -with someone to let us know quietly when he would be -present. He was to come and bring an extraordinarily -difficult concerto. We managed the matter, and he -had the opportunity of hearing his concerto played off -by Wolfgang as if he knew it by heart. The astonishment -of this composer and performer, the expressions -which he used in his admiration, gave us all to -understand what I have just been pointing out to you. At -last he said: 'I can, as an honourable man, say nothing -else than that this boy is the greatest man now living in -the world; it was impossible to believe.'" -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p> -Isolated cases of this kind could do but little -to stem the torrent of calumny and depreciation -to which the young composer was exposed. -But now the Emperor came forward and -proposed that Wolfgang should write an opera. -The proposal was eagerly accepted; the father -saw that a success would not only establish the -lad's reputation in Vienna, but would pave the -way for further successes in Italy. The text -of an opera buffa, <i>La Finta Semplice</i>, was -obtained from Coltellini, the poet connected -with the theatre, and Wolfgang set to work at -once. The score, which contained twenty-five -numbers and 558 pages, was soon completed. -Jahn, who gives a detailed analysis of the whole -opera, concludes his criticism by saying that -the work was fully equal to those at that time -to be heard on the stage, while in single numbers -it surpassed them in nobility and originality of -invention and treatment, while it pointed clearly -to a greater future. And this, be it remembered, -was the composition of a boy of twelve! -</p> - -<p> -In spite of the support of the Emperor, the -unscrupulous intrigues of Mozart's enemies, of -which his father's letters convey a vivid idea, -so influenced the manager of the theatre, -Affligio—a scoundrel who, it is satisfactory to -learn, ended his days at the galleys—that the -opera was never produced. By way of consolation, -however, the father had the pleasure of -hearing a German operetta by Wolfgang performed. -This was <i>Bastien und Bastienne</i>, a piece -in one act, which was written for Dr. Messmer, -a rich amateur who had built a small theatre in -his garden. Wolfgang was also commissioned -to compose the music for the dedication of the -chapel of an orphan asylum, and to conduct the -performance of the same. For this occasion he -composed his first Mass (in G major), and an -offertorium, <i>Veni sancte Spiritus</i>, of which the -latter is the more striking. -</p> - -<p> -On the return of the Mozart family to -Salzburg, about the end of 1768, the Archbishop, -gratified at the success obtained by a native -of the city, had the opera performed by musicians -who were in his service. He further appointed -Wolfgang concertmeister—that is, leader of the -orchestra—and his name appears in this capacity -in the Court calendars of 1770. -</p> - -<p><br><br><br></p> - -<p><a id="chap03"></a></p> - -<h3> -THE YOUTH (1769-1778) -</h3> - -<p> -The greater part of the year 1769 was spent -quietly at Salzburg, where Wolfgang, under -his father's direction, diligently pursued his -studies. In December of that year the father -and son set off for Italy, Leopold rightly feeling -that such a tour would not only be advantageous -to Wolfgang's reputation as a musician, -but would enlarge his views and give him -wider experience of the world. -</p> - -<p> -The lad was now no longer an infant prodigy, -but, it might almost be said, already a mature -artist, whose powers were ripening daily, thanks -hardly less to his father's judicious training -than to his own natural genius. It is noteworthy -that he never seems to have been in -the least spoiled by his successes; he remained -the same natural, affectionate boy that he had -always been. The letters that he wrote during -his tour to his sister at home are full of charm. -While often overflowing with fun, they also -show how acute a critic he was of the music -which he heard, and how keen an observer of -all that passed around him. In this respect -they may be compared with the letters written -from Italy more than sixty years later by -Mendelssohn. -</p> - -<p> -Travelling by way of Innsbruck, Roveredo, -and Verona, and meeting everywhere with a -most enthusiastic reception, Mozart, with his -father, reached Mantua on January 10, 1770. -The Philharmonic Society of the city gave -a concert on the 16th of the same month, -which was in reality a public exhibition of -Wolfgang's powers. The programme has -fortunately been preserved, and we learn from -it that in addition to two of his symphonies, of -which he probably directed the performance, -he played at first sight a concerto for the -harpsichord that was placed before him. He -also played at sight a sonata, introducing -variations of his own, and afterwards transposed the -whole piece into another key. More remarkable -still was his improvisation. He extemporized -a sonata and a regularly constructed fugue -on themes given him at the moment. He also -sang and composed extempore a song on words -not previously seen, accompanying himself on -the harpsichord. -</p> - -<p> -The travellers' next stay was at Milan, where -they found a warm friend in Count Firmian, -the Governor-General of Lombardy, who -interested himself with such success on behalf of -Wolfgang that the latter received a commission -to compose an opera for the next season, after -giving proof of his powers for serious opera by -setting three songs from the poems of Metastasio. -</p> - -<p> -Passing through Parma, Bologna (where -they made the acquaintance of the celebrated -theorist Padre Martini) and Florence, the -Mozarts arrived in Rome during Holy Week. It -was on this occasion that Wolfgang performed -the feat, so often recorded, of writing down -from memory Allegri's <i>Miserere</i> after having -heard it sung, in the Sistine Chapel. After a -visit for a month to Naples, they returned to -Rome, where the Pope invested Wolfgang -with the order of the Golden Spur. -</p> - -<p> -Revisiting Bologna on his return journey, -the lad received the honour of being elected a -member of the Philharmonic Society of that -city. As a test-piece he composed an antiphon -in four parts, <i>Quœrite primum regnum Dei</i>, in the -strict contrapuntal style of the old Church -music. His father, writing home an account -of the affair, says: -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p class="quote"> -"The princeps academiæ and the two censors, who are -all old kapellmeisters, put before him in the presence of -all the members an antiphon from the Antiphonarium, -which he was to set in four parts in an adjoining room, -to which he was conducted by the beadle and locked in. -When he had finished it, it was examined by the -censors and all the kapellmeisters and composers, who -then voted upon it with black and white balls. As all -the balls were white, he was called in, and all clapped -on his entry, and applauded him after the princeps -academiæ had announced his reception in the name of -the society. He returned thanks, and all was over. -I was meantime shut up in the library on the other side -of the hall. All were astonished that he had done it so -quickly, as many take three hours over an antiphon of -three lines. You should know, though, that it is no -easy task, for there are many things forbidden in this -kind of composition, as he had been previously told. -He finished it in exactly half an hour." -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p> -While staying at Bologna, Mozart received -from Milan the libretto of the opera which he -was to write. According to his custom, he -wrote the recitatives first, deferring the -composition of the airs till he had made acquaintance -with the singers, in order that he might suit -them the better with their parts. On October -18, Wolfgang and his father returned to -Milan, and the boy at once set to work diligently -to finish the opera, which was to be produced at -Christmas. The subject of the work was -<i>Mitridate, Re di Ponto</i>, the libretto being written -by a poet of Turin named Cigna-Santi. All -the airs were written after consultation with -those who were to sing them. -</p> - -<p> -As at Vienna, so at Milan: jealous musicians -intrigued to hinder the success of the work, -but their efforts were in vain. The principal -singers and the members of the orchestra were -delighted with the music, and on December 26 -it was produced, with so brilliant a result as to -silence the detractors. The opera was repeated -twenty times to always crowded houses, and -with ever-increasing success. At the end of -March, 1771, Wolfgang was again in Salzburg. -</p> - -<p> -Two important musical works were the -result of the success of <i>Mitridate</i>. The -impresario at Milan engaged Wolfgang to write an -opera for the season of 1773, while the Empress -Maria Theresa commissioned him to compose a -theatrical serenata for the marriage of the -Archduke Ferdinand, which was to take place at -Milan in October, 1771. The work was <i>Ascanio -in Alba</i>, which was produced on October 17 -with very complete success. The celebrated -Hasse, a friend of the Mozarts, and an -honourable man, who had always sided with -Wolfgang against his detractors, had written an -opera, <i>Ruggiero</i>, for the same festivities. -Leopold Mozart writes home: "I am sorry that -Wolfgang's serenata has so eclipsed Hasse's -opera that it is indescribable." Hasse himself -was generous enough to acknowledge his defeat, -and to say: "This youth will make us all -to be forgotten," a prophecy that has been amply -fulfilled. -</p> - -<p> -During the greater part of the year 1772 -Wolfgang was at home, composing music of -almost every kind. An event which took place -at this time had an important influence on his -future. This was the death of the Archbishop -of Salzburg, and the election in his place of -Hieronymus, Count of Colloredo, a haughty -and surly man, who cared nothing whatever -for music. For his installation Mozart -composed the one-act allegorical opera, <i>Il Sogno di -Scipione</i>—not one of his stronger works. In -November of the same year we find him once -more in Milan, busy with the new opera that -he had been engaged to write. This was <i>Lucio -Silla</i>, the words of which were written by a -local poet. It was produced on December 26, -and repeated more than twenty times to crowded -houses. The opera contains some beautiful -numbers; but Mozart had not yet emancipated -himself from tradition, and it is not till some -years later that his dramatic genius shows -itself in its full strength. After the production -of <i>Lucio Silla</i>, Leopold Mozart, with his son, -remained some time in Italy, in the hope of the -latter obtaining an appointment in the Court of -the Grand Duke Leopold at Florence. This -hope was not realized, and in March they -returned to Salzburg. -</p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-020"></a> -<br> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-020.jpg" alt="THE MOZART FAMILY. (<i>From the painting by Van de la Croce, 1780, in the Mozart Museum.</i>)"> -<br> -THE MOZART FAMILY.<br> -(<i>From the painting by Van de la Croce, 1780, <br> -in the Mozart Museum.</i>) -</p> - -<p> -With the exception of a two months' visit to -Vienna, Mozart remained at home for the rest -of the year and for nearly the whole of the -following one, composing almost incessantly and -in nearly every style. To this period belong -two of his best Masses—those in F and D—the -fine <i>Litaniœ Lauretanœ</i> in D, four symphonies, -six quartetts, concertos for various instruments, -serenades, divertimenti, and smaller pieces of -all kinds. In the course of the year 1774 -Mozart received a commission to write a comic -opera for Munich for the Carnival of 1775, and -in December of that year he went there with -his father. The opera which he had to write -was <i>La Finta Giardiniera</i>, the libretto of which -had already been set to music by Piccinni in -1770 and Anfossi in 1774. The first performance -took place on January 13, 1775, with a -success which the composer described the next -day in a letter to his mother: -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p class="quote"> -"My opera was produced yesterday, and had, thank -God! such success that I cannot possibly describe to -mamma the noise and commotion.... At the close of -every air there was a terrible noise with clapping and -shouting 'Viva maestro!' ... I and my father afterwards -went into a room through which the whole Court -pass, and where I kissed the hands of the Elector, the -Electress, and others of the nobility, who were all very -gracious. His Highness the Bishop of Chiemsee sent -to me early this morning with congratulations on my -success." -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p> -Very interesting is the following extract from -Schubert's "Teutsche Chronik": -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p class="quote"> -"I have also heard an opera buffa by the wonderful -genius Mozart; it is called <i>La Finta Ciardiniera</i>. -Flames of genius flashed forth here and there; but it is -not yet the quiet fire on the altar which rises to heaven -in clouds of incense—a perfume sweet to the gods. If -Mozart is not a plant forced in a hot-house, he must -become one of the greatest musical composers that has -ever lived." -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p> -In the music of <i>La Finta Giardiniera</i> a great -advance on any of Mozart's previous operas is -to be seen. Not only is there a richness of -melodic invention worthy to compare with that -of his later and greater works, but there is -more organic unity in the music as a whole. -Though some of the airs now appear unduly -spun out, it must be remembered that long -solos were the fashion of the day. The -orchestra is treated with more independence than -hitherto, and the score abounds with beautiful -effects of colouring, though in most numbers -but few wind instruments are employed. The -great duet toward the close of the third act -and the elaborate finales which conclude the -first and second acts are admirable, and might -be inserted into <i>Figaro</i> without producing too -strong a feeling of incongruity. -</p> - -<p> -Among those who witnessed the triumph of -Mozart's opera was the Archbishop of Salzburg, -who was at the time on a visit to the Elector -of Bavaria. Though he did not himself hear -the work, he was congratulated upon it by the -members of the Court, and, as Mozart records, -"was so embarrassed as to be unable to make -any reply except by shaking his head and -shrugging his shoulders." -</p> - -<p> -Returning to Salzburg in March, 1775, -Mozart remained there for nearly three -years—probably the least happy of his life. The -entire want of appreciation showed him by the -tyrannical Archbishop rendered his position most -irksome. Though the final rupture did not -come till later, he was subjected to constant -indignities, while the remuneration he received -was ridiculously disproportionate to the services -that he rendered, both as composer and -performer. Yet his activity in production never -ceased. The catalogue of the compositions he -produced during these years is nearly as -astonishing for the large number of masterpieces -it contains as for the variety of style that it -shows. Nearly a hundred works, including -four symphonies, fifteen serenades and divertimenti, -ten concertos for various instruments, -six sonatas for clavier, six Masses, the grand -Litany in E flat, a number of smaller works -for the Church, the opera <i>Il Rè Pastore</i>, many -songs, some with orchestra, others with piano, -bear witness no less to his industry than to the -fecundity of his genius. Many of these works -were written for performance at the -Archbishop's palace, at which concerts were -frequently given; but the Archbishop, though -fully knowing what a treasure he had in -Mozart, not only never paid him for any of his -compositions, but insulted him by contemptuous -remarks about them, thinking this the best -means of keeping the young master from -asking for an advance in his salary, which, it -should be said, amounted at this time to about -£15 sterling per annum! On one occasion, as -we learn from a letter written by Leopold to -Padre Martini, the Archbishop went so far as to -tell Wolfgang that he knew nothing about his -art, and that he ought to go to Naples to study. -It became more and more evident that there -was no prospect of the young man's obtaining -an honourable and remunerative post at -Salzburg. It was therefore decided that Wolfgang -should make another tour, in the hope of -obtaining a better appointment. But when he -applied for leave of absence that he might earn -some money as an addition to his small salary, -the Archbishop refused with the ungracious -remark that "he could not suffer a man going -on begging expeditions." Wolfgang thereupon -tendered his resignation, which the Archbishop -angrily accepted. -</p> - -<p> -As it was impossible for Leopold to accompany -his son on this journey—the Archbishop -having refused him leave of absence—Wolfgang's -mother went with him. They left Salzburg -on September 23, 1777, for Munich, where -they stayed till October 11, Wolfgang hoping -either to find a post there or to obtain a -commission to write an opera. From Munich they -went to Augsburg, where Mozart gave a concert -which brought him much glory but very little -profit. -</p> - -<p> -On October 30 Mozart and his mother -arrived at Mannheim. The long stay of -between four and five months which they made -in this place had in more than one respect an -important influence on Mozart's future. The -orchestra at Mannheim was considered the -finest in Europe, and the young composer -writes of it to his father in enthusiastic terms. -He was especially struck by the clarinets, -which he here for the first time met with in the -orchestra. He writes: "Ah, if we only had -clarinets! You cannot believe what a splendid -effect a symphony makes with flutes, oboes, -and clarinets." The Mannheim orchestra -included among its members many of the finest -performers on their respective instruments then -living, and contemporary testimony was to the -effect that they were unsurpassed in execution -and finish. The first kapellmeister was -Christian Cannabich, an excellent violinist, and a -very good friend to Mozart; the second was -the Abbé Vogler, a clever but eccentric man, -of whom Mozart writes: "He is a fool, who -fancies that there can exist nothing better or -more perfect than himself. He is hated by the -whole orchestra. His book will better teach -arithmetic than composition." In another -letter he gives a criticism of Vogler's music -which is so characteristic as to deserve -quotation: -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p class="quote"> -"Yesterday was again a gala day. I attended the -service, at which was produced a bran new Mass by -Vogler, which had been rehearsed only the day before -yesterday in the afternoon. I stayed, however, no -longer than the end of the 'Kyrie.' Such music I -never before heard in my life, for not only is the -harmony often wrong, but he goes into keys as if he -would pull them in by the hair of the head, not -artistically, but plump, and without preparation. Of the -treatment of the ideas I will not try to speak; I will -only say that it is quite impossible that any Mass by -Vogler can satisfy a composer worthy of the name. -For though one should discover an idea that is not bad, -that idea does not long remain in a negative condition, -but soon becomes—beautiful? Heaven save the mark! it -becomes bad—extremely bad, and this in two or -three different ways. The thought has scarcely had -time to appear before something else comes and destroys -it, or it does not close so naturally as to remain good, -or it is not brought in in the right place, or it is -spoiled by the injudicious employment of the accompanying -instruments. Such is Vogler's composition." -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p> -It is hardly surprising that there should be -little sympathy or cordiality between Vogler -and Mozart, but there is no ground for the -suspicion entertained by Leopold Mozart that -the Abbé was plotting against his son. -</p> - -<p> -Mozart was very desirous of obtaining an -appointment at Mannheim under the Elector, -and this was one of the causes of his long stay -there. But, as usual, nothing came of it. The -Elector was very complimentary to the composer, -but after a delay of nearly two months -finally said that he could do nothing. It was -therefore the father's wish that they should -continue the journey towards Paris. Mozart, -however, was in no hurry to leave Mannheim; -the society of the members of the orchestra, -some of whom—among them Wendling, the -flutist, and Ramm, the oboist—were close -personal friends, was very congenial. But there -was another and more powerful reason: he had -for the first time fallen seriously in love. The -object of his affection was a young singer, -Aloysia Weber, the second daughter of Fridolin -von Weber, at that time copyist and prompter -in the Mannheim theatre. She was very -beautiful, had a fine voice, and sang with great -taste and expression. For her Mozart wrote -one of the finest of his concert arias, <i>Non so -donde viene</i>; he also gave her lessons. His -affection would seem to have been returned, -but his father was not unnaturally opposed to -the youth's fettering himself by such a union. -Wolfgang's idea was to make a professional -tour in company with the Webers, and to try -to procure engagements in Italy for the young -lady as a prima donna, and for himself as a -composer, Leopold, however, was experienced -enough to see clearly that such a scheme was -impracticable, and that a young girl who had -never appeared on the stage would have no -chance of success in an Italian theatre, however -well she might sing. He therefore, in order to -free his son from the entanglement, wrote a -long letter to him, putting the case very plainly -and sensibly, and urging him at once to go to -Paris to try to make a position there. Like a -dutiful son, as he always showed himself, -Wolfgang obeyed, and left Mannheim with a heavy -heart on March 14, 1778, arriving nine days -later at Paris. -</p> - -<p> -The time of his visit was not favourable to -his hopes. Musicians in the French capital -were busy with the great struggle for supremacy -in opera between Gluck and Piccinni, which -was then at its height. Besides this, the -frivolous Parisian public, who had been so -attracted by the infant prodigy, cared little for -the mature artist. Mozart obtained an -introduction to Le Gros, the director of the Concert -Spirituel, who gave him a commission to write -some movements of a <i>Miserere</i>, of which, -however, only two choruses were performed. -Besides this, Mozart composed for the same -concerts a <i>Sinfonie Concertante</i> for four wind -instruments, with orchestra. But once more -the intrigues of enemies pursued him. Two -days before the concert was to be given the -parts of the new work had not been copied, -and when Mozart went to Le Gros to inquire -the reason, the latter merely said that he had -forgotten it. Mozart suspected, and probably -correctly, that Cambini, an Italian composer -whom he had unintentionally offended, was at -the bottom of it. -</p> - -<p> -For the Duc de Guines, to whom he obtained -an introduction through his old friend Grimm, -Mozart wrote a double concerto for the unusual -combination of flute and harp, to be played by -the Duke and his daughter. The two instruments -were those which Mozart detested; yet -the concerto, though not a great work, is most -effectively written for both instruments, and is -very pleasing music. Besides this, he gave -lessons in composition to the Duke's daughter, -who, though a clever performer, seems to have -had but little idea of writing. Mozart, in one -of his letters to his father, gives a very amusing -account of a lesson in which he had tried to -make the young lady compose a minuet. He -wrote later that she was both stupid and lazy, -and he finally gave up the lessons in disgust. -</p> - -<p> -Mozart's great desire, as always, was to -write an opera, and, through Noverre, the -ballet-master of the Grand Opera, whose -acquaintance he had made in Vienna six years -before, there seemed to be a fair prospect of -the realization of his wish. Noverre set a -librettist to work, and the text of the first act -of an opera was soon ready. Meanwhile -Noverre wanted some ballet music, and Mozart -wrote for him the overture and incidental -dances for <i>Les Petits Riens</i>. Nothing more, -however, came of the opera. The composer, -nevertheless, had one musical success during -his stay in Paris. This was the production at -the Concert Spirituel of his symphony in D, -known as the "Parisian." In a letter to his -father Mozart tells how warmly it was received, -and how the audience were struck with certain -passages and began applauding in the middle -of the movements. There is no doubt that the -symphony was the finest that he had composed -up to that time; being written to suit the -Parisian taste, it is lighter and more brilliant -in style than most of its predecessors, without -becoming thereby tawdry or frivolous. This -was the first symphony that Mozart had scored -for full orchestra, and the rich and varied -colouring of the wind instruments shows how -he had profited by listening to the fine -performances at Mannheim. -</p> - -<p> -Whether the success of his symphony would -have led to Mozart's ultimately obtaining a -good appointment at Paris cannot be said, for -almost immediately after the production of the -work a sad event brought about an entire -change in his plans. This was the death of -his mother, which occurred on July 3, 1778, -after a fortnight's illness. His father was -anxious, for more than one reason, that he -should return home. Not only was there the -natural desire for his son's company and -support in his bereavement, there was also the -apprehension that the young man, now that his -mother's restraining influence was removed, -might fall into the hands of bad companions. -</p> - -<p> -At this juncture an opening unexpectedly -presented itself in Salzburg. The Archbishop -had by this time become conscious of the -mistake he had made in allowing the young -genius to leave him, and was anxious to have -him back if possible. The death of the old -kapellmeister Lolli, which occurred at this -time, gave the Archbishop the opportunity he -desired, and, after long negotiations, Lolli's -post was offered to Leopold Mozart, and that -of second kapellmeister to his son, whose -salary was to be 500 florins a year. It was also -conceded that he should have leave of absence -whenever he wanted to write an opera. -</p> - -<p> -Greatly as Mozart disliked Salzburg—and -with good reason, after the Archbishop's treatment -of him—he at once yielded to his father's -wishes, and accepted the post. There can be -no doubt that he did so all the more readily in -consequence of one piece of news contained -in his father's letter. This was that his beloved -Aloysia Weber was engaged to sing at Salzburg, -and would be living with the Mozarts. -He therefore left Paris on September 26, -travelling by way of Strasburg, Mannheim, -and Munich, at each of which places he -remained for some time. At Munich he visited -the Webers, who had removed thither from -Mannheim. Here a great disappointment -awaited him. His beloved Aloysia had proved -faithless, and received him coldly. Mozart -thereupon sat down to the piano and sang, -"Ich lass das Madel gern, das mich nicht will," -(I willingly leave the maid who does not -want me). Aloysia subsequently made an -unhappy marriage with an actor named Lange, -and became a distinguished prima donna. In -her later years she confessed that she had -failed to realize the genius of Mozart, and saw -in him nothing but a little man. -</p> - -<p><br><br><br></p> - -<p><a id="chap04"></a></p> - -<h3> -THE MAN (1779-179l) -</h3> - -<p> -In the middle of January, 1779, Mozart was -once more in Salzburg, and for nearly two -years he remained in that city, busied with his -duties at the Archbishop's palace, and composing -works of all kinds. The record of these -years is chiefly one of almost ceaseless writing. -Many of Mozart's best and ripest works date -from this period. Among these are the Mass -in C, published as No. 1, though really the -composer's fourteenth. This is one of the -finest of the series, as well as one of the most -popular. The "Agnus Dei," a solo, the chief -theme of which foreshadows the "Dove sono" -of <i>Figaro</i>, was formerly a favourite air with -soprani who valued expression above mere -display. Another important work dating from -this period is the incidental music to Gebler's -drama <i>Thamos, König in Ægypten</i>. This music -consists partly of entr'actes and incidental -music, but it also contains three magnificent -and amply developed choruses, which -may justly be described as among the most -noble choral pieces that Mozart ever wrote. -The play was a failure, but the composer, -regretting that the music could not be used, -had the choruses adapted to Latin hymns; in -this form they have become well-known and -popular as the three great motets, <i>Splendente -te, Deus</i>, <i>Ne pulvis et cinis</i>, and <i>Deus, tibi laus et -honor</i>. To this period also belong the two-act -German opera <i>Zaide</i>, two vespers, two -symphonies, two great serenades—one being the -magnificent one for thirteen wind instruments—the -<i>Symphonie Concertante</i> in E flat, for violin -and viola, the concerto in the same key for two -pianos, and some of his best sonatas for piano -solo, besides smaller pieces, vocal and -instrumental, too numerous to mention. -</p> - -<p> -In the latter part of the year 1780, Mozart -received from the Elector of Bavaria a -commission to write an opera for Munich, for the -Carnival of 1781. The Archbishop had -promised him leave of absence, and on -November 6, 1780, he left Salzburg for the -Bavarian capital. The libretto was written by -the Abbé Varesco, Court chaplain at Salzburg, -the subject selected being <i>Idomeneo</i>, and it was -founded on a French opera on the same subject -that had been composed by Campra, and -produced in 1712. -</p> - -<p> -Mozart, on his arrival in Munich, was -received with open arms by his many friends in -that city, and he worked at the opera with an -enthusiasm that may be easily imagined. -Though his principal vocalists were not all -that he could have desired, he had a splendid -orchestra at his disposal, and from the first all -the performers were delighted with the music. -His letters to his father while writing the -opera are full of interesting details. After the -first rehearsal, Ramm, the first oboe, an old -friend of the composer, assured him that he -had never yet heard any music that made so -great an effect upon him. Mozart's father, -who was most anxious for the complete success -of the work, wrote urging his son "to think -not only of the musical, but also of the -unmusical public. You know, there are a hundred -without knowledge to every one connoisseur, -so do not forget the so-called 'popular' that -tickles even the long ears." Wolfgang replied: -"Don't trouble yourself about the so-called -'popular,' for in my opera is music for all -kinds of people—only not for the long ears." -</p> - -<p> -<i>Idomeneo</i> was produced on January 29, 1781, -with a success that must have satisfied not -only the composer, but also his father and -sister, who came over from Salzburg to hear it. -In this opera we find Mozart in his full -maturity. Whether in the flow of his melody, -the richness of the harmony, the power of -dramatic characterization, or the beauty and -variety of the orchestration, this work shows a -decided advance on any of its predecessors, and -marks a turning-point in the history of dramatic -music. -</p> - -<p> -Thanks to the fact that the Archbishop of -Salzburg was at this time in Vienna, Mozart -was able to prolong his visit to Munich; but in -March he was summoned to join his employer, -and on March 12 he arrived in Vienna. Here -he was treated by the Archbishop with the -utmost indignity; not only was he made to -take his meals with the servants, but he was -refused permission to take any engagements -whereby he might add to his meagre income. -Insult followed insult, till at length the crisis -came, and Mozart resigned the appointment -which his self-respect forbade him longer to -hold, and determined to seek his fortune in -Vienna. -</p> - -<p> -Though now thrown entirely on his own -resources, Mozart was very sanguine about the -future. At first he earned only a precarious -livelihood by playing at fashionable parties and -teaching the piano; but he looked forward with -great hopes to obtaining an appointment with -the Emperor Joseph II. But the monarch, -though always affable and even cordial to the -composer, preferred Italian music to the more -solid style of Mozart, whom he esteemed as a -pianist rather than as a composer. "He cares -for no one but Salieri," said Mozart of him; -and there can be no doubt that the influence -of the Italian on the Emperor was very great. -Salieri, a musician of talent, though not of -genius, saw in Mozart a formidable rival, and, -while outwardly polite, secretly intrigued -against him. -</p> - -<p> -Joseph II. took great interest in the -establishment of a school of German opera, and -engaged an excellent company of vocalists, -among whom was Mozart's old flame, Aloysia -Weber, for the theatre. Mozart, who always -delighted in writing for the stage, had brought -with him to Vienna his German opera <i>Zaide</i>. -He scarcely hoped that it would be produced, -as he thought the libretto unsuited to the -Viennese public; but Stephanie, the inspector -of the opera, was so pleased with the music -that he promised to give Mozart a good text to -set. The Emperor was quite willing to see -what the composer could do in German opera; -and in July Mozart, to his great delight, -received the libretto of <i>Belmont und Constanze</i>, -now known under its second title, <i>Die -Entführung aus dem Serail</i>. Owing to various -causes, among others the cabals of Mozart's -enemies, the production of the opera was much -delayed; it was only by the express command -of the Emperor that it was at length performed -for the first time on July 13, 1782. It was -of this opera that the Emperor said to the -composer: "Too fine for our ears, and an immense -number of notes, my dear Mozart!" which -called forth the reply: "Exactly as many notes, -your Majesty, as are needful." -</p> - -<p> -The success of the work was immediate and -complete. Here Mozart was virtually on new -ground. Excepting the operetta <i>Bastien und -Bastienne</i> and the <i>Zaide</i> above-mentioned, all -Mozart's preceding operas had been written to -Italian words; and though in <i>Idomeneo</i> a fusion -of Italian and German styles is to be seen, it is -not till <i>Die Entführung</i> that we find an -important work genuinely German in character. Of -Italian influence there is but little trace except -in some parts of the music allotted to -Constanze. This role was undertaken by Madame -Cavalieri, a great bravura singer, but little -more; and many of the florid passages in her -songs remind one of the popular ornate style of -the day. It is difficult to speak too highly of -the wealth of melodic invention, the truth of -expression, or the skill shown in differentiating -the various characters of the drama to be found -in this work, while the picturesqueness of the -orchestration is perhaps even superior to that -of <i>Idomeneo</i>, and certainly far surpasses that of -any of the early operas. -</p> - -<p> -At this time Mozart's old friends, the Webers, -had removed to Vienna, and the composer had -resumed his intercourse with them. A mutual -attachment had grown up between him and -Constanze, a younger sister of Aloysia, who -had jilted him. He wrote to his father asking -his consent to his marriage; but Leopold, -knowing that his son had no regular -appointment, and that his income was precarious, -strongly opposed the step, and for some time -the course of true love by no means ran -smooth. -</p> - -<p> -Through the influence of a patroness of -Mozart, the Baroness von Waldstadten, the -obstacles were ultimately surmounted, and the -marriage was celebrated at the Baroness's house -on August 4, 1782. Though the union was, -from one point of view, very happy, owing to -the true affection that existed between husband -and wife, it cannot be doubted that it was, to a -great extent, the cause of much of Mozart's -later troubles. Constanze, though endowed -with many excellent qualities, was a bad -housekeeper, while Mozart, besides being -generous to a fault, had not the least capacity -for business, nor even any idea of economy. -No wonder, then, that when to the care and -expense of a young family was added a long -and severe illness of the wife, they were often -in sore pecuniary difficulties. Jahn says that if -Mozart had been as good a man of business as -his father, he would have done very well in -Vienna, for he earned a very good income. As -a matter of fact, from this time to the end of -his career, his life was one long struggle, and -not always a successful one, to keep his head -above water. -</p> - -<p> -Mozart's chief source of income at this time -seems to have been derived from his playing, -for he was in great demand, not only at concerts, -but in the houses of the nobility. According to -the unanimous verdict of his contemporaries, -he was the greatest pianist and (in the best -sense of the term) virtuoso of his day. After -his death, Joseph Haydn is reported to have -said, with tears in his eyes: "I can never forget -Mozart's playing; it came from the heart." The -Emperor also highly appreciated the -composer's genius, and it is probably only owing to -the intrigues of the Italian musicians by whom -he was surrounded that he did not confer some -adequately paid appointment upon Mozart. -</p> - -<p> -In July, 1783, shortly after the birth of his -first child, Mozart took his wife to Salzburg to -introduce her to his father and sister. He had, -before his marriage, made a vow that, if ever -Constanze became his wife, he would compose -a new Mass for performance at Salzburg. The -work was not quite completed, but he supplied -the missing numbers from one of his earlier -Masses. As the Archbishop of Salzburg -refused permission for the Mass to be performed -in the cathedral, it was given in St. Peter's -Church, Constanze singing the principal soprano -part. The Mass, which is in C minor, is laid -out on a much larger scale than those which -Mozart wrote for Salzburg, the "Gloria" being -in seven movements, while two of the choruses -are in five and one in eight parts. The work -is a curious mixture; many of the choruses are -quite elevated in style, and not unworthy of -the "Requiem" itself. The solos are much -lighter, and of a florid character. Mozart -never finished the Mass, but he used the -music two years later for his cantata, <i>Davide -Penitente</i>. -</p> - -<p> -During his visit to Salzburg Mozart began -work on two new buffo operas, <i>L'Oca del Cairo</i>, -the libretto by Varesco, who had written the -text of <i>Idomeneo</i>, and <i>Lo Sposo Deluso</i>, by an -unknown poet. Neither work, however, was -completed. -</p> - -<p> -After his return to Vienna in October, 1783, -Mozart's time was fully occupied with concerts -and composition. The year 1784 saw the birth -of many of his finest works, which at this time -were exclusively instrumental. Among them -are several of his best piano concertos, which -he wrote for his own performance at concerts -in which he took part. The list also includes -the great sonata in C minor for the piano, -a work not without influence on Beethoven, -and the beautiful sonata in B flat for -piano and violin, composed for Mdlle. Strinasacchi, -a young violinist for whose benefit -concert, Mozart had promised to write a new -work. Being pressed for time, Mozart had -deferred writing the sonata till the day before -the concert, when the young lady, with much -trouble, obtained from him the violin part only. -She practised it the next morning, and in the -evening played it with the composer without -any rehearsal. The Emperor was present at -the concert, and, looking through his opera-glass, -noticed that Mozart had a blank sheet of -music-paper before him. After the sonata was -finished, the Emperor sent a message that he -wished to see the manuscript. The composer -brought the blank sheet. "What, Mozart!" -said Joseph, "at your tricks again?" "Please -your Majesty," was the reply, "there was not -a note lost." Only musicians will be able fully -to appreciate the wonderful feat of memory -which such a performance involved. -</p> - -<p> -In 1785 Leopold Mozart returned his son's -visit, and it was at this time that he made the -acquaintance of Joseph Haydn, with whom -Wolfgang was on intimate terms. Leopold -met Haydn for the first time at a party at his -son's house, where three of Mozart's recently -composed quartetts were played. It was on -that occasion that Haydn said to the proud -father: "I declare to you before God, and as a -man of honour, that your son is the greatest -composer that I know; he has taste, and beyond -that the most consummate knowledge of the -art of composition." -</p> - -<p> -In February, 1786, was produced the music -to <i>Der Schauspieldirector</i>, a German comedy -in one act, for some festivities given by the -Emperor at Schönbrunn. Mozart's share of -the work consisted merely of an overture and -four vocal numbers. Though the music is -extremely melodious, it adds nothing to the -composer's fame. Far more interesting and -important were the two piano concertos in -A major and C minor, both written in March -of the same year. But all other compositions -of this time sink into insignificance by the side -of the opera <i>Le Nozze di Figaro</i>, which was -produced in Vienna on May 1, 1786. The -libretto was adapted by Lorenzo da Ponte, a -theatrical poet who was a favourite with the -Emperor, from Beaumarchais' comedy, "Le -Mariage de Figaro." The subject was suggested -by the composer himself. As on so many -previous occasions, there were violent intrigues -against the piece; but, thanks probably in a -great measure to the support of the Emperor, -these were unsuccessful, and the Irish singer, -Michael Kelly, who took the part of Basilio at -the first performance, says in his "Reminiscences": -"Never was anything more complete -than the triumph of Mozart and his <i>Nozze di -Figaro</i>, to which numerous overflowing -audiences bore witness." Almost more enthusiasm -was shown at Prague, where the opera was -given a few months later. At the invitation of -some of his friends, Mozart went to Prague to -witness the success of his work. His -reception there was overwhelming. Two concerts -which he gave in the city realized a profit -of 1,000 florins. At the first of these was -produced the fine symphony in D known as -the "Prague Symphony." At the same concert -he extemporized, in his own masterly manner, -for half an hour, after which, in reply to a call -for "something from <i>Figaro</i>," he improvised -variations on "Non più andrai." This visit -had an important result. Mozart remarked to -Bondini, the manager of the theatre, that, as -the people of Prague appreciated him so much, -he should like to write an opera for them, -whereupon the manager took him at his word, -and commissioned an opera from him for the -following season. -</p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-040"></a> -<br> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-040.jpg" alt="MOZART IN 1791. (<i>From an original at Salzburg.</i>)"> -<br> -MOZART IN 1791.<br> -(<i>From an original at Salzburg.</i>) -</p> - -<p> -As the libretto of <i>Figaro</i> had suited him so -well, it was only natural that Mozart should -again apply to Da Ponte for a book for the -new work. The subject chosen was the old -legend of <i>Don Giovanni</i>, and in September, -1787, Mozart and his wife went to Prague in -order that he might, as was his custom, be -near the artists who were to sing in the work. -Meanwhile his pen had been by no means idle. -From the autograph catalogue of his works, -which he began to keep in 1784 and continued -till his last illness, we find that between <i>Figaro</i> -and <i>Don Giovanni</i> he wrote thirty works, -including some of the more important of his -compositions in the domain of chamber music. -Among these maybe specially named the string -quintetts in C major and G minor, the two -great pianoforte duet sonatas in F and C, the -charming trio in E flat for piano, clarinet, -and viola, and the sonata in A for piano and -violin. -</p> - -<p> -Arrived in Prague, Mozart first lodged at an -inn, but later removed to the house of his friend -Duschek, in the suburbs of the city. Here a -great part of the opera was written, each -number being sent to the singers as soon as it -was completed. Visitors to Prague are still -shown the summer-house with a stone table -in the garden of Duschek's house, at which -Mozart used to work at his opera while his -friends were playing at bowls. It is said that -he would leave his work from time to time to -take his part in the game, and then resume it -without having lost the thread of his ideas. -The story has often been told how, on the -night before the production of the opera, the -overture was still unwritten. Mozart had -parted late in the evening from his friends, and -his wife mixed him a glass of punch and sat -up with him while he wrote, telling him fairy -tales to keep him awake. At last sleep -overpowered him, and she persuaded him to lie -down for an hour or two. At five she woke -him, and when at seven the copyist came for -the score the overture was ready. There was -barely time to get the parts copied before the -evening, and the excellent orchestra played it -at sight without rehearsal. Mozart, who was -conducting, said to the players near him: "A -good many notes fell under the desks, but it -went very well." -</p> - -<p> -The first performance of <i>Don Giovanni</i> took -place on October 29, 1787, and excited the -utmost enthusiasm. Unfortunately, the -composer's father was not able to witness his son's -triumph, as he had died in the preceding May, -after a long illness. Mozart returned to Vienna -shortly after the production of his opera, but -his success brought about but little improvement -in his pecuniary circumstances. True, -the Emperor appointed him "kammermusikus" -in December, but the salary attached to the -post—800 florins—was ridiculously small. His -only duty was to write dance music for the -masked balls of the Imperial Court; this -caused him to make the bitter remark that his -salary was too much for what he did, and too -little for what he could do. -</p> - -<p> -On May 7, 1788, <i>Don Giovanni</i> was given at -Vienna. For this performance the composer -had written three additional numbers, two of -which were Don Ottavio's air, "Dalla sua pace," -and Elvira's "Mi tradi quell' alma ingrata." The -work, nevertheless, proved a failure; the -style was too novel for the taste of the audience. -The Emperor, after hearing it, said: "The -opera is divine—perhaps even more beautiful -than <i>Figaro</i>—but it is no food for the teeth of -my Viennese." When this was repeated to -Mozart, he said: "Let us give them time to -chew it, then!" and, by his advice, the opera -was repeated at short intervals until the public -became accustomed to its beauties. The -applause increased at each fresh performance. -</p> - -<p> -The most important works composed in the -year 1788 were the three great symphonies in -E flat, G minor, and C major (generally known -as the "Jupiter"), the last of forty-nine which -Mozart wrote. In these he rises to a height -which in his previous instrumental works -he had seldom attained. The symphony in -G minor, unquestionably the finest work ever -written for a small orchestra, has never been -surpassed in its combination of passion and pathos; -while the finale of the "Jupiter" symphony, -with its elaborate fugal counterpoint, still -remains without a rival in its combination of the -most consummate learning with the utmost -profusion of melodic invention. -</p> - -<p> -It was toward the close of this year that the -Baron van Swieten, an enthusiastic lover of -Handel's music, commissioned Mozart to -arrange <i>Acis and Galatea</i> for performance at -some concerts with which the Baron was -connected, and of which he superintended the -preparation. In Mozart's autograph catalogue, -already spoken of, we find that the arrangement -was made in November, 1788. In the -course of the following year he made a similar -arrangement of the <i>Messiah</i>, and, in 1790, -of <i>Alexander's Feast</i> and the <i>Ode for St. Cecilia's -Day</i>. Space will not allow a detailed criticism -of these arrangements; it must suffice to say -that, while often extremely beautiful, they are -not always in accordance with Handel's spirit -or intentions, the probable explanation being -that Mozart, as we learn from Otto Jahn, knew -but little of Handel's music till introduced to -it by Baron van Swieten. -</p> - -<p> -In 1789 Mozart accepted an invitation from -his pupil and patron, Prince Karl Lichnowsky, -to accompany him on a visit to Berlin. The -composer, whose pecuniary position was still -very precarious, no doubt hoped that he might -find some post in the North of Germany which -would be worthy of his acceptance and relieve -him from his pressing embarrassments. Leaving -Vienna on April 8, he arrived four days later -at Dresden, where he played before the Court, -receiving for his performance the sum of 100 -ducats. Thence he proceeded to Leipzig, -where he made the acquaintance of Rochlitz, -who, in his "Für Freunde der Tonkunst," has -preserved some interesting reminiscences of -his visit. It was here also that, through Doles, -the cantor of the Thomas-Schule, he learned -to know the great motetts of Sebastian Bach, -for which he expressed the highest admiration. -</p> - -<p> -On his arrival at Berlin, Mozart was at once -conducted by Prince Lichnowsky to Potsdam, -to be presented to the King, Frederick -William II., who was a great lover of music -and a good performer on the violoncello. The -King received him very warmly, and took -special pleasure in hearing him improvise. -Mozart, however, derived but little pecuniary -advantage from his visit. The King, it is true, -offered him the post of kapellmeister at his -Court with a salary of 3,000 thalers, but -the composer, with whom worldly considerations -had little weight, declined the offer, -saying: "Can I leave my good Emperor?" The -only profit made by the tour was a present -from the King of 100 friedrichs d'or, which -was accompanied by a wish that Mozart -should write some quartetts for him. Three -string quartetts (in D, B flat, and F), in all of -which the part for the violoncello is of more -than usual prominence, were written for and -dedicated to the King. -</p> - -<p> -After his return to Vienna Mozart's -embarrassments became more pressing than ever. -The ill-health of his wife involved him in -constant expense, and his income was at all times -precarious. By the advice of his friends he -informed the Emperor of the offer that had -been made him by the King of Prussia. The -Emperor asked if he were really going to leave -him, and Mozart replied: "Your Majesty, I -throw myself upon your kindness; I remain." No -improvement, however, resulted in his -position, though it was at the suggestion of the -Emperor that he was commissioned to write a -new opera for Vienna. This was the two-act -opera buffa <i>Cosi fan tutte</i>, the libretto of which -was again from the pen of Da Ponte, and -which was produced on January 26, 1790. -The first performances appear to have been -successful; but the death of the Emperor in -the following month caused the theatre to be -closed for some time; in all it was given ten -times, and then fell out of the repertoire. The -plot of the opera is weak and improbable, and -the indifferent quality of the libretto is without -doubt the chief reason why the music is as a -whole inferior to that of <i>Don Giovanni</i> and -<i>Figaro</i>. <i>Cosi fan tutte</i>, nevertheless, contains -some of its composer's best work, especially in -the concerted movements, such as the trio -"Soave sia il vento," the quintett and sextett in -the first act, and the two finales. The -orchestral colouring also is almost richer and more -varied than in any of Mozart's preceding -operas. -</p> - -<p> -The accession of Leopold II. to the throne -of Austria brought no improvement in the -composer's circumstances, for the new -Emperor's tastes differed widely from those of -Joseph, and it soon became evident that those -who had enjoyed the favour of the latter had -but little to hope from his successor. Mozart -applied for the post of second kapellmeister, -and also asked to be allowed to teach -the young Princes; but both requests were -refused. Thinking that the coronation of the -Emperor at Frankfort might afford him a -favourable opportunity for an artistic tour, -Mozart, who was obliged to pawn his plate in -order to procure the necessary funds, started -for that city on September 26, and gave a -concert of his own compositions in the -Stadt-Theatre on October 14. But neither here nor -at Mannheim and Munich, which he visited on -his return journey, did he make much profit, -and he returned to Vienna with little or no -improvement in his circumstances. Here he had -the pain of parting with one of his dearest -friends, Joseph Haydn, who was just leaving -for London with Salomon, who had engaged -him for a series of concerts.* Salomon also -entered into negotiations with Mozart for a -similar series in the following year, but before -that time the composer was no more. He and -Haydn never met again. -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p class="footnote"> -* It was for these concerts that Haydn composed his -best-known and finest symphonies—those called in this -country the "Salomon Set." -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p> -In May, 1791, an old acquaintance of -Mozart's, Emanuel Schickaneder, the manager -of a small theatre at Vienna, being in -embarrassed circumstances, proposed to Mozart to -write an opera on a magic subject, of which he, -Schickaneder, would prepare the libretto. -Mozart, always ready to help a friend, agreed, -though with some little hesitation, saying that -he had never written a magic opera. The -work was <i>Die Zauberflöte</i>, and Mozart began its -composition at once. Various causes interfered -with its rapid progress. It was while working -at it that the first signs of the breaking up of -his vital powers showed themselves. He -suffered from fainting fits, and in June he was -obliged to suspend work on the opera and go to -Baden, a suburb of Vienna, to recruit his -health. -</p> - -<p> -It was while engaged on the composition of -<i>Die Zauberflöte</i> that Mozart received from a -mysterious stranger the commission to write a -<i>Requiem</i> Mass. He was asked to name his own -terms, but was enjoined to make no effort to -discover who it was that had ordered the work. -Mozart, who had written no church music -since his Mass in C minor eight years before, -eagerly accepted the commission, and began -work at once. It is now ascertained beyond a -doubt that the individual who visited Mozart -was the steward of a certain Count Walsegg, -an amateur musician who desired to be thought -a great composer, and who actually copied the -score of the <i>Requiem</i> and had it performed as -his own work. -</p> - -<p> -Mozart's work on the <i>Zauberflöte</i> and the -Requiem were alike interrupted in August by a -commission which it was needful to execute at -once. This was the composition of an opera -for Prague, to be performed there on the -occasion of the coronation of the Emperor -Leopold II. as King of Bohemia. The libretto -selected was Metastasio's <i>La Clemenza di Tito</i>, -which had been already set to music by several -eminent composers. As the coronation was -to take place in the following month, Mozart -had but little time for composition; -according to Jahn, the opera was completed in -eighteen days. Its first performance took -place on September 6, and was not a success. -Mozart, who was in bad health when he -arrived in Prague, and who had become still -worse through his arduous exertions in getting -the work ready in time for the performance, -was greatly depressed at its failure. -</p> - -<p> -Returning to Vienna in September, with -health and spirits alike failing him, Mozart -resumed work on <i>Die Zauberflöte</i>, which was -produced on the 30th of the same month, the -composition of the overture and the march -which opens the second act having been only -completed two days previously. Though the -success of the first performance was less than -had been anticipated, the public soon began to -appreciate its beauties; it was given twenty-four -times in the following month and reached -its hundredth performance in a little more than -a year. -</p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-050"></a> -<br> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-050.jpg" alt="PART OF THE SCORE OF THE "DE PROFUNDIS." (<i>British Museum.</i>)"> -<br> -PART OF THE SCORE OF THE "DE PROFUNDIS." (<i>British Museum.</i>) -</p> - -<p> -As soon as the opera was off his mind, -Mozart returned to his still incomplete <i>Requiem</i>, -a work which now engrossed all his attention -and energy. In his enfeebled and depressed -state he formed the idea that he was writing -the <i>Requiem</i> for himself, and had a firm -conviction that he had been poisoned. By the advice -of his doctor his wife took away the score -from him, and a temporary improvement -resulted, which enabled him to write a small -cantata for a masonic festival—the last work -which he entered in the thematic catalogue -already mentioned. At his request his wife -returned him the score of the <i>Requiem</i>, but as -soon as he resumed work upon it all the -unfavourable symptoms returned with increased -violence, and partial paralysis set in. In the -latter part of November he took to his bed, -from which he was never to rise again. By a -sad irony of fate, it was during his last illness -that fortune smiled upon him for the first time: -some of the Hungarian nobility joined to assure -him of an annual income of 1,000 florins, while -music publishers at Amsterdam gave him -commissions for compositions which would have -insured him against want for the future. But -all came too late for the dying composer, and -his last hours were embittered by the thought -of leaving his wife and children unprovided for -at the very time when he would have been able -to support them in comfort. To the last his -mind was full of his unfinished <i>Requiem</i>, and on -the afternoon before his death, he had the score -laid on his bed, and the music sung by his -friends, he himself taking the alto part. When -they reached the opening bars of the "Lacrymosa," -Mozart burst into a violent fit of weeping, -and the score was laid aside. In the evening the -physician told Mozart's pupil, Süssmayr, in -confidence that there was nothing more to be -done; but he ordered cold bandages to be -applied to the head, which brought on such -convulsions that Mozart lost consciousness; he -never recovered it, but died at one o'clock on -the morning of December 5, 1791. He was -buried the next day in the churchyard of -St. Marx in so violent a storm that the -mourners all turned back before reaching the -graveyard, where the great composer was laid, -not in a grave of his own, but in that allotted -to paupers. When the widow was sufficiently -recovered from the first shock to be able to go -to the burial-ground to look for the grave, a new -sexton was there who knew nothing about the -matter, and the exact spot under which Mozart's -remains rest has never been identified with -certainty. -</p> - -<p><br><br><br></p> - -<p><a id="chap05"></a></p> - -<h3> -THE ART OF MOZART -</h3> - -<p> -In surveying Mozart's art work as a whole, -one of the first things to strike the -student is the comprehensiveness of his -genius. There is hardly another of the great -composers who has produced so many masterpieces -in so many different styles. It may -be at once conceded that in certain directions -he has been surpassed by one or other of -those who have succeeded him. Very few -musicians will be found who will place him, -either as a symphonist or as a writer for the -piano, by the side of Beethoven; but, on the -other hand, the latter is far inferior to Mozart -in his treatment of the voice. Again, Mozart's -songs, taken as a whole, will not compare with -those of Schubert, but as an operatic composer -Schubert has written nothing to approach, still -less to equal, <i>Figaro</i> or <i>Don Giovanni</i>. There -is hardly one department of musical composition -on which the genius of Mozart has not left -its mark. From this point of view, it will be -scarcely too much to call him the most -wonderful "all-round" musician that the world -has ever yet seen. -</p> - -<p> -Without underestimating his remarkable -natural gifts, it can hardly be doubted that -Mozart's surroundings conduced not a little to -the versatility of his genius. Both in Salzburg -and in Vienna Italian music was in the ascendant; -and in this the vocal element was of far -more importance than the instrumental. With -his extraordinary power of assimilating all that -was best in whatever he heard, and the almost -supernatural facility in composition which -seems to have come to him instinctively, it is -not surprising that his earliest works show -strong traces of Italian influence. This was no -doubt to some extent modified by the journeys -which, as a child, he made with his father to -Paris and London, in which cities he learned to -know much of both French and German music; -but nearly to the end of his life his style, -especially in his vocal music, was rather Italian than -distinctively German. -</p> - -<p> -One of the most striking features of Mozart's -music is the perfect command of form seen in -even his earliest works. He was never a great -innovator in the sense in which that word may -be applied to Haydn, Beethoven, or Schumann; -he worked on lines that had been already laid -down by others, contenting himself with -improving as far as possible on his models. If -his earlier operas be compared with the works -of his Italian contemporaries, it will be found -that the form of the songs and concerted pieces -differs in no material respect from that to be -seen in the operas of Cimarosa, Paisiello, or -Sarti; that which distinguishes Mozart's work -is its wonderful flow of melody, its perfect -feeling for euphony, and the true dramatic instinct -displayed wherever the libretto affords an -opportunity. But his later operas, beginning -with <i>Idomeneo</i>, stand upon an altogether higher -footing. Mozart had at this time come under -the influence of Gluck, whose works he had -learned to know in Paris. -</p> - -<p> -If we compare the score of <i>Idomeneo</i> with that -of Gluck's <i>Alceste</i>, we cannot but see the -similarity of style. True, Mozart's flow of -melody is more abundant—we might even say -more spontaneous; it is in the more dramatic -treatment of the orchestra, and especially in the -large amount of accompanied recitative (as -distinguished from <i>recitativo secco</i>) that we -note the resemblance. Yet while the influence -of the older master is clearly to be traced, there -is an essential difference in the method of the -two composers. Gluck sometimes sacrifices -his musical forms for dramatic effect; Mozart -treats the accepted forms in such a way as to -make them capable of expressing the emotions -of the drama. -</p> - -<p> -An important point, in which Mozart surpassed -not only Gluck, but all other composers -of his day, was his treatment of the orchestra. -In his earlier works his employment of the -instruments was somewhat conventional; but -he soon freed himself from the trammels of -tradition, and tried experiments in tone -combination that were as new as they were striking. -These novelties are to be seen less in his operas -and symphonies than in his serenades and -divertimenti.* It was not till his visit to -Paris in 1779 that his command of orchestration -reached its highest development. In -his works from this time forward, whether -purely instrumental, or vocal with orchestral -accompaniment, are seen a richness and a -feeling for beauty of colouring in advance of -anything previously heard. It was the elaborate -accompaniments of his operas, as compared -with those of other composers of his day, that -caused Gretry to reproach him with having -placed the pedestal on the stage and the -statue in the orchestra. At the present time -we are so accustomed to the rich instrumentation -of the modern school that Mozart's scores -seem comparatively thin. -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p class="footnote"> -* As examples, may be named the serenade for two -orchestras, one consisting of two violins, viola, and -double-bass, and the other of string quartett and -kettle-drums, and the very curious little pieces for two flutes, -five trumpets, and four drums. -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p> -If we compare Mozart's instrumental works -with those of Haydn, it will be seen that the -difference between them is one of spirit rather -than of form. Haydn's music flows on in a -clear stream, of no great depth in general, but -always pleasing, always intelligible, and most -logical and coherent in its thematic developments. -In Mozart's music the lyrical element -predominates. His slow movements are in -general more emotional than those of Haydn, -both melody and harmony are richer, and the -workmanship more finished. This statement -must be taken only as a generalization, for in -the later years of Haydn's life the influence of -Mozart on his style is clearly to be seen, and -some of the slow movements in the Salomon -symphonies or the later quartetts are not -unworthy to be placed by the side of Mozart's -best. On the other hand, we find in Haydn's -minuets and finales an element of humour, -sometimes even of broad fun, which is rarely -seen in Mozart's instrumental music, though -abundant enough in the lighter scenes of his -operas. -</p> - -<p> -With a few important exceptions, Mozart's -pianoforte works do not rank among his greatest -achievements. Many of his sonatas, variations, -etc., were written for his pupils, and possess -little more than historical interest. Mozart -lived at the transitional period in which the -harpsichord was giving place to the piano, and -in his earlier sonatas, etc., the style of -harpsichord music is often to be seen. Yet some of -his later works for the piano, such as the two -fantasias in C minor, the sonatas in B flat and -C minor, the rondo in A minor, and the -adagio in B minor, though now, owing to the -changes in popular taste, seldom heard, are far -from deserving the neglect into which they -have fallen. The same may be said of the best -sonatas for piano and violin, and of many of -the concertos. It is hardly a generation since -the latter were often to be heard in public; the -modern love of sensationalism and of display for -its own sake seems to have banished them—it -is to be hoped not permanently—from the -concert room. -</p> - -<p> -In estimating Mozart's Church music, it is -needful to bear in mind that much of it, more -especially the Masses composed at Salzburg, -was written under special and in some respects -arbitrary restrictions. -</p> - -<p> -In a letter written in 1776 to Padre Martini, -Mozart tells him that a Mass, including the -regular five sections, besides an offertory or -motett and a sonata at the epistle, was not -allowed to last longer than three-quarters of an -hour; for this reason most of his Masses are -very concise in their form as compared with -the later masses of Haydn or with Beethoven's -Mass in C. Besides this, the Archbishop of -Salzburg loved a showy and brilliant style of -music, and Mozart was bound, to some extent, -to make concessions to his taste. Yet it is -going too far to say, as some German critics -have done, that these masses are their composer's -weakest works. Some of them, especially those -in F and D major, both of which were written -at Salzburg in 1774, are in every way worthy -of Mozart, while there are but few of the -others which do not contain movements of the -greatest beauty. The same may be said of his -litanies, vespers, and smaller sacred works. -But his power as a composer of Church music -is best shown in portions of the great Mass in -C minor, which he began at Vienna in 1783, -but never completed, and most of all in the -<i>Requiem</i>, in which his genius rises to a greater -height than in any of his other sacred compositions. -There is little reason to doubt that, had -he been allowed free scope, his works in this -field of art would have been little, if at all, -inferior to those on which his fame most -securely rests. -</p> - -<p> -As a contrapuntist Mozart undoubtedly ranks -second only to J. Sebastian Bach, of whom, -indeed, his astounding facility in solving the -most complex musical problems at times -reminds us. Nowhere is the <i>ars celare artem</i> -more perfectly exemplified than in the best -specimens of Mozart's fugal and canonic writing. -The example most frequently referred to as an -illustration is the finale of the "Jupiter" -symphony, but such pieces as the "Rex tremendæ" -of the <i>Requiem</i>, with its quadruple canon, the final -fugue in the <i>Davidde penitente</i>, or the "Laudate -pueri" of the second Vespers, are scarcely -less remarkable. The large number of canons -for unaccompanied voices which he wrote show -his preference, no less than his aptitude, for the -stricter forms; yet, however elaborate, in his -hands they never become dry, but are always -full of melodic beauty. With Mozart technique -is always the means, never the end. -</p> - -<p> -The influence of Mozart on the music of the -first half of the last century can hardly be fully -estimated. It is clearly to be seen in the earlier -works of Beethoven. By this it is not meant -that the younger master borrowed, or even -imitated, the actual themes of his predecessor; -his individuality was from the first too strongly -marked. But many of the works of what is -known as Beethoven's "first manner" are -clearly modelled upon corresponding works by -Mozart. Thus, his trio for strings in E flat, -Op. 3, was evidently suggested by Mozart's -trio in the same key, while the septett and the -quintett for piano and wind instruments clearly -show traces of Mozart's manner. The same -may be said of the adagio of the first piano -sonata, and of the whole of the sonata in D for -piano and violin—to name but a few examples -of many. Not the least disparagement of -Beethoven is intended in saying this: every -great composer has begun his career by -imitating more or less closely the works of his -predecessors, and it was inevitable that Mozart -should have influenced one who had so many -points of affinity with him. In Beethoven's -later works the similarity of style is no longer -to be noticed. -</p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-060"></a> -<br> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-060.jpg" alt="MOZART. (<i>From a portrait by Jäger.</i>)"> -<br> -MOZART.<br> -(<i>From a portrait by Jäger.</i>) -</p> - -<p> -Passing over with a mere word of mention -such composers of the second rank as Andreas -Romberg and Hummel, we find two composers -of marked individuality—Schubert and -Mendelssohn—in whose earlier works the influence -of Mozart is more or less traceable. As a -song-writer, Schubert was original from the -first; even in his instrumental works it is only -occasionally that one is reminded of other -composers. The suggestions of Mozart are chiefly -to be found in Schubert's earlier symphonies. -The variations which form the slow movement -of the symphony in B flat might be inserted in -one of Mozart's serenades without seeming out -of place. In the works of Mendelssohn's youth -the Mozart influence is more distinct,* though, -like Schubert, he soon emancipated himself. -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p class="footnote"> -* The first subject of the finale of Mendelssohn's first -piano quartett is a very close, though probably -unconscious, imitation of the opening bars of the finale of -Mozart's sonata in C minor. -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p> -Among composers of the present day one -would seek in vain for any traces of Mozart's -influence. Times have changed, and the -classical style has been supplanted by the -romantic. Whether this is altogether to the -advantage of modern music is a question which -cannot be discussed here; but an energetic -protest may at least be entered against the -superficial criticism sometimes to be heard that -Mozart's works are weak and old-fashioned. -That music has made much progress since -Mozart's days nobody will deny; the operatic -reforms of Wagner are far-reaching, while -Schumann, Chopin, and Brahms—not to -mention more recent composers—have enlarged -the harmonic resources of the art. But on all -those whose musical palates have not been -vitiated by the highly-spiced viands of the -ultra-modern school, Mozart's pure, natural, -soulful music can never cease to exert its -charm. "A thing of beauty is a joy for ever," -and, in spite of the proverbial danger of prophesying, -it is hardly rash to predict that Mozart's -best symphonies will outlive those of Berlioz -or Tschaïkowsky, and that his <i>Don Giovanni</i> -and <i>Figaro</i> will continue to be the delight and -admiration of true musicians, even though -changes in the popular taste should banish -them from the stage. Mozart's place among -the immortals is as secure as that of Bach or -Beethoven. -</p> - -<p><br><br><br></p> - -<p><a id="chap06"></a></p> - -<h3> -LIST OF WORKS. -</h3> - -<p> -Of all the great composers, Mozart was one -of the most prolific. The chronological -thematic catalogue of his works, by Kochel, -published at Leipzig in 1862, contains 626 numbers, -varying in length from short pieces of only a -few bars to operas, the manuscripts of which -fill hundreds of pages. Even a clearer idea of -the enormous quantity of music written by -Mozart in his short life of thirty-six years will -be gained when it is said that the complete -collection of his works, published by Breitkopf -and Hartel, of Leipzig, fills nearly 13,000 folio -pages. The following list, compiled from -Kochel's catalogue, will show not only the -extent, but the variety of the ground covered -by the composer. A few of the works mentioned -by Kochel have been lost, and are therefore -not included in Breitkopf's edition. -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p class="t3"> -1. VOCAL MUSIC. -</p> - -<p> -1. Nineteen Masses, and the <i>Requiem</i>. Of -the Masses three are incomplete, and the -genuineness of one is doubtful. -</p> - -<p> -2. Four Litanies and three Vespers. -</p> - -<p> -3. Forty short pieces of sacred music (offertories, -motetts, etc.). -</p> - -<p> -4. Two oratorios (<i>La Betulia Liberata</i> and -<i>Davide Penitente</i>) and four cantatas. -</p> - -<p> -5. Twenty-three operas and other dramatic -works. This list includes the incidental music -to the play <i>König Thamos</i>, and the two unfinished -operas, <i>L'Oca del Cairo</i> and <i>Lo Sposo Deluso</i>. -</p> - -<p> -6. Sixty-six concert arias, trios, etc., with -orchestral accompaniment. Many of these were -written by Mozart for his personal friends; -others were intended to be introduced, according -to the custom of the time, into operas by -other composers. -</p> - -<p> -7. Forty songs, with accompaniment for the -piano. -</p> - -<p> -8. Twenty-two canons for voices without -accompaniment. Of these one is for two voices, -eight are for three, ten for four, two for six, -and one for three four-part choirs. -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p class="t3"> -2. INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC. -</p> - -<p> -9. Forty-nine symphonies for orchestra. -</p> - -<p> -10. Thirty-three serenades and divertimenti -for various combinations of instruments. -</p> - -<p> -11. Twenty-seven miscellaneous instrumental -works of various kinds—symphony movements, -minuets, marches, etc. -</p> - -<p> -12. Thirty-nine collections of dances, -containing 194 separate numbers. -</p> - -<p> -13. Six concertos for violin, one for two -violins, and one for violin and viola; also four -single movements for a solo violin with -orchestra. -</p> - -<p> -14. Twelve concertos, or single movements, -for various wind instruments with orchestra. -</p> - -<p> -15. Nine string quintetts, of which one is -with horn and another with clarinet. -</p> - -<p> -16. Twenty-seven quartetts for strings, two -for strings with flute, and one for strings with -oboe. -</p> - -<p> -17. One trio and three duets for strings. -</p> - -<p> -18. Twenty-seven pianoforte concertos, -including one for two and another for three -pianos; also two rondos for piano and -orchestra. -</p> - -<p> -19. A quintett for piano and wind instruments; -two quartetts and seven trios for piano -and strings, and one trio for piano, clarinet, and -viola. -</p> - -<p> -20. Forty-three sonatas, and two sets of -variations for piano and violin. -</p> - -<p> -21. A fugue and a sonata for two pianos; -five sonatas and a set of variations for piano -duet. -</p> - -<p> -22. Seventeen sonatas for piano solo. -</p> - -<p> -23. Four fantasias, fifteen sets of variations, -and twenty various pieces for piano solo. -</p> - -<p> -24. Seventeen sonatas for organ, with other -instruments, written for Salzburg. -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p> -In addition to the above works, Kochel's -catalogue gives a list of ninety-eight works -which Mozart began, but, for some unknown -reason, never completed. -</p> - -<div>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 69304 ***</div> -</body> - -</html> - - - - diff --git a/old/69304-h/images/img-002.jpg b/old/69304-h/images/img-002.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 90040b8..0000000 --- a/old/69304-h/images/img-002.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/69304-h/images/img-006.jpg b/old/69304-h/images/img-006.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 252b9bf..0000000 --- a/old/69304-h/images/img-006.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/69304-h/images/img-020.jpg b/old/69304-h/images/img-020.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index ee67f7f..0000000 --- a/old/69304-h/images/img-020.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/69304-h/images/img-040.jpg b/old/69304-h/images/img-040.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index f0ae5c9..0000000 --- a/old/69304-h/images/img-040.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/69304-h/images/img-050.jpg b/old/69304-h/images/img-050.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 581fbfb..0000000 --- a/old/69304-h/images/img-050.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/69304-h/images/img-060.jpg b/old/69304-h/images/img-060.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 2397fa1..0000000 --- a/old/69304-h/images/img-060.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/69304-h/images/img-cover.jpg b/old/69304-h/images/img-cover.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index b69e20c..0000000 --- a/old/69304-h/images/img-cover.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/69304-h/images/img-front.jpg b/old/69304-h/images/img-front.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 4ee60a1..0000000 --- a/old/69304-h/images/img-front.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/old/69304-0.txt b/old/old/69304-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 60ac237..0000000 --- a/old/old/69304-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,2129 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Mozart, by Ebenezer Prout - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Mozart - -Author: Ebenezer Prout - -Release Date: November 6, 2022 [eBook #69304] - -Language: English - -Produced by: Al Haines - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MOZART *** - - - - - - - -[Frontispiece: MOZART AS A YOUNG MAN. (_From a print by Schwërer._)] - - - - Bell's Miniature Series of Musicians - - - - MOZART - - - BY - - EBENEZER PROUT, B.A., Mus.D. - - PROFESSOR OF MUSIC, DUBLIN UNIVERSITY - - - - LONDON - GEORGE BELL & SONS - 1905 - - - - - First Published, November, 1903. - Reprinted, 1905. - - - - -TABLE OF CONTENTS - - -SOME BOOKS ABOUT MOZART - -THE CHILD (1756-1768) - -THE YOUTH (1769-1778) - -THE MAN (1779-1791) - -HIS ART--AN APPRECIATION - -LIST OF WORKS BY MOZART - - - - -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS - - -MOZART AS A YOUNG MAN ... _Frontispiece_ - (_From a print by Schwërer._) - -MOZART AT THE AGE OF SEVEN - (_From a scarce French print._) - -MOZART WITH HIS FATHER AND SISTER - (_From a rare print._) - -THE MOZART FAMILY - (_From the painting by Van de la Croce,_ - 1780, _in the Mozart Museum._) - -MOZART IN 1791 - (_From an original at Salzburg._) - -PART OF THE SCORE OF THE "DE PROFUNDIS" - -MOZART, BY JÄGER - - - - -SOME BOOKS ABOUT MOZART - - -Among the more important biographical and critical works on Mozart -are the following: - -NISSEN, G. N. VON. "Biographie W. A. Mozart's." Leipzig. 1828. - -HOLMES, EDWARD. "Life of Mozart, including - His Correspondence." London. 1845. - Second Edition, edited by the writer of this book. 1878. - -JAHN, OTTO. "W. A. Mozart." First Edition, - 4 vols. Leipzig. 1856-59. Second Edition, - 2 vols. 1867. English translation, 3 vols. - London. 1882. - -KÖCHEL, DR. LUDWIG RITTER VON. "Chronologisch-thematisches - Verzeichniss sämmtlicher Tonwerke Wolfgang Amade - Mozart's." Leipzig. 1862. - -POHL, C. F. "Mozart und Haydn in London." Vienna. 1867. - -NOHL, LUDWIG. "Mozart nach den Schilderungen seiner - Zeitgenossen." Leipzig. 1880. - - -The article on Mozart by C. F. Pohl in the second volume of Grove's -"Dictionary of Music and Musicians" is also well deserving of study, -being, in fact, an epitome of Jahn's great work. - - - - -LIFE OF MOZART - -THE CHILD (1756-1768) - -Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born at Salzburg on January 27, 1756. -His full name, as given in the church register, was "Joannes -Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus"; his father used the German -equivalent "Gottlieb" of this last name, and the composer himself -subsequently adopted the Latinized form "Amadeus." - -His family had long been settled in Augsburg, where Wolfgang's -father, Leopold Mozart, was born on November 14, 1719. With the -object of studying jurisprudence, Leopold entered the university of -Salzburg, supporting himself by teaching music and playing the -violin. He was a musician of considerable attainments, and in 1743 -the Archbishop of Salzburg took him into his service, later -appointing him Court composer and leader of the orchestra. He was a -voluminous composer, but his works show little inventive power. His -fame as a musician rests chiefly on his "School for the Violin," -printed in 1756--the year of Wolfgang's birth. This work, from which -Otto Jahn in his great monograph on Mozart gives several extracts, -was for many years the only work published in Germany on the subject, -and was held in great esteem not only for the thoroughness of its -instructions, but for the excellence of its style. - -In 1747 Leopold Mozart married Anna Maria Pertlin (or Bertlin), by -whom he had seven children, only two of whom survived infancy. The -elder of these two was a daughter, Maria Anna, born July 30, 1751; -the younger was the subject of the present volume. - -[Illustration: MOZART AT THE AGE OF SEVEN. (_From a scarce French -print._)] - -Like her illustrious brother, Maria Anna (generally spoken of in the -family by the pet name of "Nannerl") very early showed great aptitude -for music. At the age of seven her father began to give her lessons -on the clavier, on which she made remarkable progress. It was during -these lessons that Wolfgang's wonderful musical genius first showed -itself. Though the child was then only between three and four years -of age, he took the greatest interest in what his sister was doing, -and would amuse himself with picking out thirds on the clavier. When -he was four his father, more in joke than otherwise, began to teach -him little pieces, which he learned with astonishing ease. For a -short piece he required only half an hour, for longer pieces an hour, -after which he could play them with perfect correctness. What is -even more astonishing is that before he was five years of age he -began to compose and play little pieces which his father wrote down. -Some of these juvenile efforts have been preserved, and show that -while the young musician had not at that time acquired any -individuality of style, he had an instinctive feeling for clearness -of form, while his harmony shows a correctness which is absolutely -amazing in so young a child. - -J. A. Schachtner, Court trumpeter at Salzburg, an intimate friend of -the family, has preserved some reminiscences of the child's early -years in a letter which he wrote to the composer's sister soon after -Mozart's death. In this letter Schachtner relates how, on returning -from church one day with Leopold Mozart, they found little Wolfgang, -then four years old, hard at work writing: - - -"Papa. What are you writing? - -"Wolfgang. A piano concerto; the first part is nearly finished. - -"Papa. Let me see it. - -"Wolfgang. It is not ready yet. - -"Papa. Let me see it; it must be something pretty. - -"His father took it, and showed me a daub of notes, mostly written -over blots that had been wiped out. (N.B.--Little Wolfgang in his -ignorance had dipped his pen every time to the bottom of the -inkstand, and so made a blot each time he put it on the paper; this -he wiped out with his flat hand, and went on writing.) We laughed at -first over this apparent nonsense; but the papa then began to notice -the principal thing, the composition. He remained motionless for a -long while, looking at the page; at last two tears--tears of -admiration and joy--fell from his eyes. 'Look, Herr Schachtner,' -said he, 'how correctly and regularly it is all arranged, only it -cannot be used because it is so extraordinarily difficult that nobody -can play it.' Little Wolfgang broke in: 'That is why it is a -concerto; it must be practised till one gets it right. Look, this is -how it must go!' He played it, but could only just make enough out -of it to show us what he meant.' - -* * * * * - -"Soon after they returned from Vienna, and Wolfgang brought with him -a little fiddle that had been presented to him. The late Herr -Wentzl, an excellent violinist, who also did a little in composition, -brought six trios with him which he had written during your father's -absence, and asked his opinion on them. We played the trios, your -father taking the bass part on the viola, Wentzl the first violin, -and I was to play the second. Wolfgang begged that he might play the -second, but his father refused the foolish request, as he had not had -the slightest instruction on the violin, and the father thought he -was not in the least able to do it. Wolfgang said: 'To play a second -violin one need not have learned!' When his father insisted on his -going away and not disturbing us any further, he began to cry -bitterly, and rushed out of the room with his fiddle. I begged them -to let him play with me. At last papa said: 'Well, play with Herr -Schachtner; but so quietly that nobody hears you, else you must go.' -So Wolfgang played with me. I soon noticed with astonishment that I -was quite superfluous. I quietly put down my violin and looked at -your father, down whose cheeks tears of admiration and happiness were -rolling, and so we played all six trios. When we had finished -Wolfgang grew so bold with our applause that he declared he could -play the first violin part too. We tried it for a joke, and nearly -died of laughing when he played this part also, though with quite -incorrect and irregular fingering, yet so that he never stuck fast." - - -In January, 1762, Leopold Mozart took his children to Munich, where -they played before the Elector. Their visit lasted three weeks, and -was so successful that in September of the same year they started for -Vienna. They travelled leisurely, staying five days at Passau at the -request of the Bishop, and giving a concert at Linz under the -patronage of the Governor-General of the Province, Count Schlick. -The astonishment and delight at the performances of the two children -were unbounded. On arriving at Vienna, they received a command to -visit the Emperor at Schönbrunn. Both he and the Empress were good -musicians, and many incidents are related by Mozart's biographers -showing not only the interest taken in the youthful prodigy, but also -the tests of ability to which the Emperor submitted him. It was, of -course, only natural that the example set by royalty should be -followed by members of the Court, and the Mozarts were invited by all -the nobility of Vienna. Their visit must have been a source of -considerable profit, as many valuable presents were made them. Their -success was interrupted for a time, from Wolfgang being attacked by -scarlet fever; happily, the attack was not very severe, though -sufficient to confine him to the house for a month. The family -returned to Salzburg early in January, 1763. - -Encouraged by the success of his first venture, Leopold Mozart -resolved on a much longer tour, and on June 9, 1763, he, with his -wife and the two children, left home for Paris. At Wasserburg their -carriage broke down, and a day's delay was caused while it was being -repaired. Leopold Mozart writes to his friend Hagenauer: - - -"The latest thing is that, to amuse ourselves, we went to the organ, -and I explained the pedals to Wolferl, whereupon he at once, _stante -pede_, began to try them. Pushing back the stool and standing, he -preluded, stepping about on the pedals just as if he had practised -for many months. All were amazed; it is a new gift of God, which -many only attain after much trouble." - - -After passing through Munich, Augsburg, Mainz, Frankfort, Cologne, -and Brussels, giving many concerts by the way, they reached Paris on -November 18, where they were the guests of the Bavarian Ambassador, -Count von Eyck, whose wife was the daughter of an official at -Salzburg. By means of introductions which he had brought with him, -Leopold Mozart soon obtained permission for his children to play at -Court, where the King's daughters showed themselves extremely -friendly to them. The father in one of his letters tells how they -went on New Year's Day to the supper-room of the royal family, and -how Wolfgang stood near the Queen, who fed him with sweetmeats and -talked to him in German, interpreting his answers to the King, who -did not understand the language. Every where the child's -performances excited the greatest wonder and admiration. Not only -would he play anything set before him at first sight, but he would -transpose or accompany from a full score; his improvisations are also -spoken of as remarkable, not only for their melodic interest but for -their harmony. - -[Illustration: MOZART WITH HIS FATHER AND SISTER. (_From a rare -print._)] - -It was while he was in Paris that his father had his first -compositions printed for him. These were four sonatas for piano and -violin, published in two sets, the first of which was dedicated to -the Princess Victoria, the second daughter of the King, and the -second to the Comtesse de Tesse, lady-in-waiting to the Dauphiness. -It is not too much to say that these four sonatas are the most -remarkable examples in existence of precocious musical genius. It is -not so much that they show great originality in their subject-matter, -though in the slow movements, especially in that of the fourth -sonata, foreshadowings of the riper Mozart may be seen; it is the -wonderful command of form, the feeling for rhythm and for balance in -the different parts of a movement which excite astonishment. The -harmony, too, is for the most part absolutely correct, though in one -place--in the minuet of the fourth sonata--consecutive fifths are to -be seen. Leopold Mozart had corrected them in the proofs, but the -correction had not been made before printing, and the father consoled -himself with the reflection that they would serve as a proof that the -boy had really composed the sonatas himself, which people might -otherwise have been not unnaturally inclined to doubt. - -In April, 1764, the Mozarts left Paris and came to London. George -III. and Queen Charlotte were both extremely fond of music, and the -success the children had met with in Paris was even surpassed at the -English Court. Wolfgang played at first sight pieces by Wagenseil, -Bach, Abel, and Handel, which the King placed before him; he -accompanied the Queen in a song and a flutist in a solo; finally, he -took a bass part of one of Handel's songs, and extemporized a -beautiful melody above it. His father wrote of him at this time: "It -surpasses all conception. What he knew when we left Salzburg is a -mere shadow to what he knows now. My girl, though only twelve, is -one of the cleverest players in Europe; and the mighty Wolfgang, to -put it briefly, knows all, in this his eighth year, that one could -ask from a man of forty. In short, anyone who does not see and hear -it cannot believe it. You all in Salzburg know nothing about it, for -the matter is quite different now." - -On June 5 Leopold Mozart gave a concert to introduce his children to -a London public. The result was a great success, and he, in his own -words, "was frightened at taking one hundred guineas in three hours." -Subsequently Wolfgang played the piano and organ at a concert given -at Ranelagh Gardens for a charitable object. In August Leopold -Mozart was attacked by a dangerous inflammation of the throat, which -confined him to the house for seven weeks, during which time no music -was heard. Wolfgang utilized the occasion by writing his first -symphony for orchestra, and his sister afterwards told how, when she -was sitting at his side, he said to her: "Remind me to give the horns -something good." Like the first sonatas already spoken of, the first -symphony, though not remarkable for its themes, shows the wonderful -knowledge of instrumental forms that the child had almost intuitively -acquired. - -After the father's recovery the family were again invited to Court on -October 29 for the festivities on the fourth anniversary of the -King's coronation. In recognition of the royal favour, Leopold -Mozart had six sonatas by Wolfgang for piano and violin engraved at -his own expense. They were dedicated to the Queen, who rewarded the -composer with a present of fifty guineas. These sonatas, though -concise in form and bearing marks of immaturity, already show a -perceptible advance on those printed a year earlier in Paris. - -It was in London, at the Italian Opera, that the young composer first -had the opportunity of hearing great singers. Chief among these were -the male soprani, Manzuoli and Tenducci, the former of whom gave him -lessons in singing. How he profited by them we learn from his friend -Grimm, who, hearing him in Paris on his return there in the following -year, writes that he sang with as much feeling as taste. With so -impressionable a nature as his, it can scarcely be doubted that these -early lessons contributed not a little to the formation of that pure -style of vocal writing so characteristic of his music for the theatre -and the church. - -Finding that, when the novelty had worn off, the performances of his -children no longer attracted the same attention as before, the -Mozarts left London on July 24, 1765, on a visit to the Hague, as the -Princess von Weilburg, sister of the Prince of Orange, was very -anxious to see the boy. They were most graciously received, but had -not been long at the Hague when Marianne was taken so dangerously ill -that her life was despaired of, and extreme unction was administered. -Scarcely was she recovered when Wolfgang was seized with a violent -fever, which confined him to his bed for several weeks. Even during -this illness his ruling passion showed itself. He would have a board -laid upon his bed on which he could write, and even when he was -weakest it was difficult to restrain him from writing and playing. - -In January, 1766, two concerts were given in Amsterdam, the -programmes of which consisted entirely of Wolfgang's instrumental -compositions. Two months later they returned to the Hague to be -present at the festivities of the coming of age of the Prince of -Orange. Here Wolfgang, at the desire of the Princess of Weilburg, -wrote six more sonatas for piano and violin, besides several smaller -pieces for her. - -We must pass briefly over the remainder of this long tour. Passing -through Mechlin, they returned to Paris, thence by Dijon and Lyons to -Switzerland, where they stayed some time. It was not till the end of -November, 1766, that, after an absence of nearly three years and a -half, the family found themselves once more at home at Salzburg. - -It has been advisable to give in considerable detail the particulars -of Mozart's earliest years because the precocious development of his -genius is absolutely without a parallel in the case of any other -composer. The limits of the present volume will render it needful to -be somewhat more concise in dealing with the rest of the biography. -It is characteristic of the young Wolfgang that his simple nature -does not appear to have been in the least spoiled by successes which -were enough to have turned the head of an adult. Jahn tells us that -he would ride round the room on his father's stick, or jump up from -the piano in the middle of his extemporizing to go and play with a -favourite cat. Doubtless the judicious training he received from his -good and wise father furnishes the explanation of this estimable -trait in his character. - -For nearly a year the family remained at home, Wolfgang working hard -both at playing and composing. The chief works belonging to this -period, on none of which it is necessary to dwell, are the first four -concertos for the piano, a small sacred cantata, _Grabmusik_, and the -Latin comedy, _Apollo et Hyacinthus_, written for performance by the -students of the Salzburg University. In September, 1767, the whole -family left home on a second visit to Vienna, with the intention of -being present at the marriage of the Archduchess Maria Josepha with -King Ferdinand of Naples, which was shortly to take place. -Unfortunately, within a month after their arrival the Archduchess was -carried off by small-pox, and Leopold Mozart with all his family fled -to Olmütz. His children, nevertheless, did not escape; both were -attacked by the complaint, with such severity in the case of Wolfgang -that he lay blind for nine days. With the greatest kindness the Dean -of Olmütz, Count Podstatsky, who was also a Canon of Salzburg, and -therefore knew Mozart, received the whole family into his house, -procuring for them the best medical attendance and nursing. - -Returning to Vienna in January, 1768, they soon experienced -difficulties of all kinds. The Empress Maria Theresa, it is true, as -soon as she heard of the dangerous illness of the children whom she -had so admired five years before, sent for them; but this visit -brought them little profit, for the Emperor was parsimonious, and the -nobility followed his example. Even more adverse were the conditions -as regards the general public. The Viennese at that time, as Leopold -Mozart says in one of his letters, had no desire to see anything -serious and sensible, and little or no idea of it; all they cared for -was buffoonery, farces, or pantomime. The infant prodigy had been a -"draw" in 1762; but they cared little or nothing for the development -of the artist a few years later. Added to this was the active -opposition of envious musicians. Those who had admired the young -child now dreaded the boy of twelve as a dangerous rival. The father -says: - - -"I found that all the clavier players and composers in Vienna opposed -our progress, with the single exception of Wagenseil, and he, as he -is ill, can do little or nothing for us. The great rule with these -people was carefully to avoid all opportunity of seeing us or of -examining into Wolfgang's knowledge. And why? So that they, in so -many cases when they were asked if they have heard this boy and what -they think of him, might always be able to say that they had not -heard him, and that it was impossible it could be true; that it was -humbug and harlequinade; that matters had been arranged, and that the -things given him to play were what he knew already; that it was -ridiculous to think he could compose. You see, that is why they -avoid us. For anyone who has seen and heard him can no longer say -this without the risk of dishonour. I have trapped one of these -people. We had arranged with someone to let us know quietly when he -would be present. He was to come and bring an extraordinarily -difficult concerto. We managed the matter, and he had the -opportunity of hearing his concerto played off by Wolfgang as if he -knew it by heart. The astonishment of this composer and performer, -the expressions which he used in his admiration, gave us all to -understand what I have just been pointing out to you. At last he -said: 'I can, as an honourable man, say nothing else than that this -boy is the greatest man now living in the world; it was impossible to -believe.'" - - -Isolated cases of this kind could do but little to stem the torrent -of calumny and depreciation to which the young composer was exposed. -But now the Emperor came forward and proposed that Wolfgang should -write an opera. The proposal was eagerly accepted; the father saw -that a success would not only establish the lad's reputation in -Vienna, but would pave the way for further successes in Italy. The -text of an opera buffa, _La Finta Semplice_, was obtained from -Coltellini, the poet connected with the theatre, and Wolfgang set to -work at once. The score, which contained twenty-five numbers and 558 -pages, was soon completed. Jahn, who gives a detailed analysis of -the whole opera, concludes his criticism by saying that the work was -fully equal to those at that time to be heard on the stage, while in -single numbers it surpassed them in nobility and originality of -invention and treatment, while it pointed clearly to a greater -future. And this, be it remembered, was the composition of a boy of -twelve! - -In spite of the support of the Emperor, the unscrupulous intrigues of -Mozart's enemies, of which his father's letters convey a vivid idea, -so influenced the manager of the theatre, Affligio--a scoundrel who, -it is satisfactory to learn, ended his days at the galleys--that the -opera was never produced. By way of consolation, however, the father -had the pleasure of hearing a German operetta by Wolfgang performed. -This was _Bastien und Bastienne_, a piece in one act, which was -written for Dr. Messmer, a rich amateur who had built a small theatre -in his garden. Wolfgang was also commissioned to compose the music -for the dedication of the chapel of an orphan asylum, and to conduct -the performance of the same. For this occasion he composed his first -Mass (in G major), and an offertorium, _Veni sancte Spiritus_, of -which the latter is the more striking. - -On the return of the Mozart family to Salzburg, about the end of -1768, the Archbishop, gratified at the success obtained by a native -of the city, had the opera performed by musicians who were in his -service. He further appointed Wolfgang concertmeister--that is, -leader of the orchestra--and his name appears in this capacity in the -Court calendars of 1770. - - - - -THE YOUTH (1769-1778) - -The greater part of the year 1769 was spent quietly at Salzburg, -where Wolfgang, under his father's direction, diligently pursued his -studies. In December of that year the father and son set off for -Italy, Leopold rightly feeling that such a tour would not only be -advantageous to Wolfgang's reputation as a musician, but would -enlarge his views and give him wider experience of the world. - -The lad was now no longer an infant prodigy, but, it might almost be -said, already a mature artist, whose powers were ripening daily, -thanks hardly less to his father's judicious training than to his own -natural genius. It is noteworthy that he never seems to have been in -the least spoiled by his successes; he remained the same natural, -affectionate boy that he had always been. The letters that he wrote -during his tour to his sister at home are full of charm. While often -overflowing with fun, they also show how acute a critic he was of the -music which he heard, and how keen an observer of all that passed -around him. In this respect they may be compared with the letters -written from Italy more than sixty years later by Mendelssohn. - -Travelling by way of Innsbruck, Roveredo, and Verona, and meeting -everywhere with a most enthusiastic reception, Mozart, with his -father, reached Mantua on January 10, 1770. The Philharmonic Society -of the city gave a concert on the 16th of the same month, which was -in reality a public exhibition of Wolfgang's powers. The programme -has fortunately been preserved, and we learn from it that in addition -to two of his symphonies, of which he probably directed the -performance, he played at first sight a concerto for the harpsichord -that was placed before him. He also played at sight a sonata, -introducing variations of his own, and afterwards transposed the -whole piece into another key. More remarkable still was his -improvisation. He extemporized a sonata and a regularly constructed -fugue on themes given him at the moment. He also sang and composed -extempore a song on words not previously seen, accompanying himself -on the harpsichord. - -The travellers' next stay was at Milan, where they found a warm -friend in Count Firmian, the Governor-General of Lombardy, who -interested himself with such success on behalf of Wolfgang that the -latter received a commission to compose an opera for the next season, -after giving proof of his powers for serious opera by setting three -songs from the poems of Metastasio. - -Passing through Parma, Bologna (where they made the acquaintance of -the celebrated theorist Padre Martini) and Florence, the Mozarts -arrived in Rome during Holy Week. It was on this occasion that -Wolfgang performed the feat, so often recorded, of writing down from -memory Allegri's _Miserere_ after having heard it sung, in the -Sistine Chapel. After a visit for a month to Naples, they returned -to Rome, where the Pope invested Wolfgang with the order of the -Golden Spur. - -Revisiting Bologna on his return journey, the lad received the honour -of being elected a member of the Philharmonic Society of that city. -As a test-piece he composed an antiphon in four parts, _Quœrite -primum regnum Dei_, in the strict contrapuntal style of the old -Church music. His father, writing home an account of the affair, -says: - - -"The princeps academiæ and the two censors, who are all old -kapellmeisters, put before him in the presence of all the members an -antiphon from the Antiphonarium, which he was to set in four parts in -an adjoining room, to which he was conducted by the beadle and locked -in. When he had finished it, it was examined by the censors and all -the kapellmeisters and composers, who then voted upon it with black -and white balls. As all the balls were white, he was called in, and -all clapped on his entry, and applauded him after the princeps -academiæ had announced his reception in the name of the society. He -returned thanks, and all was over. I was meantime shut up in the -library on the other side of the hall. All were astonished that he -had done it so quickly, as many take three hours over an antiphon of -three lines. You should know, though, that it is no easy task, for -there are many things forbidden in this kind of composition, as he -had been previously told. He finished it in exactly half an hour." - - -While staying at Bologna, Mozart received from Milan the libretto of -the opera which he was to write. According to his custom, he wrote -the recitatives first, deferring the composition of the airs till he -had made acquaintance with the singers, in order that he might suit -them the better with their parts. On October 18, Wolfgang and his -father returned to Milan, and the boy at once set to work diligently -to finish the opera, which was to be produced at Christmas. The -subject of the work was _Mitridate, Re di Ponto_, the libretto being -written by a poet of Turin named Cigna-Santi. All the airs were -written after consultation with those who were to sing them. - -As at Vienna, so at Milan: jealous musicians intrigued to hinder the -success of the work, but their efforts were in vain. The principal -singers and the members of the orchestra were delighted with the -music, and on December 26 it was produced, with so brilliant a result -as to silence the detractors. The opera was repeated twenty times to -always crowded houses, and with ever-increasing success. At the end -of March, 1771, Wolfgang was again in Salzburg. - -Two important musical works were the result of the success of -_Mitridate_. The impresario at Milan engaged Wolfgang to write an -opera for the season of 1773, while the Empress Maria Theresa -commissioned him to compose a theatrical serenata for the marriage of -the Archduke Ferdinand, which was to take place at Milan in October, -1771. The work was _Ascanio in Alba_, which was produced on October -17 with very complete success. The celebrated Hasse, a friend of the -Mozarts, and an honourable man, who had always sided with Wolfgang -against his detractors, had written an opera, _Ruggiero_, for the -same festivities. Leopold Mozart writes home: "I am sorry that -Wolfgang's serenata has so eclipsed Hasse's opera that it is -indescribable." Hasse himself was generous enough to acknowledge his -defeat, and to say: "This youth will make us all to be forgotten," a -prophecy that has been amply fulfilled. - -During the greater part of the year 1772 Wolfgang was at home, -composing music of almost every kind. An event which took place at -this time had an important influence on his future. This was the -death of the Archbishop of Salzburg, and the election in his place of -Hieronymus, Count of Colloredo, a haughty and surly man, who cared -nothing whatever for music. For his installation Mozart composed the -one-act allegorical opera, _Il Sogno di Scipione_--not one of his -stronger works. In November of the same year we find him once more -in Milan, busy with the new opera that he had been engaged to write. -This was _Lucio Silla_, the words of which were written by a local -poet. It was produced on December 26, and repeated more than twenty -times to crowded houses. The opera contains some beautiful numbers; -but Mozart had not yet emancipated himself from tradition, and it is -not till some years later that his dramatic genius shows itself in -its full strength. After the production of _Lucio Silla_, Leopold -Mozart, with his son, remained some time in Italy, in the hope of the -latter obtaining an appointment in the Court of the Grand Duke -Leopold at Florence. This hope was not realized, and in March they -returned to Salzburg. - -[Illustration: THE MOZART FAMILY. (_From the painting by Van de la -Croce, 1780, in the Mozart Museum._)] - -With the exception of a two months' visit to Vienna, Mozart remained -at home for the rest of the year and for nearly the whole of the -following one, composing almost incessantly and in nearly every -style. To this period belong two of his best Masses--those in F and -D--the fine _Litaniœ Lauretanœ_ in D, four symphonies, six -quartetts, concertos for various instruments, serenades, -divertimenti, and smaller pieces of all kinds. In the course of the -year 1774 Mozart received a commission to write a comic opera for -Munich for the Carnival of 1775, and in December of that year he went -there with his father. The opera which he had to write was _La Finta -Giardiniera_, the libretto of which had already been set to music by -Piccinni in 1770 and Anfossi in 1774. The first performance took -place on January 13, 1775, with a success which the composer -described the next day in a letter to his mother: - - -"My opera was produced yesterday, and had, thank God! such success -that I cannot possibly describe to mamma the noise and commotion.... -At the close of every air there was a terrible noise with clapping -and shouting 'Viva maestro!' ... I and my father afterwards went into -a room through which the whole Court pass, and where I kissed the -hands of the Elector, the Electress, and others of the nobility, who -were all very gracious. His Highness the Bishop of Chiemsee sent to -me early this morning with congratulations on my success." - - -Very interesting is the following extract from Schubert's "Teutsche -Chronik": - - -"I have also heard an opera buffa by the wonderful genius Mozart; it -is called _La Finta Ciardiniera_. Flames of genius flashed forth -here and there; but it is not yet the quiet fire on the altar which -rises to heaven in clouds of incense--a perfume sweet to the gods. -If Mozart is not a plant forced in a hot-house, he must become one of -the greatest musical composers that has ever lived." - - -In the music of _La Finta Giardiniera_ a great advance on any of -Mozart's previous operas is to be seen. Not only is there a richness -of melodic invention worthy to compare with that of his later and -greater works, but there is more organic unity in the music as a -whole. Though some of the airs now appear unduly spun out, it must -be remembered that long solos were the fashion of the day. The -orchestra is treated with more independence than hitherto, and the -score abounds with beautiful effects of colouring, though in most -numbers but few wind instruments are employed. The great duet toward -the close of the third act and the elaborate finales which conclude -the first and second acts are admirable, and might be inserted into -_Figaro_ without producing too strong a feeling of incongruity. - -Among those who witnessed the triumph of Mozart's opera was the -Archbishop of Salzburg, who was at the time on a visit to the Elector -of Bavaria. Though he did not himself hear the work, he was -congratulated upon it by the members of the Court, and, as Mozart -records, "was so embarrassed as to be unable to make any reply except -by shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders." - -Returning to Salzburg in March, 1775, Mozart remained there for -nearly three years--probably the least happy of his life. The entire -want of appreciation showed him by the tyrannical Archbishop rendered -his position most irksome. Though the final rupture did not come -till later, he was subjected to constant indignities, while the -remuneration he received was ridiculously disproportionate to the -services that he rendered, both as composer and performer. Yet his -activity in production never ceased. The catalogue of the -compositions he produced during these years is nearly as astonishing -for the large number of masterpieces it contains as for the variety -of style that it shows. Nearly a hundred works, including four -symphonies, fifteen serenades and divertimenti, ten concertos for -various instruments, six sonatas for clavier, six Masses, the grand -Litany in E flat, a number of smaller works for the Church, the opera -_Il Rè Pastore_, many songs, some with orchestra, others with piano, -bear witness no less to his industry than to the fecundity of his -genius. Many of these works were written for performance at the -Archbishop's palace, at which concerts were frequently given; but the -Archbishop, though fully knowing what a treasure he had in Mozart, -not only never paid him for any of his compositions, but insulted him -by contemptuous remarks about them, thinking this the best means of -keeping the young master from asking for an advance in his salary, -which, it should be said, amounted at this time to about £15 sterling -per annum! On one occasion, as we learn from a letter written by -Leopold to Padre Martini, the Archbishop went so far as to tell -Wolfgang that he knew nothing about his art, and that he ought to go -to Naples to study. It became more and more evident that there was -no prospect of the young man's obtaining an honourable and -remunerative post at Salzburg. It was therefore decided that -Wolfgang should make another tour, in the hope of obtaining a better -appointment. But when he applied for leave of absence that he might -earn some money as an addition to his small salary, the Archbishop -refused with the ungracious remark that "he could not suffer a man -going on begging expeditions." Wolfgang thereupon tendered his -resignation, which the Archbishop angrily accepted. - -As it was impossible for Leopold to accompany his son on this -journey--the Archbishop having refused him leave of -absence--Wolfgang's mother went with him. They left Salzburg on -September 23, 1777, for Munich, where they stayed till October 11, -Wolfgang hoping either to find a post there or to obtain a commission -to write an opera. From Munich they went to Augsburg, where Mozart -gave a concert which brought him much glory but very little profit. - -On October 30 Mozart and his mother arrived at Mannheim. The long -stay of between four and five months which they made in this place -had in more than one respect an important influence on Mozart's -future. The orchestra at Mannheim was considered the finest in -Europe, and the young composer writes of it to his father in -enthusiastic terms. He was especially struck by the clarinets, which -he here for the first time met with in the orchestra. He writes: -"Ah, if we only had clarinets! You cannot believe what a splendid -effect a symphony makes with flutes, oboes, and clarinets." The -Mannheim orchestra included among its members many of the finest -performers on their respective instruments then living, and -contemporary testimony was to the effect that they were unsurpassed -in execution and finish. The first kapellmeister was Christian -Cannabich, an excellent violinist, and a very good friend to Mozart; -the second was the Abbé Vogler, a clever but eccentric man, of whom -Mozart writes: "He is a fool, who fancies that there can exist -nothing better or more perfect than himself. He is hated by the -whole orchestra. His book will better teach arithmetic than -composition." In another letter he gives a criticism of Vogler's -music which is so characteristic as to deserve quotation: - - -"Yesterday was again a gala day. I attended the service, at which -was produced a bran new Mass by Vogler, which had been rehearsed only -the day before yesterday in the afternoon. I stayed, however, no -longer than the end of the 'Kyrie.' Such music I never before heard -in my life, for not only is the harmony often wrong, but he goes into -keys as if he would pull them in by the hair of the head, not -artistically, but plump, and without preparation. Of the treatment -of the ideas I will not try to speak; I will only say that it is -quite impossible that any Mass by Vogler can satisfy a composer -worthy of the name. For though one should discover an idea that is -not bad, that idea does not long remain in a negative condition, but -soon becomes--beautiful? Heaven save the mark! it becomes -bad--extremely bad, and this in two or three different ways. The -thought has scarcely had time to appear before something else comes -and destroys it, or it does not close so naturally as to remain good, -or it is not brought in in the right place, or it is spoiled by the -injudicious employment of the accompanying instruments. Such is -Vogler's composition." - - -It is hardly surprising that there should be little sympathy or -cordiality between Vogler and Mozart, but there is no ground for the -suspicion entertained by Leopold Mozart that the Abbé was plotting -against his son. - -Mozart was very desirous of obtaining an appointment at Mannheim -under the Elector, and this was one of the causes of his long stay -there. But, as usual, nothing came of it. The Elector was very -complimentary to the composer, but after a delay of nearly two months -finally said that he could do nothing. It was therefore the father's -wish that they should continue the journey towards Paris. Mozart, -however, was in no hurry to leave Mannheim; the society of the -members of the orchestra, some of whom--among them Wendling, the -flutist, and Ramm, the oboist--were close personal friends, was very -congenial. But there was another and more powerful reason: he had -for the first time fallen seriously in love. The object of his -affection was a young singer, Aloysia Weber, the second daughter of -Fridolin von Weber, at that time copyist and prompter in the Mannheim -theatre. She was very beautiful, had a fine voice, and sang with -great taste and expression. For her Mozart wrote one of the finest -of his concert arias, _Non so donde viene_; he also gave her lessons. -His affection would seem to have been returned, but his father was -not unnaturally opposed to the youth's fettering himself by such a -union. Wolfgang's idea was to make a professional tour in company -with the Webers, and to try to procure engagements in Italy for the -young lady as a prima donna, and for himself as a composer, Leopold, -however, was experienced enough to see clearly that such a scheme was -impracticable, and that a young girl who had never appeared on the -stage would have no chance of success in an Italian theatre, however -well she might sing. He therefore, in order to free his son from the -entanglement, wrote a long letter to him, putting the case very -plainly and sensibly, and urging him at once to go to Paris to try to -make a position there. Like a dutiful son, as he always showed -himself, Wolfgang obeyed, and left Mannheim with a heavy heart on -March 14, 1788, arriving nine days later at Paris. - -The time of his visit was not favourable to his hopes. Musicians in -the French capital were busy with the great struggle for supremacy in -opera between Gluck and Piccinni, which was then at its height. -Besides this, the frivolous Parisian public, who had been so -attracted by the infant prodigy, cared little for the mature artist. -Mozart obtained an introduction to Le Gros, the director of the -Concert Spirituel, who gave him a commission to write some movements -of a _Miserere_, of which, however, only two choruses were performed. -Besides this, Mozart composed for the same concerts a _Sinfonie -Concertante_ for four wind instruments, with orchestra. But once -more the intrigues of enemies pursued him. Two days before the -concert was to be given the parts of the new work had not been -copied, and when Mozart went to Le Gros to inquire the reason, the -latter merely said that he had forgotten it. Mozart suspected, and -probably correctly, that Cambini, an Italian composer whom he had -unintentionally offended, was at the bottom of it. - -For the Duc de Guines, to whom he obtained an introduction through -his old friend Grimm, Mozart wrote a double concerto for the unusual -combination of flute and harp, to be played by the Duke and his -daughter. The two instruments were those which Mozart detested; yet -the concerto, though not a great work, is most effectively written -for both instruments, and is very pleasing music. Besides this, he -gave lessons in composition to the Duke's daughter, who, though a -clever performer, seems to have had but little idea of writing. -Mozart, in one of his letters to his father, gives a very amusing -account of a lesson in which he had tried to make the young lady -compose a minuet. He wrote later that she was both stupid and lazy, -and he finally gave up the lessons in disgust. - -Mozart's great desire, as always, was to write an opera, and, through -Noverre, the ballet-master of the Grand Opera, whose acquaintance he -had made in Vienna six years before, there seemed to be a fair -prospect of the realization of his wish. Noverre set a librettist to -work, and the text of the first act of an opera was soon ready. -Meanwhile Noverre wanted some ballet music, and Mozart wrote for him -the overture and incidental dances for _Les Petits Riens_. Nothing -more, however, came of the opera. The composer, nevertheless, had -one musical success during his stay in Paris. This was the -production at the Concert Spirituel of his symphony in D, known as -the "Parisian." In a letter to his father Mozart tells how warmly it -was received, and how the audience were struck with certain passages -and began applauding in the middle of the movements. There is no -doubt that the symphony was the finest that he had composed up to -that time; being written to suit the Parisian taste, it is lighter -and more brilliant in style than most of its predecessors, without -becoming thereby tawdry or frivolous. This was the first symphony -that Mozart had scored for full orchestra, and the rich and varied -colouring of the wind instruments shows how he had profited by -listening to the fine performances at Mannheim. - -Whether the success of his symphony would have led to Mozart's -ultimately obtaining a good appointment at Paris cannot be said, for -almost immediately after the production of the work a sad event -brought about an entire change in his plans. This was the death of -his mother, which occurred on July 3, 1778, after a fortnight's -illness. His father was anxious, for more than one reason, that he -should return home. Not only was there the natural desire for his -son's company and support in his bereavement, there was also the -apprehension that the young man, now that his mother's restraining -influence was removed, might fall into the hands of bad companions. - -At this juncture an opening unexpectedly presented itself in -Salzburg. The Archbishop had by this time become conscious of the -mistake he had made in allowing the young genius to leave him, and -was anxious to have him back if possible. The death of the old -kapellmeister Lolli, which occurred at this time, gave the Archbishop -the opportunity he desired, and, after long negotiations, Lolli's -post was offered to Leopold Mozart, and that of second kapellmeister -to his son, whose salary was to be 500 florins a year. It was also -conceded that he should have leave of absence whenever he wanted to -write an opera. - -Greatly as Mozart disliked Salzburg--and with good reason, after the -Archbishop's treatment of him--he at once yielded to his father's -wishes, and accepted the post. There can be no doubt that he did so -all the more readily in consequence of one piece of news contained in -his father's letter. This was that his beloved Aloysia Weber was -engaged to sing at Salzburg, and would be living with the Mozarts. -He therefore left Paris on September 26, travelling by way of -Strasburg, Mannheim, and Munich, at each of which places he remained -for some time. At Munich he visited the Webers, who had removed -thither from Mannheim. Here a great disappointment awaited him. His -beloved Aloysia had proved faithless, and received him coldly. -Mozart thereupon sat down to the piano and sang, "Ich lass das Madel -gern, das mich nicht will," (I willingly leave the maid who does not -want me). Aloysia subsequently made an unhappy marriage with an -actor named Lange, and became a distinguished prima donna. In her -later years she confessed that she had failed to realize the genius -of Mozart, and saw in him nothing but a little man. - - - - -THE MAN (1779-179l) - -In the middle of January, 1779, Mozart was once more in Salzburg, and -for nearly two years he remained in that city, busied with his duties -at the Archbishop's palace, and composing works of all kinds. The -record of these years is chiefly one of almost ceaseless writing. -Many of Mozart's best and ripest works date from this period. Among -these are the Mass in C, published as No. 1, though really the -composer's fourteenth. This is one of the finest of the series, as -well as one of the most popular. The "Agnus Dei," a solo, the chief -theme of which foreshadows the "Dove sono" of _Figaro_, was formerly -a favourite air with soprani who valued expression above mere -display. Another important work dating from this period is the -incidental music to Gebler's drama _Thamos, König in Ægypten_. This -music consists partly of entr'actes and incidental music, but it also -contains three magnificent and amply developed choruses, which may -justly be described as among the most noble choral pieces that Mozart -ever wrote. The play was a failure, but the composer, regretting -that the music could not be used, had the choruses adapted to Latin -hymns; in this form they have become well-known and popular as the -three great motets, _Splendente te, Deus_, _Ne pulvis et cinis_, and -_Deus, tibi laus et honor_. To this period also belong the two-act -German opera _Zaide_, two vespers, two symphonies, two great -serenades--one being the magnificent one for thirteen wind -instruments--the _Symphonie Concertante_ in E flat, for violin and -viola, the concerto in the same key for two pianos, and some of his -best sonatas for piano solo, besides smaller pieces, vocal and -instrumental, too numerous to mention. - -In the latter part of the year 1780, Mozart received from the Elector -of Bavaria a commission to write an opera for Munich, for the -Carnival of 1781. The Archbishop had promised him leave of absence, -and on November 6, 1780, he left Salzburg for the Bavarian capital. -The libretto was written by the Abbé Varesco, Court chaplain at -Salzburg, the subject selected being _Idomeneo_, and it was founded -on a French opera on the same subject that had been composed by -Campra, and produced in 1712. - -Mozart, on his arrival in Munich, was received with open arms by his -many friends in that city, and he worked at the opera with an -enthusiasm that may be easily imagined. Though his principal -vocalists were not all that he could have desired, he had a splendid -orchestra at his disposal, and from the first all the performers were -delighted with the music. His letters to his father while writing -the opera are full of interesting details. After the first -rehearsal, Ramm, the first oboe, an old friend of the composer, -assured him that he had never yet heard any music that made so great -an effect upon him. Mozart's father, who was most anxious for the -complete success of the work, wrote urging his son "to think not only -of the musical, but also of the unmusical public. You know, there -are a hundred without knowledge to every one connoisseur, so do not -forget the so-called 'popular' that tickles even the long ears." -Wolfgang replied: "Don't trouble yourself about the so-called -'popular,' for in my opera is music for all kinds of people--only not -for the long ears." - -_Idomeneo_ was produced on January 29, 1781, with a success that must -have satisfied not only the composer, but also his father and sister, -who came over from Salzburg to hear it. In this opera we find Mozart -in his full maturity. Whether in the flow of his melody, the -richness of the harmony, the power of dramatic characterization, or -the beauty and variety of the orchestration, this work shows a -decided advance on any of its predecessors, and marks a turning-point -in the history of dramatic music. - -Thanks to the fact that the Archbishop of Salzburg was at this time -in Vienna, Mozart was able to prolong his visit to Munich; but in -March he was summoned to join his employer, and on March 12 he -arrived in Vienna. Here he was treated by the Archbishop with the -utmost indignity; not only was he made to take his meals with the -servants, but he was refused permission to take any engagements -whereby he might add to his meagre income. Insult followed insult, -till at length the crisis came, and Mozart resigned the appointment -which his self-respect forbade him longer to hold, and determined to -seek his fortune in Vienna. - -Though now thrown entirely on his own resources, Mozart was very -sanguine about the future. At first he earned only a precarious -livelihood by playing at fashionable parties and teaching the piano; -but he looked forward with great hopes to obtaining an appointment -with the Emperor Joseph II. But the monarch, though always affable -and even cordial to the composer, preferred Italian music to the more -solid style of Mozart, whom he esteemed as a pianist rather than as a -composer. "He cares for no one but Salieri," said Mozart of him; and -there can be no doubt that the influence of the Italian on the -Emperor was very great. Salieri, a musician of talent, though not of -genius, saw in Mozart a formidable rival, and, while outwardly -polite, secretly intrigued against him. - -Joseph II. took great interest in the establishment of a school of -German opera, and engaged an excellent company of vocalists, among -whom was Mozart's old flame, Aloysia Weber, for the theatre. Mozart, -who always delighted in writing for the stage, had brought with him -to Vienna his German opera _Zaide_. He scarcely hoped that it would -be produced, as he thought the libretto unsuited to the Viennese -public; but Stephanie, the inspector of the opera, was so pleased -with the music that he promised to give Mozart a good text to set. -The Emperor was quite willing to see what the composer could do in -German opera; and in July Mozart, to his great delight, received the -libretto of _Belmont und Constanze_, now known under its second -title, _Die Entführung aus dem Serail_. Owing to various causes, -among others the cabals of Mozart's enemies, the production of the -opera was much delayed; it was only by the express command of the -Emperor that it was at length performed for the first time on July -13, 1782. It was of this opera that the Emperor said to the -composer: "Too fine for our ears, and an immense number of notes, my -dear Mozart!" which called forth the reply: "Exactly as many notes, -your Majesty, as are needful." - -The success of the work was immediate and complete. Here Mozart was -virtually on new ground. Excepting the operetta _Bastien und -Bastienne_ and the _Zaide_ above-mentioned, all Mozart's preceding -operas had been written to Italian words; and though in _Idomeneo_ a -fusion of Italian and German styles is to be seen, it is not till -_Die Entführung_ that we find an important work genuinely German in -character. Of Italian influence there is but little trace except in -some parts of the music allotted to Constanze. This role was -undertaken by Madame Cavalieri, a great bravura singer, but little -more; and many of the florid passages in her songs remind one of the -popular ornate style of the day. It is difficult to speak too highly -of the wealth of melodic invention, the truth of expression, or the -skill shown in differentiating the various characters of the drama to -be found in this work, while the picturesqueness of the orchestration -is perhaps even superior to that of _Idomeneo_, and certainly far -surpasses that of any of the early operas. - -At this time Mozart's old friends, the Webers, had removed to Vienna, -and the composer had resumed his intercourse with them. A mutual -attachment had grown up between him and Constanze, a younger sister -of Aloysia, who had jilted him. He wrote to his father asking his -consent to his marriage; but Leopold, knowing that his son had no -regular appointment, and that his income was precarious, strongly -opposed the step, and for some time the course of true love by no -means ran smooth. - -Through the influence of a patroness of Mozart, the Baroness von -Waldstadten, the obstacles were ultimately surmounted, and the -marriage was celebrated at the Baroness's house on August 4, 1782. -Though the union was, from one point of view, very happy, owing to -the true affection that existed between husband and wife, it cannot -be doubted that it was, to a great extent, the cause of much of -Mozart's later troubles. Constanze, though endowed with many -excellent qualities, was a bad housekeeper, while Mozart, besides -being generous to a fault, had not the least capacity for business, -nor even any idea of economy. No wonder, then, that when to the care -and expense of a young family was added a long and severe illness of -the wife, they were often in sore pecuniary difficulties. Jahn says -that if Mozart had been as good a man of business as his father, he -would have done very well in Vienna, for he earned a very good -income. As a matter of fact, from this time to the end of his -career, his life was one long struggle, and not always a successful -one, to keep his head above water. - -Mozart's chief source of income at this time seems to have been -derived from his playing, for he was in great demand, not only at -concerts, but in the houses of the nobility. According to the -unanimous verdict of his contemporaries, he was the greatest pianist -and (in the best sense of the term) virtuoso of his day. After his -death, Joseph Haydn is reported to have said, with tears in his eyes: -"I can never forget Mozart's playing; it came from the heart." The -Emperor also highly appreciated the composer's genius, and it is -probably only owing to the intrigues of the Italian musicians by whom -he was surrounded that he did not confer some adequately paid -appointment upon Mozart. - -In July, 1783, shortly after the birth of his first child, Mozart -took his wife to Salzburg to introduce her to his father and sister. -He had, before his marriage, made a vow that, if ever Constanze -became his wife, he would compose a new Mass for performance at -Salzburg. The work was not quite completed, but he supplied the -missing numbers from one of his earlier Masses. As the Archbishop of -Salzburg refused permission for the Mass to be performed in the -cathedral, it was given in St. Peter's Church, Constanze singing the -principal soprano part. The Mass, which is in C minor, is laid out -on a much larger scale than those which Mozart wrote for Salzburg, -the "Gloria" being in seven movements, while two of the choruses are -in five and one in eight parts. The work is a curious mixture; many -of the choruses are quite elevated in style, and not unworthy of the -"Requiem" itself. The solos are much lighter, and of a florid -character. Mozart never finished the Mass, but he used the music two -years later for his cantata, _Davide Penitente_. - -During his visit to Salzburg Mozart began work on two new buffo -operas, _L'Oca del Cairo_, the libretto by Varesco, who had written -the text of _Idomeneo_, and _Lo Sposo Deluso_, by an unknown poet. -Neither work, however, was completed. - -After his return to Vienna in October, 1783, Mozart's time was fully -occupied with concerts and composition. The year 1784 saw the birth -of many of his finest works, which at this time were exclusively -instrumental. Among them are several of his best piano concertos, -which he wrote for his own performance at concerts in which he took -part. The list also includes the great sonata in C minor for the -piano, a work not without influence on Beethoven, and the beautiful -sonata in B flat for piano and violin, composed for Mdlle. -Strinasacchi, a young violinist for whose benefit concert, Mozart had -promised to write a new work. Being pressed for time, Mozart had -deferred writing the sonata till the day before the concert, when the -young lady, with much trouble, obtained from him the violin part -only. She practised it the next morning, and in the evening played -it with the composer without any rehearsal. The Emperor was present -at the concert, and, looking through his opera-glass, noticed that -Mozart had a blank sheet of music-paper before him. After the sonata -was finished, the Emperor sent a message that he wished to see the -manuscript. The composer brought the blank sheet. "What, Mozart!" -said Joseph, "at your tricks again?" "Please your Majesty," was the -reply, "there was not a note lost." Only musicians will be able -fully to appreciate the wonderful feat of memory which such a -performance involved. - -In 1785 Leopold Mozart returned his son's visit, and it was at this -time that he made the acquaintance of Joseph Haydn, with whom -Wolfgang was on intimate terms. Leopold met Haydn for the first time -at a party at his son's house, where three of Mozart's recently -composed quartetts were played. It was on that occasion that Haydn -said to the proud father: "I declare to you before God, and as a man -of honour, that your son is the greatest composer that I know; he has -taste, and beyond that the most consummate knowledge of the art of -composition." - -In February, 1786, was produced the music to _Der -Schauspieldirector_, a German comedy in one act, for some festivities -given by the Emperor at Schönbrunn. Mozart's share of the work -consisted merely of an overture and four vocal numbers. Though the -music is extremely melodious, it adds nothing to the composer's fame. -Far more interesting and important were the two piano concertos in A -major and C minor, both written in March of the same year. But all -other compositions of this time sink into insignificance by the side -of the opera _Le Nozze di Figaro_, which was produced in Vienna on -May 1, 1786. The libretto was adapted by Lorenzo da Ponte, a -theatrical poet who was a favourite with the Emperor, from -Beaumarchais' comedy, "Le Mariage de Figaro." The subject was -suggested by the composer himself. As on so many previous occasions, -there were violent intrigues against the piece; but, thanks probably -in a great measure to the support of the Emperor, these were -unsuccessful, and the Irish singer, Michael Kelly, who took the part -of Basilio at the first performance, says in his "Reminiscences": -"Never was anything more complete than the triumph of Mozart and his -_Nozze di Figaro_, to which numerous overflowing audiences bore -witness." Almost more enthusiasm was shown at Prague, where the -opera was given a few months later. At the invitation of some of his -friends, Mozart went to Prague to witness the success of his work. -His reception there was overwhelming. Two concerts which he gave in -the city realized a profit of 1,000 florins. At the first of these -was produced the fine symphony in D known as the "Prague Symphony." -At the same concert he extemporized, in his own masterly manner, for -half an hour, after which, in reply to a call for "something from -_Figaro_," he improvised variations on "Non più andrai." This visit -had an important result. Mozart remarked to Bondini, the manager of -the theatre, that, as the people of Prague appreciated him so much, -he should like to write an opera for them, whereupon the manager took -him at his word, and commissioned an opera from him for the following -season. - -[Illustration: MOZART IN 1791. (_From an original at Salzburg._)] - -As the libretto of _Figaro_ had suited him so well, it was only -natural that Mozart should again apply to Da Ponte for a book for the -new work. The subject chosen was the old legend of _Don Giovanni_, -and in September, 1787, Mozart and his wife went to Prague in order -that he might, as was his custom, be near the artists who were to -sing in the work. Meanwhile his pen had been by no means idle. From -the autograph catalogue of his works, which he began to keep in 1784 -and continued till his last illness, we find that between _Figaro_ -and _Don Giovanni_ he wrote thirty works, including some of the more -important of his compositions in the domain of chamber music. Among -these maybe specially named the string quintetts in C major and G -minor, the two great pianoforte duet sonatas in F and C, the charming -trio in E flat for piano, clarinet, and viola, and the sonata in A -for piano and violin. - -Arrived in Prague, Mozart first lodged at an inn, but later removed -to the house of his friend Duschek, in the suburbs of the city. Here -a great part of the opera was written, each number being sent to the -singers as soon as it was completed. Visitors to Prague are still -shown the summer-house with a stone table in the garden of Duschek's -house, at which Mozart used to work at his opera while his friends -were playing at bowls. It is said that he would leave his work from -time to time to take his part in the game, and then resume it without -having lost the thread of his ideas. The story has often been told -how, on the night before the production of the opera, the overture -was still unwritten. Mozart had parted late in the evening from his -friends, and his wife mixed him a glass of punch and sat up with him -while he wrote, telling him fairy tales to keep him awake. At last -sleep overpowered him, and she persuaded him to lie down for an hour -or two. At five she woke him, and when at seven the copyist came for -the score the overture was ready. There was barely time to get the -parts copied before the evening, and the excellent orchestra played -it at sight without rehearsal. Mozart, who was conducting, said to -the players near him: "A good many notes fell under the desks, but it -went very well." - -The first performance of _Don Giovanni_ took place on October 29, -1787, and excited the utmost enthusiasm. Unfortunately, the -composer's father was not able to witness his son's triumph, as he -had died in the preceding May, after a long illness. Mozart returned -to Vienna shortly after the production of his opera, but his success -brought about but little improvement in his pecuniary circumstances. -True, the Emperor appointed him "kammermusikus" in December, but the -salary attached to the post--800 florins--was ridiculously small. -His only duty was to write dance music for the masked balls of the -Imperial Court; this caused him to make the bitter remark that his -salary was too much for what he did, and too little for what he could -do. - -On May 7, 1788, _Don Giovanni_ was given at Vienna. For this -performance the composer had written three additional numbers, two of -which were Don Ottavio's air, "Dalla sua pace," and Elvira's "Mi -tradi quell' alma ingrata." The work, nevertheless, proved a -failure; the style was too novel for the taste of the audience. The -Emperor, after hearing it, said: "The opera is divine--perhaps even -more beautiful than _Figaro_--but it is no food for the teeth of my -Viennese." When this was repeated to Mozart, he said: "Let us give -them time to chew it, then!" and, by his advice, the opera was -repeated at short intervals until the public became accustomed to its -beauties. The applause increased at each fresh performance. - -The most important works composed in the year 1788 were the three -great symphonies in E flat, G minor, and C major (generally known as -the "Jupiter"), the last of forty-nine which Mozart wrote. In these -he rises to a height which in his previous instrumental works he had -seldom attained. The symphony in G minor, unquestionably the finest -work ever written for a small orchestra, has never been surpassed in -its combination of passion and pathos; while the finale of the -"Jupiter" symphony,; with its elaborate fugal counterpoint, still -remains without a rival in its combination of the most consummate -learning with the utmost profusion of melodic invention. - -It was toward the close of this year that the Baron van Swieten, an -enthusiastic lover of Handel's music, commissioned Mozart to arrange -_Acis and Galatea_ for performance at some concerts with which the -Baron was connected, and of which he superintended the preparation. -In Mozart's autograph catalogue, already spoken of, we find that the -arrangement was made in November, 1788. In the course of the -following year he made a similar arrangement of the _Messiah_, and, -in 1790, of _Alexander's Feast_ and the _Ode for St. Cecilia's Day_. -Space will not allow a detailed criticism of these arrangements; it -must suffice to say that, while often extremely beautiful, they are -not always in accordance with Handel's spirit or intentions, the -probable explanation being that Mozart, as we learn from Otto Jahn, -knew but little of Handel's music till introduced to it by Baron van -Swieten. - -In 1789 Mozart accepted an invitation from his pupil and patron, -Prince Karl Lichnowsky, to accompany him on a visit to Berlin. The -composer, whose pecuniary position was still very precarious, no -doubt hoped that he might find some post in the North of Germany -which would be worthy of his acceptance and relieve him from his -pressing embarrassments. Leaving Vienna on April 8, he arrived four -days later at Dresden, where he played before the Court, receiving -for his performance the sum of 100 ducats. Thence he proceeded to -Leipzig, where he made the acquaintance of Rochlitz, who, in his "Für -Freunde der Tonkunst," has preserved some interesting reminiscences -of his visit. It was here also that, through Doles, the cantor of -the Thomas-Schule, he learned to know the great motetts of Sebastian -Bach, for which he expressed the highest admiration. - -On his arrival at Berlin, Mozart was at once conducted by Prince -Lichnowsky to Potsdam, to be presented to the King, Frederick William -II., who was a great lover of music and a good performer on the -violoncello. The King received him very warmly, and took special -pleasure in hearing him improvise. Mozart, however, derived but -little pecuniary advantage from his visit. The King, it is true, -offered him the post of kapellmeister at his Court with a salary of -3,000 thalers, but the composer, with whom worldly considerations had -little weight, declined the offer, saying: "Can I leave my good -Emperor?" The only profit made by the tour was a present from the -King of 100 friedrichs d'or, which was accompanied by a wish that -Mozart should write some quartetts for him. Three string quartetts -(in D, B flat, and F), in all of which the part for the violoncello -is of more than usual prominence, were written for and dedicated to -the King. - -After his return to Vienna Mozart's embarrassments became more -pressing than ever. The ill-health of his wife involved him in -constant expense, and his income was at all times precarious. By the -advice of his friends he informed the Emperor of the offer that had -been made him by the King of Prussia. The Emperor asked if he were -really going to leave him, and Mozart replied: "Your Majesty, I throw -myself upon your kindness; I remain." No improvement, however, -resulted in his position, though it was at the suggestion of the -Emperor that he was commissioned to write a new opera for Vienna. -This was the two-act opera buffa _Cosi fan tutte_, the libretto of -which was again from the pen of Da Ponte, and which was produced on -January 26, 1790. The first performances appear to have been -successful; but the death of the Emperor in the following month -caused the theatre to be closed for some time; in all it was given -ten times, and then fell out of the repertoire. The plot of the -opera is weak and improbable, and the indifferent quality of the -libretto is without doubt the chief reason why the music is as a -whole inferior to that of _Don Giovanni_ and _Figaro_. _Cosi fan -tutte_, nevertheless, contains some of its composer's best work, -especially in the concerted movements, such as the trio "Soave sia il -vento," the quintett and sextett in the first act, and the two -finales. The orchestral colouring also is almost richer and more -varied than in any of Mozart's preceding operas. - -The accession of Leopold II. to the throne of Austria brought no -improvement in the composer's circumstances, for the new Emperor's -tastes differed widely from those of Joseph, and it soon became -evident that those who had enjoyed the favour of the latter had but -little to hope from his successor. Mozart applied for the post of -second kapellmeister, and also asked to be allowed to teach the young -Princes; but both requests were refused. Thinking that the -coronation of the Emperor at Frankfort might afford him a favourable -opportunity for an artistic tour, Mozart, who was obliged to pawn his -plate in order to procure the necessary funds, started for that city -on September 26, and gave a concert of his own compositions in the -Stadt-Theatre on October 14. But neither here nor at Mannheim and -Munich, which he visited on his return journey, did he make much -profit, and he returned to Vienna with little or no improvement in -his circumstances. Here he had the pain of parting with one of his -dearest friends, Joseph Haydn, who was just leaving for London with -Salomon, who had engaged him for a series of concerts.* Salomon also -entered into negotiations with Mozart for a similar series in the -following year, but before that time the composer was no more. He -and Haydn never met again. - - -* It was for these concerts that Haydn composed his best-known and -finest symphonies--those called in this country the "Salomon Set." - - -In May, 1791, an old acquaintance of Mozart's, Emanuel Schickaneder, -the manager of a small theatre at Vienna, being in embarrassed -circumstances, proposed to Mozart to write an opera on a magic -subject, of which he, Schickaneder, would prepare the libretto. -Mozart, always ready to help a friend, agreed, though with some -little hesitation, saying that he had never written a magic opera. -The work was _Die Zauberflöte_, and Mozart began its composition at -once. Various causes interfered with its rapid progress. It was -while working at it that the first signs of the breaking up of his -vital powers showed themselves. He suffered from fainting fits, and -in June he was obliged to suspend work on the opera and go to Baden, -a suburb of Vienna, to recruit his health. - -It was while engaged on the composition of _Die Zauberflöte_ that -Mozart received from a mysterious stranger the commission to write a -_Requiem_ Mass. He was asked to name his own terms, but was enjoined -to make no effort to discover who it was that had ordered the work. -Mozart, who had written no church music since his Mass in C minor -eight years before, eagerly accepted the commission, and began work -at once. It is now ascertained beyond a doubt that the individual -who visited Mozart was the steward of a certain Count Walsegg, an -amateur musician who desired to be thought a great composer, and who -actually copied the score of the _Requiem_ and had it performed as -his own work. - -Mozart's work on the _Zauberflöte_ and the Requiem were alike -interrupted in August by a commission which it was needful to execute -at once. This was the composition of an opera for Prague, to be -performed there on the occasion of the coronation of the Emperor -Leopold II. as King of Bohemia. The libretto selected was -Metastasio's _La Clemenza di Tito_, which had been already set to -music by several eminent composers. As the coronation was to take -place in the following month, Mozart had but little time for -composition; according to Jahn, the opera was completed in eighteen -days. Its first performance took place on September 6, and was not a -success. Mozart, who was in bad health when he arrived in Prague, -and who had become still worse through his arduous exertions in -getting the work ready in time for the performance, was greatly -depressed at its failure. - -Returning to Vienna in September, with health and spirits alike -failing him, Mozart resumed work on _Die Zauberflöte_, which was -produced on the 30th of the same month, the composition of the -overture and the march which opens the second act having been only -completed two days previously. Though the success of the first -performance was less than had been anticipated, the public soon began -to appreciate its beauties; it was given twenty-four times in the -following month and reached its hundredth performance in a little -more than a year. - -[Illustration: PART OF THE SCORE OF THE "DE PROFUNDIS." (_British -Museum._)] - -As soon as the opera was off his mind, Mozart returned to his still -incomplete _Requiem_, a work which now engrossed all his attention -and energy. In his enfeebled and depressed state he formed the idea -that he was writing the _Requiem_ for himself, and had a firm -conviction that he had been poisoned. By the advice of his doctor -his wife took away the score from him, and a temporary improvement -resulted, which enabled him to write a small cantata for a masonic -festival--the last work which he entered in the thematic catalogue -already mentioned. At his request his wife returned him the score of -the _Requiem_, but as soon as he resumed work upon it all the -unfavourable symptoms returned with increased violence, and partial -paralysis set in. In the latter part of November he took to his bed, -from which he was never to rise again. By a sad irony of fate, it -was during his last illness that fortune smiled upon him for the -first time: some of the Hungarian nobility joined to assure him of an -annual income of 1,000 florins, while music publishers at Amsterdam -gave him commissions for compositions which would have insured him -against want for the future. But all came too late for the dying -composer, and his last hours were embittered by the thought of -leaving his wife and children unprovided for at the very time when he -would have been able to support them in comfort. To the last his -mind was full of his unfinished _Requiem_, and on the afternoon -before his death, he had the score laid on his bed, and the music -sung by his friends, he himself taking the alto part. When they -reached the opening bars of the "Lacrymosa," Mozart burst into a -violent fit of weeping, and the score was laid aside. In the evening -the physician told Mozart's pupil, Süssmayr, in confidence that there -was nothing more to be done; but he ordered cold bandages to be -applied to the head, which brought on such convulsions that Mozart -lost consciousness; he never recovered it, but died at one o'clock on -the morning of December 5, 1791. He was buried the next day in the -churchyard of St. Marx in so violent a storm that the mourners all -turned back before reaching the graveyard, where the great composer -was laid, not in a grave of his own, but in that allotted to paupers. -When the widow was sufficiently recovered from the first shock to be -able to go to the burial-ground to look for the grave, a new sexton -was there who knew nothing about the matter, and the exact spot under -which Mozart's remains rest has never been identified with certainty. - - - - -THE ART OF MOZART - -In surveying Mozart's art work as a whole, one of the first things to -strike the student is the comprehensiveness of his genius. There is -hardly another of the great composers who has produced so many -masterpieces in so many different styles. It may be at once conceded -that in certain directions he has been surpassed by one or other of -those who have succeeded him. Very few musicians will be found who -will place him, either as a symphonist or as a writer for the piano, -by the side of Beethoven; but, on the other hand, the latter is far -inferior to Mozart in his treatment of the voice. Again, Mozart's -songs, taken as a whole, will not compare with those of Schubert, but -as an operatic composer Schubert has written nothing to approach, -still less to equal, _Figaro_ or _Don Giovanni_. There is hardly one -department of musical composition on which the genius of Mozart has -not left its mark. From this point of view, it will be scarcely too -much to call him the most wonderful "all-round" musician that the -world has ever yet seen. - -Without underestimating his remarkable natural gifts, it can hardly -be doubted that Mozart's surroundings conduced not a little to the -versatility of his genius. Both in Salzburg and in Vienna Italian -music was in the ascendant; and in this the vocal element was of far -more importance than the instrumental. With his extraordinary power -of assimilating all that was best in whatever he heard, and the -almost supernatural facility in composition which seems to have come -to him instinctively, it is not surprising that his earliest works -show strong traces of Italian influence. This was no doubt to some -extent modified by the journeys which, as a child, he made with his -father to Paris and London, in which cities he learned to know much -of both French and German music; but nearly to the end of his life -his style, especially in his vocal music, was rather Italian than -distinctively German. - -One of the most striking features of Mozart's music is the perfect -command of form seen in even his earliest works. He was never a -great innovator in the sense in which that word may be applied to -Haydn, Beethoven, or Schumann; he worked on lines that had been -already laid down by others, contenting himself with improving as far -as possible on his models. If his earlier operas be compared with -the works of his Italian contemporaries, it will be found that the -form of the songs and concerted pieces differs in no material respect -from that to be seen in the operas of Cimarosa, Paisiello, or Sarti; -that which distinguishes Mozart's work is its wonderful flow of -melody, its perfect feeling for euphony, and the true dramatic -instinct displayed wherever the libretto affords an opportunity. But -his later operas, beginning with _Idomeneo_, stand upon an altogether -higher footing. Mozart had at this time come under the influence of -Gluck, whose works he had learned to know in Paris. - -If we compare the score of _Idomeneo_ with that of Gluck's _Alceste_, -we cannot but see the similarity of style. True, Mozart's flow of -melody is more abundant--we might even say more spontaneous; it is in -the more dramatic treatment of the orchestra, and especially in the -large amount of accompanied recitative (as distinguished from -_recitativo secco_) that we note the resemblance. Yet while the -influence of the older master is clearly to be traced, there is an -essential difference in the method of the two composers. Gluck -sometimes sacrifices his musical forms for dramatic effect; Mozart -treats the accepted forms in such a way as to make them capable of -expressing the emotions of the drama. - -An important point, in which Mozart surpassed not only Gluck, but all -other composers of his day, was his treatment of the orchestra. In -his earlier works his employment of the instruments was somewhat -conventional; but he soon freed himself from the trammels of -tradition, and tried experiments in tone combination that were as new -as they were striking. These novelties are to be seen less in his -operas and symphonies than in his serenades and divertimenti.* It was -not till his visit to Paris in 1779 that his command of orchestration -reached its highest development. In his works from this time -forward, whether purely instrumental, or vocal with orchestral -accompaniment, are seen a richness and a feeling for beauty of -colouring in advance of anything previously heard. It was the -elaborate accompaniments of his operas, as compared with those of -other composers of his day, that caused Gretry to reproach him with -having placed the pedestal on the stage and the statue in the -orchestra. At the present time we are so accustomed to the rich -instrumentation of the modern school that Mozart's scores seem -comparatively thin. - - -* As examples, may be named the serenade for two orchestras, one -consisting of two violins, viola, and double-bass, and the other of -string quartett and kettle-drums, and the very curious little pieces -for two flutes, five trumpets, and four drums. - - -If we compare Mozart's instrumental works with those of Haydn, it -will be seen that the difference between them is one of spirit rather -than of form. Haydn's music flows on in a clear stream, of no great -depth in general, but always pleasing, always intelligible, and most -logical and coherent in its thematic developments. In Mozart's music -the lyrical element predominates. His slow movements are in general -more emotional than those of Haydn, both melody and harmony are -richer, and the workmanship more finished. This statement must be -taken only as a generalization, for in the later years of Haydn's -life the influence of Mozart on his style is clearly to be seen, and -some of the slow movements in the Salomon symphonies or the later -quartetts are not unworthy to be placed by the side of Mozart's best. -On the other hand, we find in Haydn's minuets and finales an element -of humour, sometimes even of broad fun, which is rarely seen in -Mozart's instrumental music, though abundant enough in the lighter -scenes of his operas. - -With a few important exceptions, Mozart's pianoforte works do not -rank among his greatest achievements. Many of his sonatas, -variations, etc., were written for his pupils, and possess little -more than historical interest. Mozart lived at the transitional -period in which the harpsichord was giving place to the piano, and in -his earlier sonatas, etc., the style of harpsichord music is often to -be seen. Yet some of his later works for the piano, such as the two -fantasias in C minor, the sonatas in B flat and C minor, the rondo in -A minor, and the adagio in B minor, though now, owing to the changes -in popular taste, seldom heard, are far from deserving the neglect -into which they have fallen. The same may be said of the best -sonatas for piano and violin, and of many of the concertos. It is -hardly a generation since the latter were often to be heard in -public; the modern love of sensationalism and of display for its own -sake seems to have banished them--it is to be hoped not -permanently--from the concert room. - -In estimating Mozart's Church music, it is needful to bear in mind -that much of it, more especially the Masses composed at Salzburg, was -written under special and in some respects arbitrary restrictions. - -In a letter written in 1776 to Padre Martini, Mozart tells him that a -Mass, including the regular five sections, besides an offertory or -motett and a sonata at the epistle, was not allowed to last longer -than three-quarters of an hour; for this reason most of his Masses -are very concise in their form as compared with the later masses of -Haydn or with Beethoven's Mass in C. Besides this, the Archbishop of -Salzburg loved a showy and brilliant style of music, and Mozart was -bound, to some extent, to make concessions to his taste. Yet it is -going too far to say, as some German critics have done, that these -masses are their composer's weakest works. Some of them, especially -those in F and D major, both of which were written at Salzburg in -1774, are in every way worthy of Mozart, while there are but few of -the others which do not contain movements of the greatest beauty. -The same may be said of his litanies, vespers, and smaller sacred -works. But his power as a composer of Church music is best shown in -portions of the great Mass in C minor, which he began at Vienna in -1783, but never completed, and most of all in the _Requiem_, in which -his genius rises to a greater height than in any of his other sacred -compositions. There is little reason to doubt that, had he been -allowed free scope, his works in this field of art would have been -little, if at all, inferior to those on which his fame most securely -rests. - -As a contrapuntist Mozart undoubtedly ranks second only to J. -Sebastian Bach, of whom, indeed, his astounding facility in solving -the most complex musical problems at times reminds us. Nowhere is -the _ars celare artem_ more perfectly exemplified than in the best -specimens of Mozart's fugal and canonic writing. The example most -frequently referred to as an illustration is the finale of the -"Jupiter" symphony, but such pieces as the "Rex tremendæ" of the -_Requiem_, with its quadruple canon, the final fugue in the _Davidde -penitente_, or the "Laudate pueri" of the second Vespers, are -scarcely less remarkable. The large number of canons for -unaccompanied voices which he wrote show his preference, no less than -his aptitude, for the stricter forms; yet, however elaborate, in his -hands they never become dry, but are always full of melodic beauty. -With Mozart technique is always the means, never the end. - -The influence of Mozart on the music of the first half of the last -century can hardly be fully estimated. It is clearly to be seen in -the earlier works of Beethoven. By this it is not meant that the -younger master borrowed, or even imitated, the actual themes of his -predecessor; his individuality was from the first too strongly -marked. But many of the works of what is known as Beethoven's "first -manner" are clearly modelled upon corresponding works by Mozart. -Thus, his trio for strings in E flat, Op. 3, was evidently suggested -by Mozart's trio in the same key, while the septett and the quintett -for piano and wind instruments clearly show traces of Mozart's -manner. The same may be said of the adagio of the first piano -sonata, and of the whole of the sonata in D for piano and violin--to -name but a few examples of many. Not the least disparagement of -Beethoven is intended in saying this: every great composer has begun -his career by imitating more or less closely the works of his -predecessors, and it was inevitable that Mozart should have -influenced one who had so many points of affinity with him. In -Beethoven's later works the similarity of style is no longer to be -noticed. - -[Illustration: MOZART. (_From a portrait by Jäger._)] - -Passing over with a mere word of mention such composers of the second -rank as Andreas Romberg and Hummel, we find two composers of marked -individuality--Schubert and Mendelssohn--in whose earlier works the -influence of Mozart is more or less traceable. As a song-writer, -Schubert was original from the first; even in his instrumental works -it is only occasionally that one is reminded of other composers. The -suggestions of Mozart are chiefly to be found in Schubert's earlier -symphonies. The variations which form the slow movement of the -symphony in B flat might be inserted in one of Mozart's serenades -without seeming out of place. In the works of Mendelssohn's youth -the Mozart influence is more distinct,* though, like Schubert, he -soon emancipated himself. - - -* The first subject of the finale of Mendelssohn's first piano -quartett is a very close, though probably unconscious, imitation of -the opening bars of the finale of Mozart's sonata in C minor. - - -Among composers of the present day one would seek in vain for any -traces of Mozart's influence. Times have changed, and the classical -style has been supplanted by the romantic. Whether this is -altogether to the advantage of modern music is a question which -cannot be discussed here; but an energetic protest may at least be -entered against the superficial criticism sometimes to be heard that -Mozart's works are weak and old-fashioned. That music has made much -progress since Mozart's days nobody will deny; the operatic reforms -of Wagner are far-reaching, while Schumann, Chopin, and Brahms--not -to mention more recent composers--have enlarged the harmonic -resources of the art. But on all those whose musical palates have -not been vitiated by the highly-spiced viands of the ultra-modern -school, Mozart's pure, natural, soulful music can never cease to -exert its charm. "A thing of beauty is a joy for ever," and, in -spite of the proverbial danger of prophesying, it is hardly rash to -predict that Mozart's best symphonies will outlive those of Berlioz -or Tschaïkowsky, and that his _Don Giovanni_ and _Figaro_ will -continue to be the delight and admiration of true musicians, even -though changes in the popular taste should banish them from the -stage. Mozart's place among the immortals is as secure as that of -Bach or Beethoven. - - - - -LIST OF WORKS. - -Of all the great composers, Mozart was one of the most prolific. The -chronological thematic catalogue of his works, by Kochel, published -at Leipzig in 1862, contains 626 numbers, varying in length from -short pieces of only a few bars to operas, the manuscripts of which -fill hundreds of pages. Even a clearer idea of the enormous quantity -of music written by Mozart in his short life of thirty-six years will -be gained when it is said that the complete collection of his works, -published by Breitkopf and Hartel, of Leipzig, fills nearly 13,000 -folio pages. The following list, compiled from Kochel's catalogue, -will show not only the extent, but the variety of the ground covered -by the composer. A few of the works mentioned by Kochel have been -lost, and are therefore not included in Breitkopf's edition. - - -1. VOCAL MUSIC. - -1. Nineteen Masses, and the _Requiem_. Of the Masses three are -incomplete, and the genuineness of one is doubtful. - -2. Four Litanies and three Vespers. - -3. Forty short pieces of sacred music (offertories, motetts, etc.). - -4. Two oratorios (_La Betulia Liberata_ and _Davide Penitente_) and -four cantatas. - -5. Twenty-three operas and other dramatic works. This list includes -the incidental music to the play _König Thamos_, and the two -unfinished operas, _L'Oca del Cairo_ and _Lo Sposo Deluso_. - -6. Sixty-six concert arias, trios, etc., with orchestral -accompaniment. Many of these were written by Mozart for his personal -friends; others were intended to be introduced, according to the -custom of the time, into operas by other composers. - -7. Forty songs, with accompaniment for the piano. - -8. Twenty-two canons for voices without accompaniment. Of these one -is for two voices, eight are for three, ten for four, two for six, -and one for three four-part choirs. - - -2. INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC. - -9. Forty-nine symphonies for orchestra. - -10. Thirty-three serenades and divertimenti for various combinations -of instruments. - -11. Twenty-seven miscellaneous instrumental works of various -kinds--symphony movements, minuets, marches, etc. - -12. Thirty-nine collections of dances, containing 194 separate -numbers. - -13. Six concertos for violin, one for two violins, and one for violin -and viola; also four single movements for a solo violin with -orchestra. - -14. Twelve concertos, or single movements, for various wind -instruments with orchestra. - -15. Nine string quintetts, of which one is with horn and another with -clarinet. - -16. Twenty-seven quartetts for strings, two for strings with flute, -and one for strings with oboe. - -17. One trio and three duets for strings. - -18. Twenty-seven pianoforte concertos, including one for two and -another for three pianos; also two rondos for piano and orchestra. - -19. A quintett for piano and wind instruments; two quartetts and -seven trios for piano and strings, and one trio for piano, clarinet, -and viola. - -20. Forty-three sonatas, and two sets of variations for piano and -violin. - -21. A fugue and a sonata for two pianos; five sonatas and a set of -variations for piano duet. - -22. Seventeen sonatas for piano solo. - -23. Four fantasias, fifteen sets of variations, and twenty various -pieces for piano solo. - -24. Seventeen sonatas for organ, with other instruments, written for -Salzburg. - - -In addition to the above works, Kochel's catalogue gives a list of -ninety-eight works which Mozart began, but, for some unknown reason, -never completed. - - - - - - - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MOZART *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. 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If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: Mozart</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Ebenezer Prout</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: November 6, 2022 [eBook #69304]</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</p> - <p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em; text-align:left'>Produced by: Al Haines</p> -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MOZART ***</div> - -<p><br><br></p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-front"></a> -<br> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-front.jpg" alt="MOZART AS A YOUNG MAN. (<i>From a print by Schwërer.</i>)"> -<br> -MOZART AS A YOUNG MAN.<br> -(<i>From a print by Schwërer.</i>) -</p> - -<p><br><br></p> - -<p class="t3b"> - Bell's Miniature Series of Musicians<br> -</p> - -<h1> -<br><br> - MOZART<br> -</h1> - -<p><br></p> - -<p class="t3b"> - BY<br> -</p> - -<p class="t2"> - EBENEZER PROUT, B.A., Mus.D.<br> -</p> - -<p class="t4"> - PROFESSOR OF MUSIC, DUBLIN UNIVERSITY<br> -</p> - -<p><br><br></p> - -<p class="t3"> - LONDON<br> - GEORGE BELL & SONS<br> - 1905<br> -</p> - -<p><br><br><br></p> - -<p class="t4"> - First Published, November, 1903.<br> - Reprinted, 1905.<br> -</p> - -<p><br><br><br></p> - -<p class="t3b"> -TABLE OF CONTENTS -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#chap01">SOME BOOKS ABOUT MOZART</a> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#chap02">THE CHILD (1756-1768)</a> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#chap03">THE YOUTH (1769-1778)</a> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#chap04">THE MAN (1779-1791)</a> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#chap05">HIS ART—AN APPRECIATION</a> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#chap06">LIST OF WORKS BY MOZART</a> -</p> - -<p><br><br><br></p> - -<p class="t3b"> -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#img-front">MOZART AS A YOUNG MAN</a> ... <i>Frontispiece</i><br> - (<i>From a print by Schwërer.</i>)<br> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#img-002">MOZART AT THE AGE OF SEVEN</a><br> - (<i>From a scarce French print.</i>)<br> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#img-006">MOZART WITH HIS FATHER AND SISTER</a><br> - (<i>From a rare print.</i>)<br> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#img-020">THE MOZART FAMILY</a><br> - (<i>From the painting by Van de la Croce,</i><br> - 1780, <i>in the Mozart Museum.</i>)<br> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#img-040">MOZART IN 1791</a><br> - (<i>From an original at Salzburg.</i>)<br> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#img-050">PART OF THE SCORE OF THE "DE PROFUNDIS"</a> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -<a href="#img-060">MOZART, BY JÄGER</a> -</p> - -<p><br><br><br></p> - -<p><a id="chap01"></a></p> - -<h3> -SOME BOOKS ABOUT MOZART -</h3> - -<p><br></p> - -<p> -Among the more important biographical and -critical works on Mozart are the following: -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -NISSEN, G. N. VON. "Biographie W. A. Mozart's." Leipzig. 1828. -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -HOLMES, EDWARD. "Life of Mozart, including<br> - His Correspondence." London. 1845.<br> - Second Edition, edited by the writer of this book. 1878.<br> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -JAHN, OTTO. "W. A. Mozart." First Edition,<br> - 4 vols. Leipzig. 1856-59. Second Edition,<br> - 2 vols. 1867. English translation, 3 vols.<br> - London. 1882.<br> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -KÖCHEL, DR. LUDWIG RITTER VON. "Chronologisch-thematisches<br> - Verzeichniss sämmtlicher Tonwerke Wolfgang Amade<br> - Mozart's." Leipzig. 1862.<br> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -POHL, C. F. "Mozart und Haydn in London." Vienna. 1867. -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -NOHL, LUDWIG. "Mozart nach den Schilderungen seiner<br> - Zeitgenossen." Leipzig. 1880.<br> -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p> -The article on Mozart by C. F. Pohl in the -second volume of Grove's "Dictionary of -Music and Musicians" is also well deserving -of study, being, in fact, an epitome of Jahn's -great work. -</p> - -<p><br><br><br></p> - -<p><a id="chap02"></a></p> - -<p class="t2"> -LIFE OF MOZART -</p> - -<p><br><br></p> - -<h3> -THE CHILD (1756-1768) -</h3> - -<p> -Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart -was born at Salzburg on January 27, -1756. His full name, as given in the church -register, was "Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus -Theophilus"; his father used the -German equivalent "Gottlieb" of this last -name, and the composer himself subsequently -adopted the Latinized form "Amadeus." -</p> - -<p> -His family had long been settled in -Augsburg, where Wolfgang's father, Leopold -Mozart, was born on November 14, 1719. -With the object of studying jurisprudence, -Leopold entered the university of Salzburg, -supporting himself by teaching music and -playing the violin. He was a musician of -considerable attainments, and in 1743 the -Archbishop of Salzburg took him into his -service, later appointing him Court composer and -leader of the orchestra. He was a voluminous -composer, but his works show little inventive -power. His fame as a musician rests chiefly -on his "School for the Violin," printed in 1756—the -year of Wolfgang's birth. This work, -from which Otto Jahn in his great monograph -on Mozart gives several extracts, was for many -years the only work published in Germany on -the subject, and was held in great esteem not -only for the thoroughness of its instructions, -but for the excellence of its style. -</p> - -<p> -In 1747 Leopold Mozart married Anna -Maria Pertlin (or Bertlin), by whom he had -seven children, only two of whom survived -infancy. The elder of these two was a -daughter, Maria Anna, born July 30, 1751; the -younger was the subject of the present volume. -</p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-002"></a> -<br> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-002.jpg" alt="MOZART AT THE AGE OF SEVEN. (<i>From a scarce French print.</i>)"> -<br> -MOZART AT THE AGE OF SEVEN.<br> -(<i>From a scarce French print.</i>) -</p> - -<p> -Like her illustrious brother, Maria Anna -(generally spoken of in the family by the pet -name of "Nannerl") very early showed great -aptitude for music. At the age of seven her -father began to give her lessons on the clavier, -on which she made remarkable progress. It -was during these lessons that Wolfgang's -wonderful musical genius first showed itself. -Though the child was then only between three -and four years of age, he took the greatest -interest in what his sister was doing, and would -amuse himself with picking out thirds on the -clavier. When he was four his father, more -in joke than otherwise, began to teach him -little pieces, which he learned with astonishing -ease. For a short piece he required only half -an hour, for longer pieces an hour, after which -he could play them with perfect correctness. -What is even more astonishing is that before -he was five years of age he began to compose -and play little pieces which his father wrote -down. Some of these juvenile efforts have been -preserved, and show that while the young -musician had not at that time acquired any -individuality of style, he had an instinctive -feeling for clearness of form, while his harmony -shows a correctness which is absolutely -amazing in so young a child. -</p> - -<p> -J. A. Schachtner, Court trumpeter at Salzburg, -an intimate friend of the family, has -preserved some reminiscences of the child's -early years in a letter which he wrote to the -composer's sister soon after Mozart's death. -In this letter Schachtner relates how, on -returning from church one day with Leopold -Mozart, they found little Wolfgang, then four -years old, hard at work writing: -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p class="quote"> -"Papa. What are you writing? -</p> - -<p class="quote"> -"Wolfgang. A piano concerto; the first part is nearly -finished. -</p> - -<p class="quote"> -"Papa. Let me see it. -</p> - -<p class="quote"> -"Wolfgang. It is not ready yet. -</p> - -<p class="quote"> -"Papa. Let me see it; it must be something pretty. -</p> - -<p class="quote"> -"His father took it, and showed me a daub of notes, -mostly written over blots that had been wiped out. -(N.B.—Little Wolfgang in his ignorance had dipped -his pen every time to the bottom of the inkstand, and -so made a blot each time he put it on the paper; this -he wiped out with his flat hand, and went on writing.) We -laughed at first over this apparent nonsense; but -the papa then began to notice the principal thing, the -composition. He remained motionless for a long while, -looking at the page; at last two tears—tears of -admiration and joy—fell from his eyes. 'Look, Herr -Schachtner,' said he, 'how correctly and regularly it is -all arranged, only it cannot be used because it is so -extraordinarily difficult that nobody can play it.' Little -Wolfgang broke in: 'That is why it is a concerto; it -must be practised till one gets it right. Look, this is -how it must go!' He played it, but could only just -make enough out of it to show us what he meant.' -</p> - -<p class="t3"> -* * * * * -</p> - -<p class="quote"> -"Soon after they returned from Vienna, and Wolfgang -brought with him a little fiddle that had been -presented to him. The late Herr Wentzl, an excellent -violinist, who also did a little in composition, brought -six trios with him which he had written during your -father's absence, and asked his opinion on them. We -played the trios, your father taking the bass part on the -viola, Wentzl the first violin, and I was to play the -second. Wolfgang begged that he might play the second, -but his father refused the foolish request, as he had not -had the slightest instruction on the violin, and the -father thought he was not in the least able to do it. -Wolfgang said: 'To play a second violin one need not -have learned!' When his father insisted on his going -away and not disturbing us any further, he began to -cry bitterly, and rushed out of the room with his fiddle. -I begged them to let him play with me. At last papa -said: 'Well, play with Herr Schachtner; but so quietly -that nobody hears you, else you must go.' So Wolfgang -played with me. I soon noticed with astonishment that -I was quite superfluous. I quietly put down my violin -and looked at your father, down whose cheeks tears of -admiration and happiness were rolling, and so we -played all six trios. When we had finished Wolfgang -grew so bold with our applause that he declared he -could play the first violin part too. We tried it for a -joke, and nearly died of laughing when he played this -part also, though with quite incorrect and irregular -fingering, yet so that he never stuck fast." -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p> -In January, 1762, Leopold Mozart took his -children to Munich, where they played before -the Elector. Their visit lasted three weeks, -and was so successful that in September of the -same year they started for Vienna. They -travelled leisurely, staying five days at Passau -at the request of the Bishop, and giving a -concert at Linz under the patronage of the -Governor-General of the Province, Count Schlick. -The astonishment and delight at the performances -of the two children were unbounded. -On arriving at Vienna, they received a -command to visit the Emperor at Schönbrunn. -Both he and the Empress were good musicians, -and many incidents are related by Mozart's -biographers showing not only the interest -taken in the youthful prodigy, but also the -tests of ability to which the Emperor submitted -him. It was, of course, only natural that the -example set by royalty should be followed by -members of the Court, and the Mozarts were -invited by all the nobility of Vienna. Their -visit must have been a source of considerable -profit, as many valuable presents were made -them. Their success was interrupted for a -time, from Wolfgang being attacked by scarlet -fever; happily, the attack was not very severe, -though sufficient to confine him to the house -for a month. The family returned to Salzburg -early in January, 1763. -</p> - -<p> -Encouraged by the success of his first -venture, Leopold Mozart resolved on a much -longer tour, and on June 9, 1763, he, with his -wife and the two children, left home for Paris. -At Wasserburg their carriage broke down, and -a day's delay was caused while it was being -repaired. Leopold Mozart writes to his friend -Hagenauer: -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p class="quote"> -"The latest thing is that, to amuse ourselves, we went -to the organ, and I explained the pedals to Wolferl, -whereupon he at once, <i>stante pede</i>, began to try them. -Pushing back the stool and standing, he preluded, -stepping about on the pedals just as if he had practised -for many months. All were amazed; it is a new gift of -God, which many only attain after much trouble." -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p> -After passing through Munich, Augsburg, -Mainz, Frankfort, Cologne, and Brussels, giving -many concerts by the way, they reached Paris -on November 18, where they were the guests of -the Bavarian Ambassador, Count von Eyck, -whose wife was the daughter of an official at -Salzburg. By means of introductions which -he had brought with him, Leopold Mozart soon -obtained permission for his children to play at -Court, where the King's daughters showed -themselves extremely friendly to them. The -father in one of his letters tells how they went -on New Year's Day to the supper-room of the -royal family, and how Wolfgang stood near the -Queen, who fed him with sweetmeats and -talked to him in German, interpreting his -answers to the King, who did not understand -the language. Every where the child's -performances excited the greatest wonder and -admiration. Not only would he play anything -set before him at first sight, but he would -transpose or accompany from a full score; his -improvisations are also spoken of as remarkable, -not only for their melodic interest but for -their harmony. -</p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-006"></a> -<br> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-006.jpg" alt="MOZART WITH HIS FATHER AND SISTER. (<i>From a rare print.</i>)"> -<br> -MOZART WITH HIS FATHER AND SISTER.<br> -(<i>From a rare print.</i>) -</p> - -<p> -It was while he was in Paris that his father -had his first compositions printed for him. -These were four sonatas for piano and violin, -published in two sets, the first of which was -dedicated to the Princess Victoria, the second -daughter of the King, and the second to the -Comtesse de Tesse, lady-in-waiting to the -Dauphiness. It is not too much to say that -these four sonatas are the most remarkable -examples in existence of precocious musical -genius. It is not so much that they show great -originality in their subject-matter, though in -the slow movements, especially in that of the -fourth sonata, foreshadowings of the riper -Mozart may be seen; it is the wonderful -command of form, the feeling for rhythm and for -balance in the different parts of a movement -which excite astonishment. The harmony, too, -is for the most part absolutely correct, though -in one place—in the minuet of the fourth -sonata—consecutive fifths are to be seen. -Leopold Mozart had corrected them in the -proofs, but the correction had not been made -before printing, and the father consoled himself -with the reflection that they would serve as a -proof that the boy had really composed the -sonatas himself, which people might otherwise -have been not unnaturally inclined to doubt. -</p> - -<p> -In April, 1764, the Mozarts left Paris and -came to London. George III. and Queen -Charlotte were both extremely fond of music, -and the success the children had met with in -Paris was even surpassed at the English Court. -Wolfgang played at first sight pieces by -Wagenseil, Bach, Abel, and Handel, which the King -placed before him; he accompanied the Queen -in a song and a flutist in a solo; finally, he -took a bass part of one of Handel's songs, and -extemporized a beautiful melody above it. -His father wrote of him at this time: "It -surpasses all conception. What he knew when -we left Salzburg is a mere shadow to what he -knows now. My girl, though only twelve, is -one of the cleverest players in Europe; and the -mighty Wolfgang, to put it briefly, knows all, -in this his eighth year, that one could ask from -a man of forty. In short, anyone who does not -see and hear it cannot believe it. You all in -Salzburg know nothing about it, for the matter -is quite different now." -</p> - -<p> -On June 5 Leopold Mozart gave a concert -to introduce his children to a London public. -The result was a great success, and he, in his -own words, "was frightened at taking one -hundred guineas in three hours." Subsequently -Wolfgang played the piano and organ at a -concert given at Ranelagh Gardens for a -charitable object. In August Leopold Mozart -was attacked by a dangerous inflammation of -the throat, which confined him to the house for -seven weeks, during which time no music was -heard. Wolfgang utilized the occasion by -writing his first symphony for orchestra, and -his sister afterwards told how, when she was -sitting at his side, he said to her: "Remind me -to give the horns something good." Like the -first sonatas already spoken of, the first -symphony, though not remarkable for its -themes, shows the wonderful knowledge of -instrumental forms that the child had almost -intuitively acquired. -</p> - -<p> -After the father's recovery the family were -again invited to Court on October 29 for the -festivities on the fourth anniversary of the -King's coronation. In recognition of the royal -favour, Leopold Mozart had six sonatas by -Wolfgang for piano and violin engraved at his -own expense. They were dedicated to the -Queen, who rewarded the composer with a -present of fifty guineas. These sonatas, though -concise in form and bearing marks of immaturity, -already show a perceptible advance on those -printed a year earlier in Paris. -</p> - -<p> -It was in London, at the Italian Opera, that -the young composer first had the opportunity -of hearing great singers. Chief among these -were the male soprani, Manzuoli and Tenducci, -the former of whom gave him lessons in singing. -How he profited by them we learn from his -friend Grimm, who, hearing him in Paris on -his return there in the following year, writes -that he sang with as much feeling as taste. -With so impressionable a nature as his, it can -scarcely be doubted that these early lessons -contributed not a little to the formation of that -pure style of vocal writing so characteristic of -his music for the theatre and the church. -</p> - -<p> -Finding that, when the novelty had worn off, -the performances of his children no longer -attracted the same attention as before, the -Mozarts left London on July 24, 1765, on a -visit to the Hague, as the Princess von Weilburg, -sister of the Prince of Orange, was very -anxious to see the boy. They were most -graciously received, but had not been long at -the Hague when Marianne was taken so -dangerously ill that her life was despaired -of, and extreme unction was administered. -Scarcely was she recovered when Wolfgang -was seized with a violent fever, which confined -him to his bed for several weeks. Even during -this illness his ruling passion showed itself. -He would have a board laid upon his bed on -which he could write, and even when he was -weakest it was difficult to restrain him from -writing and playing. -</p> - -<p> -In January, 1766, two concerts were given -in Amsterdam, the programmes of which -consisted entirely of Wolfgang's instrumental -compositions. Two months later they returned to -the Hague to be present at the festivities of -the coming of age of the Prince of Orange. -Here Wolfgang, at the desire of the Princess -of Weilburg, wrote six more sonatas for piano -and violin, besides several smaller pieces for her. -</p> - -<p> -We must pass briefly over the remainder of -this long tour. Passing through Mechlin, they -returned to Paris, thence by Dijon and Lyons -to Switzerland, where they stayed some time. -It was not till the end of November, 1766, that, -after an absence of nearly three years and a -half, the family found themselves once more at -home at Salzburg. -</p> - -<p> -It has been advisable to give in considerable -detail the particulars of Mozart's earliest years -because the precocious development of his -genius is absolutely without a parallel in the -case of any other composer. The limits of the -present volume will render it needful to be -somewhat more concise in dealing with the rest -of the biography. It is characteristic of the -young Wolfgang that his simple nature does -not appear to have been in the least spoiled by -successes which were enough to have turned -the head of an adult. Jahn tells us that he -would ride round the room on his father's stick, -or jump up from the piano in the middle of his -extemporizing to go and play with a favourite -cat. Doubtless the judicious training he received -from his good and wise father furnishes the -explanation of this estimable trait in his -character. -</p> - -<p> -For nearly a year the family remained at -home, Wolfgang working hard both at playing -and composing. The chief works belonging to -this period, on none of which it is necessary to -dwell, are the first four concertos for the piano, -a small sacred cantata, <i>Grabmusik</i>, and the -Latin comedy, <i>Apollo et Hyacinthus</i>, written for -performance by the students of the Salzburg -University. In September, 1767, the whole -family left home on a second visit to Vienna, -with the intention of being present at the -marriage of the Archduchess Maria Josepha -with King Ferdinand of Naples, which was -shortly to take place. Unfortunately, within a -month after their arrival the Archduchess was -carried off by small-pox, and Leopold Mozart -with all his family fled to Olmütz. His children, -nevertheless, did not escape; both were attacked -by the complaint, with such severity in the case -of Wolfgang that he lay blind for nine days. -With the greatest kindness the Dean of Olmütz, -Count Podstatsky, who was also a Canon of -Salzburg, and therefore knew Mozart, received -the whole family into his house, procuring for -them the best medical attendance and nursing. -</p> - -<p> -Returning to Vienna in January, 1768, they -soon experienced difficulties of all kinds. The -Empress Maria Theresa, it is true, as soon as -she heard of the dangerous illness of the children -whom she had so admired five years before, -sent for them; but this visit brought them little -profit, for the Emperor was parsimonious, and -the nobility followed his example. Even more -adverse were the conditions as regards the -general public. The Viennese at that time, as -Leopold Mozart says in one of his letters, had -no desire to see anything serious and sensible, -and little or no idea of it; all they cared for -was buffoonery, farces, or pantomime. The -infant prodigy had been a "draw" in 1762; -but they cared little or nothing for the -development of the artist a few years later. Added -to this was the active opposition of envious -musicians. Those who had admired the young -child now dreaded the boy of twelve as a -dangerous rival. The father says: -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p class="quote"> -"I found that all the clavier players and composers -in Vienna opposed our progress, with the single exception -of Wagenseil, and he, as he is ill, can do little or -nothing for us. The great rule with these people was -carefully to avoid all opportunity of seeing us or of -examining into Wolfgang's knowledge. And why? -So that they, in so many cases when they were asked -if they have heard this boy and what they think of him, -might always be able to say that they had not heard -him, and that it was impossible it could be true; that -it was humbug and harlequinade; that matters had -been arranged, and that the things given him to play -were what he knew already; that it was ridiculous to -think he could compose. You see, that is why they -avoid us. For anyone who has seen and heard him -can no longer say this without the risk of dishonour. -I have trapped one of these people. We had arranged -with someone to let us know quietly when he would be -present. He was to come and bring an extraordinarily -difficult concerto. We managed the matter, and he -had the opportunity of hearing his concerto played off -by Wolfgang as if he knew it by heart. The astonishment -of this composer and performer, the expressions -which he used in his admiration, gave us all to -understand what I have just been pointing out to you. At -last he said: 'I can, as an honourable man, say nothing -else than that this boy is the greatest man now living in -the world; it was impossible to believe.'" -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p> -Isolated cases of this kind could do but little -to stem the torrent of calumny and depreciation -to which the young composer was exposed. -But now the Emperor came forward and -proposed that Wolfgang should write an opera. -The proposal was eagerly accepted; the father -saw that a success would not only establish the -lad's reputation in Vienna, but would pave the -way for further successes in Italy. The text -of an opera buffa, <i>La Finta Semplice</i>, was -obtained from Coltellini, the poet connected -with the theatre, and Wolfgang set to work at -once. The score, which contained twenty-five -numbers and 558 pages, was soon completed. -Jahn, who gives a detailed analysis of the whole -opera, concludes his criticism by saying that -the work was fully equal to those at that time -to be heard on the stage, while in single numbers -it surpassed them in nobility and originality of -invention and treatment, while it pointed clearly -to a greater future. And this, be it remembered, -was the composition of a boy of twelve! -</p> - -<p> -In spite of the support of the Emperor, the -unscrupulous intrigues of Mozart's enemies, of -which his father's letters convey a vivid idea, -so influenced the manager of the theatre, -Affligio—a scoundrel who, it is satisfactory to -learn, ended his days at the galleys—that the -opera was never produced. By way of consolation, -however, the father had the pleasure of -hearing a German operetta by Wolfgang performed. -This was <i>Bastien und Bastienne</i>, a piece -in one act, which was written for Dr. Messmer, -a rich amateur who had built a small theatre in -his garden. Wolfgang was also commissioned -to compose the music for the dedication of the -chapel of an orphan asylum, and to conduct the -performance of the same. For this occasion he -composed his first Mass (in G major), and an -offertorium, <i>Veni sancte Spiritus</i>, of which the -latter is the more striking. -</p> - -<p> -On the return of the Mozart family to -Salzburg, about the end of 1768, the Archbishop, -gratified at the success obtained by a native -of the city, had the opera performed by musicians -who were in his service. He further appointed -Wolfgang concertmeister—that is, leader of the -orchestra—and his name appears in this capacity -in the Court calendars of 1770. -</p> - -<p><br><br><br></p> - -<p><a id="chap03"></a></p> - -<h3> -THE YOUTH (1769-1778) -</h3> - -<p> -The greater part of the year 1769 was spent -quietly at Salzburg, where Wolfgang, under -his father's direction, diligently pursued his -studies. In December of that year the father -and son set off for Italy, Leopold rightly feeling -that such a tour would not only be advantageous -to Wolfgang's reputation as a musician, -but would enlarge his views and give him -wider experience of the world. -</p> - -<p> -The lad was now no longer an infant prodigy, -but, it might almost be said, already a mature -artist, whose powers were ripening daily, thanks -hardly less to his father's judicious training -than to his own natural genius. It is noteworthy -that he never seems to have been in -the least spoiled by his successes; he remained -the same natural, affectionate boy that he had -always been. The letters that he wrote during -his tour to his sister at home are full of charm. -While often overflowing with fun, they also -show how acute a critic he was of the music -which he heard, and how keen an observer of -all that passed around him. In this respect -they may be compared with the letters written -from Italy more than sixty years later by -Mendelssohn. -</p> - -<p> -Travelling by way of Innsbruck, Roveredo, -and Verona, and meeting everywhere with a -most enthusiastic reception, Mozart, with his -father, reached Mantua on January 10, 1770. -The Philharmonic Society of the city gave -a concert on the 16th of the same month, -which was in reality a public exhibition of -Wolfgang's powers. The programme has -fortunately been preserved, and we learn from -it that in addition to two of his symphonies, of -which he probably directed the performance, -he played at first sight a concerto for the -harpsichord that was placed before him. He -also played at sight a sonata, introducing -variations of his own, and afterwards transposed the -whole piece into another key. More remarkable -still was his improvisation. He extemporized -a sonata and a regularly constructed fugue -on themes given him at the moment. He also -sang and composed extempore a song on words -not previously seen, accompanying himself on -the harpsichord. -</p> - -<p> -The travellers' next stay was at Milan, where -they found a warm friend in Count Firmian, -the Governor-General of Lombardy, who -interested himself with such success on behalf of -Wolfgang that the latter received a commission -to compose an opera for the next season, after -giving proof of his powers for serious opera by -setting three songs from the poems of Metastasio. -</p> - -<p> -Passing through Parma, Bologna (where -they made the acquaintance of the celebrated -theorist Padre Martini) and Florence, the -Mozarts arrived in Rome during Holy Week. It -was on this occasion that Wolfgang performed -the feat, so often recorded, of writing down -from memory Allegri's <i>Miserere</i> after having -heard it sung, in the Sistine Chapel. After a -visit for a month to Naples, they returned to -Rome, where the Pope invested Wolfgang -with the order of the Golden Spur. -</p> - -<p> -Revisiting Bologna on his return journey, -the lad received the honour of being elected a -member of the Philharmonic Society of that -city. As a test-piece he composed an antiphon -in four parts, <i>Quœrite primum regnum Dei</i>, in the -strict contrapuntal style of the old Church -music. His father, writing home an account -of the affair, says: -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p class="quote"> -"The princeps academiæ and the two censors, who are -all old kapellmeisters, put before him in the presence of -all the members an antiphon from the Antiphonarium, -which he was to set in four parts in an adjoining room, -to which he was conducted by the beadle and locked in. -When he had finished it, it was examined by the -censors and all the kapellmeisters and composers, who -then voted upon it with black and white balls. As all -the balls were white, he was called in, and all clapped -on his entry, and applauded him after the princeps -academiæ had announced his reception in the name of -the society. He returned thanks, and all was over. -I was meantime shut up in the library on the other side -of the hall. All were astonished that he had done it so -quickly, as many take three hours over an antiphon of -three lines. You should know, though, that it is no -easy task, for there are many things forbidden in this -kind of composition, as he had been previously told. -He finished it in exactly half an hour." -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p> -While staying at Bologna, Mozart received -from Milan the libretto of the opera which he -was to write. According to his custom, he -wrote the recitatives first, deferring the -composition of the airs till he had made acquaintance -with the singers, in order that he might suit -them the better with their parts. On October -18, Wolfgang and his father returned to -Milan, and the boy at once set to work diligently -to finish the opera, which was to be produced at -Christmas. The subject of the work was -<i>Mitridate, Re di Ponto</i>, the libretto being written -by a poet of Turin named Cigna-Santi. All -the airs were written after consultation with -those who were to sing them. -</p> - -<p> -As at Vienna, so at Milan: jealous musicians -intrigued to hinder the success of the work, -but their efforts were in vain. The principal -singers and the members of the orchestra were -delighted with the music, and on December 26 -it was produced, with so brilliant a result as to -silence the detractors. The opera was repeated -twenty times to always crowded houses, and -with ever-increasing success. At the end of -March, 1771, Wolfgang was again in Salzburg. -</p> - -<p> -Two important musical works were the -result of the success of <i>Mitridate</i>. The -impresario at Milan engaged Wolfgang to write an -opera for the season of 1773, while the Empress -Maria Theresa commissioned him to compose a -theatrical serenata for the marriage of the -Archduke Ferdinand, which was to take place at -Milan in October, 1771. The work was <i>Ascanio -in Alba</i>, which was produced on October 17 -with very complete success. The celebrated -Hasse, a friend of the Mozarts, and an -honourable man, who had always sided with -Wolfgang against his detractors, had written an -opera, <i>Ruggiero</i>, for the same festivities. -Leopold Mozart writes home: "I am sorry that -Wolfgang's serenata has so eclipsed Hasse's -opera that it is indescribable." Hasse himself -was generous enough to acknowledge his defeat, -and to say: "This youth will make us all -to be forgotten," a prophecy that has been amply -fulfilled. -</p> - -<p> -During the greater part of the year 1772 -Wolfgang was at home, composing music of -almost every kind. An event which took place -at this time had an important influence on his -future. This was the death of the Archbishop -of Salzburg, and the election in his place of -Hieronymus, Count of Colloredo, a haughty -and surly man, who cared nothing whatever -for music. For his installation Mozart -composed the one-act allegorical opera, <i>Il Sogno di -Scipione</i>—not one of his stronger works. In -November of the same year we find him once -more in Milan, busy with the new opera that -he had been engaged to write. This was <i>Lucio -Silla</i>, the words of which were written by a -local poet. It was produced on December 26, -and repeated more than twenty times to crowded -houses. The opera contains some beautiful -numbers; but Mozart had not yet emancipated -himself from tradition, and it is not till some -years later that his dramatic genius shows -itself in its full strength. After the production -of <i>Lucio Silla</i>, Leopold Mozart, with his son, -remained some time in Italy, in the hope of the -latter obtaining an appointment in the Court of -the Grand Duke Leopold at Florence. This -hope was not realized, and in March they -returned to Salzburg. -</p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-020"></a> -<br> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-020.jpg" alt="THE MOZART FAMILY. (<i>From the painting by Van de la Croce, 1780, in the Mozart Museum.</i>)"> -<br> -THE MOZART FAMILY.<br> -(<i>From the painting by Van de la Croce, 1780, <br> -in the Mozart Museum.</i>) -</p> - -<p> -With the exception of a two months' visit to -Vienna, Mozart remained at home for the rest -of the year and for nearly the whole of the -following one, composing almost incessantly and -in nearly every style. To this period belong -two of his best Masses—those in F and D—the -fine <i>Litaniœ Lauretanœ</i> in D, four symphonies, -six quartetts, concertos for various instruments, -serenades, divertimenti, and smaller pieces of -all kinds. In the course of the year 1774 -Mozart received a commission to write a comic -opera for Munich for the Carnival of 1775, and -in December of that year he went there with -his father. The opera which he had to write -was <i>La Finta Giardiniera</i>, the libretto of which -had already been set to music by Piccinni in -1770 and Anfossi in 1774. The first performance -took place on January 13, 1775, with a -success which the composer described the next -day in a letter to his mother: -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p class="quote"> -"My opera was produced yesterday, and had, thank -God! such success that I cannot possibly describe to -mamma the noise and commotion.... At the close of -every air there was a terrible noise with clapping and -shouting 'Viva maestro!' ... I and my father afterwards -went into a room through which the whole Court -pass, and where I kissed the hands of the Elector, the -Electress, and others of the nobility, who were all very -gracious. His Highness the Bishop of Chiemsee sent -to me early this morning with congratulations on my -success." -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p> -Very interesting is the following extract from -Schubert's "Teutsche Chronik": -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p class="quote"> -"I have also heard an opera buffa by the wonderful -genius Mozart; it is called <i>La Finta Ciardiniera</i>. -Flames of genius flashed forth here and there; but it is -not yet the quiet fire on the altar which rises to heaven -in clouds of incense—a perfume sweet to the gods. If -Mozart is not a plant forced in a hot-house, he must -become one of the greatest musical composers that has -ever lived." -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p> -In the music of <i>La Finta Giardiniera</i> a great -advance on any of Mozart's previous operas is -to be seen. Not only is there a richness of -melodic invention worthy to compare with that -of his later and greater works, but there is -more organic unity in the music as a whole. -Though some of the airs now appear unduly -spun out, it must be remembered that long -solos were the fashion of the day. The -orchestra is treated with more independence than -hitherto, and the score abounds with beautiful -effects of colouring, though in most numbers -but few wind instruments are employed. The -great duet toward the close of the third act -and the elaborate finales which conclude the -first and second acts are admirable, and might -be inserted into <i>Figaro</i> without producing too -strong a feeling of incongruity. -</p> - -<p> -Among those who witnessed the triumph of -Mozart's opera was the Archbishop of Salzburg, -who was at the time on a visit to the Elector -of Bavaria. Though he did not himself hear -the work, he was congratulated upon it by the -members of the Court, and, as Mozart records, -"was so embarrassed as to be unable to make -any reply except by shaking his head and -shrugging his shoulders." -</p> - -<p> -Returning to Salzburg in March, 1775, -Mozart remained there for nearly three -years—probably the least happy of his life. The -entire want of appreciation showed him by the -tyrannical Archbishop rendered his position most -irksome. Though the final rupture did not -come till later, he was subjected to constant -indignities, while the remuneration he received -was ridiculously disproportionate to the services -that he rendered, both as composer and -performer. Yet his activity in production never -ceased. The catalogue of the compositions he -produced during these years is nearly as -astonishing for the large number of masterpieces -it contains as for the variety of style that it -shows. Nearly a hundred works, including -four symphonies, fifteen serenades and divertimenti, -ten concertos for various instruments, -six sonatas for clavier, six Masses, the grand -Litany in E flat, a number of smaller works -for the Church, the opera <i>Il Rè Pastore</i>, many -songs, some with orchestra, others with piano, -bear witness no less to his industry than to the -fecundity of his genius. Many of these works -were written for performance at the -Archbishop's palace, at which concerts were -frequently given; but the Archbishop, though -fully knowing what a treasure he had in -Mozart, not only never paid him for any of his -compositions, but insulted him by contemptuous -remarks about them, thinking this the best -means of keeping the young master from -asking for an advance in his salary, which, it -should be said, amounted at this time to about -£15 sterling per annum! On one occasion, as -we learn from a letter written by Leopold to -Padre Martini, the Archbishop went so far as to -tell Wolfgang that he knew nothing about his -art, and that he ought to go to Naples to study. -It became more and more evident that there -was no prospect of the young man's obtaining -an honourable and remunerative post at -Salzburg. It was therefore decided that Wolfgang -should make another tour, in the hope of -obtaining a better appointment. But when he -applied for leave of absence that he might earn -some money as an addition to his small salary, -the Archbishop refused with the ungracious -remark that "he could not suffer a man going -on begging expeditions." Wolfgang thereupon -tendered his resignation, which the Archbishop -angrily accepted. -</p> - -<p> -As it was impossible for Leopold to accompany -his son on this journey—the Archbishop -having refused him leave of absence—Wolfgang's -mother went with him. They left Salzburg -on September 23, 1777, for Munich, where -they stayed till October 11, Wolfgang hoping -either to find a post there or to obtain a -commission to write an opera. From Munich they -went to Augsburg, where Mozart gave a concert -which brought him much glory but very little -profit. -</p> - -<p> -On October 30 Mozart and his mother -arrived at Mannheim. The long stay of -between four and five months which they made -in this place had in more than one respect an -important influence on Mozart's future. The -orchestra at Mannheim was considered the -finest in Europe, and the young composer -writes of it to his father in enthusiastic terms. -He was especially struck by the clarinets, -which he here for the first time met with in the -orchestra. He writes: "Ah, if we only had -clarinets! You cannot believe what a splendid -effect a symphony makes with flutes, oboes, -and clarinets." The Mannheim orchestra -included among its members many of the finest -performers on their respective instruments then -living, and contemporary testimony was to the -effect that they were unsurpassed in execution -and finish. The first kapellmeister was -Christian Cannabich, an excellent violinist, and a -very good friend to Mozart; the second was -the Abbé Vogler, a clever but eccentric man, -of whom Mozart writes: "He is a fool, who -fancies that there can exist nothing better or -more perfect than himself. He is hated by the -whole orchestra. His book will better teach -arithmetic than composition." In another -letter he gives a criticism of Vogler's music -which is so characteristic as to deserve -quotation: -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p class="quote"> -"Yesterday was again a gala day. I attended the -service, at which was produced a bran new Mass by -Vogler, which had been rehearsed only the day before -yesterday in the afternoon. I stayed, however, no -longer than the end of the 'Kyrie.' Such music I -never before heard in my life, for not only is the -harmony often wrong, but he goes into keys as if he -would pull them in by the hair of the head, not -artistically, but plump, and without preparation. Of the -treatment of the ideas I will not try to speak; I will -only say that it is quite impossible that any Mass by -Vogler can satisfy a composer worthy of the name. -For though one should discover an idea that is not bad, -that idea does not long remain in a negative condition, -but soon becomes—beautiful? Heaven save the mark! it -becomes bad—extremely bad, and this in two or -three different ways. The thought has scarcely had -time to appear before something else comes and destroys -it, or it does not close so naturally as to remain good, -or it is not brought in in the right place, or it is -spoiled by the injudicious employment of the accompanying -instruments. Such is Vogler's composition." -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p> -It is hardly surprising that there should be -little sympathy or cordiality between Vogler -and Mozart, but there is no ground for the -suspicion entertained by Leopold Mozart that -the Abbé was plotting against his son. -</p> - -<p> -Mozart was very desirous of obtaining an -appointment at Mannheim under the Elector, -and this was one of the causes of his long stay -there. But, as usual, nothing came of it. The -Elector was very complimentary to the composer, -but after a delay of nearly two months -finally said that he could do nothing. It was -therefore the father's wish that they should -continue the journey towards Paris. Mozart, -however, was in no hurry to leave Mannheim; -the society of the members of the orchestra, -some of whom—among them Wendling, the -flutist, and Ramm, the oboist—were close -personal friends, was very congenial. But there -was another and more powerful reason: he had -for the first time fallen seriously in love. The -object of his affection was a young singer, -Aloysia Weber, the second daughter of Fridolin -von Weber, at that time copyist and prompter -in the Mannheim theatre. She was very -beautiful, had a fine voice, and sang with great -taste and expression. For her Mozart wrote -one of the finest of his concert arias, <i>Non so -donde viene</i>; he also gave her lessons. His -affection would seem to have been returned, -but his father was not unnaturally opposed to -the youth's fettering himself by such a union. -Wolfgang's idea was to make a professional -tour in company with the Webers, and to try -to procure engagements in Italy for the young -lady as a prima donna, and for himself as a -composer, Leopold, however, was experienced -enough to see clearly that such a scheme was -impracticable, and that a young girl who had -never appeared on the stage would have no -chance of success in an Italian theatre, however -well she might sing. He therefore, in order to -free his son from the entanglement, wrote a -long letter to him, putting the case very plainly -and sensibly, and urging him at once to go to -Paris to try to make a position there. Like a -dutiful son, as he always showed himself, -Wolfgang obeyed, and left Mannheim with a heavy -heart on March 14, 1788, arriving nine days -later at Paris. -</p> - -<p> -The time of his visit was not favourable to -his hopes. Musicians in the French capital -were busy with the great struggle for supremacy -in opera between Gluck and Piccinni, which -was then at its height. Besides this, the -frivolous Parisian public, who had been so -attracted by the infant prodigy, cared little for -the mature artist. Mozart obtained an -introduction to Le Gros, the director of the Concert -Spirituel, who gave him a commission to write -some movements of a <i>Miserere</i>, of which, -however, only two choruses were performed. -Besides this, Mozart composed for the same -concerts a <i>Sinfonie Concertante</i> for four wind -instruments, with orchestra. But once more -the intrigues of enemies pursued him. Two -days before the concert was to be given the -parts of the new work had not been copied, -and when Mozart went to Le Gros to inquire -the reason, the latter merely said that he had -forgotten it. Mozart suspected, and probably -correctly, that Cambini, an Italian composer -whom he had unintentionally offended, was at -the bottom of it. -</p> - -<p> -For the Duc de Guines, to whom he obtained -an introduction through his old friend Grimm, -Mozart wrote a double concerto for the unusual -combination of flute and harp, to be played by -the Duke and his daughter. The two instruments -were those which Mozart detested; yet -the concerto, though not a great work, is most -effectively written for both instruments, and is -very pleasing music. Besides this, he gave -lessons in composition to the Duke's daughter, -who, though a clever performer, seems to have -had but little idea of writing. Mozart, in one -of his letters to his father, gives a very amusing -account of a lesson in which he had tried to -make the young lady compose a minuet. He -wrote later that she was both stupid and lazy, -and he finally gave up the lessons in disgust. -</p> - -<p> -Mozart's great desire, as always, was to -write an opera, and, through Noverre, the -ballet-master of the Grand Opera, whose -acquaintance he had made in Vienna six years -before, there seemed to be a fair prospect of -the realization of his wish. Noverre set a -librettist to work, and the text of the first act -of an opera was soon ready. Meanwhile -Noverre wanted some ballet music, and Mozart -wrote for him the overture and incidental -dances for <i>Les Petits Riens</i>. Nothing more, -however, came of the opera. The composer, -nevertheless, had one musical success during -his stay in Paris. This was the production at -the Concert Spirituel of his symphony in D, -known as the "Parisian." In a letter to his -father Mozart tells how warmly it was received, -and how the audience were struck with certain -passages and began applauding in the middle -of the movements. There is no doubt that the -symphony was the finest that he had composed -up to that time; being written to suit the -Parisian taste, it is lighter and more brilliant -in style than most of its predecessors, without -becoming thereby tawdry or frivolous. This -was the first symphony that Mozart had scored -for full orchestra, and the rich and varied -colouring of the wind instruments shows how -he had profited by listening to the fine -performances at Mannheim. -</p> - -<p> -Whether the success of his symphony would -have led to Mozart's ultimately obtaining a -good appointment at Paris cannot be said, for -almost immediately after the production of the -work a sad event brought about an entire -change in his plans. This was the death of -his mother, which occurred on July 3, 1778, -after a fortnight's illness. His father was -anxious, for more than one reason, that he -should return home. Not only was there the -natural desire for his son's company and -support in his bereavement, there was also the -apprehension that the young man, now that his -mother's restraining influence was removed, -might fall into the hands of bad companions. -</p> - -<p> -At this juncture an opening unexpectedly -presented itself in Salzburg. The Archbishop -had by this time become conscious of the -mistake he had made in allowing the young -genius to leave him, and was anxious to have -him back if possible. The death of the old -kapellmeister Lolli, which occurred at this -time, gave the Archbishop the opportunity he -desired, and, after long negotiations, Lolli's -post was offered to Leopold Mozart, and that -of second kapellmeister to his son, whose -salary was to be 500 florins a year. It was also -conceded that he should have leave of absence -whenever he wanted to write an opera. -</p> - -<p> -Greatly as Mozart disliked Salzburg—and -with good reason, after the Archbishop's treatment -of him—he at once yielded to his father's -wishes, and accepted the post. There can be -no doubt that he did so all the more readily in -consequence of one piece of news contained -in his father's letter. This was that his beloved -Aloysia Weber was engaged to sing at Salzburg, -and would be living with the Mozarts. -He therefore left Paris on September 26, -travelling by way of Strasburg, Mannheim, -and Munich, at each of which places he -remained for some time. At Munich he visited -the Webers, who had removed thither from -Mannheim. Here a great disappointment -awaited him. His beloved Aloysia had proved -faithless, and received him coldly. Mozart -thereupon sat down to the piano and sang, -"Ich lass das Madel gern, das mich nicht will," -(I willingly leave the maid who does not -want me). Aloysia subsequently made an -unhappy marriage with an actor named Lange, -and became a distinguished prima donna. In -her later years she confessed that she had -failed to realize the genius of Mozart, and saw -in him nothing but a little man. -</p> - -<p><br><br><br></p> - -<p><a id="chap04"></a></p> - -<h3> -THE MAN (1779-179l) -</h3> - -<p> -In the middle of January, 1779, Mozart was -once more in Salzburg, and for nearly two -years he remained in that city, busied with his -duties at the Archbishop's palace, and composing -works of all kinds. The record of these -years is chiefly one of almost ceaseless writing. -Many of Mozart's best and ripest works date -from this period. Among these are the Mass -in C, published as No. 1, though really the -composer's fourteenth. This is one of the -finest of the series, as well as one of the most -popular. The "Agnus Dei," a solo, the chief -theme of which foreshadows the "Dove sono" -of <i>Figaro</i>, was formerly a favourite air with -soprani who valued expression above mere -display. Another important work dating from -this period is the incidental music to Gebler's -drama <i>Thamos, König in Ægypten</i>. This music -consists partly of entr'actes and incidental -music, but it also contains three magnificent -and amply developed choruses, which -may justly be described as among the most -noble choral pieces that Mozart ever wrote. -The play was a failure, but the composer, -regretting that the music could not be used, -had the choruses adapted to Latin hymns; in -this form they have become well-known and -popular as the three great motets, <i>Splendente -te, Deus</i>, <i>Ne pulvis et cinis</i>, and <i>Deus, tibi laus et -honor</i>. To this period also belong the two-act -German opera <i>Zaide</i>, two vespers, two -symphonies, two great serenades—one being the -magnificent one for thirteen wind instruments—the -<i>Symphonie Concertante</i> in E flat, for violin -and viola, the concerto in the same key for two -pianos, and some of his best sonatas for piano -solo, besides smaller pieces, vocal and -instrumental, too numerous to mention. -</p> - -<p> -In the latter part of the year 1780, Mozart -received from the Elector of Bavaria a -commission to write an opera for Munich, for the -Carnival of 1781. The Archbishop had -promised him leave of absence, and on -November 6, 1780, he left Salzburg for the -Bavarian capital. The libretto was written by -the Abbé Varesco, Court chaplain at Salzburg, -the subject selected being <i>Idomeneo</i>, and it was -founded on a French opera on the same subject -that had been composed by Campra, and -produced in 1712. -</p> - -<p> -Mozart, on his arrival in Munich, was -received with open arms by his many friends in -that city, and he worked at the opera with an -enthusiasm that may be easily imagined. -Though his principal vocalists were not all -that he could have desired, he had a splendid -orchestra at his disposal, and from the first all -the performers were delighted with the music. -His letters to his father while writing the -opera are full of interesting details. After the -first rehearsal, Ramm, the first oboe, an old -friend of the composer, assured him that he -had never yet heard any music that made so -great an effect upon him. Mozart's father, -who was most anxious for the complete success -of the work, wrote urging his son "to think -not only of the musical, but also of the -unmusical public. You know, there are a hundred -without knowledge to every one connoisseur, -so do not forget the so-called 'popular' that -tickles even the long ears." Wolfgang replied: -"Don't trouble yourself about the so-called -'popular,' for in my opera is music for all -kinds of people—only not for the long ears." -</p> - -<p> -<i>Idomeneo</i> was produced on January 29, 1781, -with a success that must have satisfied not -only the composer, but also his father and -sister, who came over from Salzburg to hear it. -In this opera we find Mozart in his full -maturity. Whether in the flow of his melody, -the richness of the harmony, the power of -dramatic characterization, or the beauty and -variety of the orchestration, this work shows a -decided advance on any of its predecessors, and -marks a turning-point in the history of dramatic -music. -</p> - -<p> -Thanks to the fact that the Archbishop of -Salzburg was at this time in Vienna, Mozart -was able to prolong his visit to Munich; but in -March he was summoned to join his employer, -and on March 12 he arrived in Vienna. Here -he was treated by the Archbishop with the -utmost indignity; not only was he made to -take his meals with the servants, but he was -refused permission to take any engagements -whereby he might add to his meagre income. -Insult followed insult, till at length the crisis -came, and Mozart resigned the appointment -which his self-respect forbade him longer to -hold, and determined to seek his fortune in -Vienna. -</p> - -<p> -Though now thrown entirely on his own -resources, Mozart was very sanguine about the -future. At first he earned only a precarious -livelihood by playing at fashionable parties and -teaching the piano; but he looked forward with -great hopes to obtaining an appointment with -the Emperor Joseph II. But the monarch, -though always affable and even cordial to the -composer, preferred Italian music to the more -solid style of Mozart, whom he esteemed as a -pianist rather than as a composer. "He cares -for no one but Salieri," said Mozart of him; -and there can be no doubt that the influence -of the Italian on the Emperor was very great. -Salieri, a musician of talent, though not of -genius, saw in Mozart a formidable rival, and, -while outwardly polite, secretly intrigued -against him. -</p> - -<p> -Joseph II. took great interest in the -establishment of a school of German opera, and -engaged an excellent company of vocalists, -among whom was Mozart's old flame, Aloysia -Weber, for the theatre. Mozart, who always -delighted in writing for the stage, had brought -with him to Vienna his German opera <i>Zaide</i>. -He scarcely hoped that it would be produced, -as he thought the libretto unsuited to the -Viennese public; but Stephanie, the inspector -of the opera, was so pleased with the music -that he promised to give Mozart a good text to -set. The Emperor was quite willing to see -what the composer could do in German opera; -and in July Mozart, to his great delight, -received the libretto of <i>Belmont und Constanze</i>, -now known under its second title, <i>Die -Entführung aus dem Serail</i>. Owing to various -causes, among others the cabals of Mozart's -enemies, the production of the opera was much -delayed; it was only by the express command -of the Emperor that it was at length performed -for the first time on July 13, 1782. It was -of this opera that the Emperor said to the -composer: "Too fine for our ears, and an immense -number of notes, my dear Mozart!" which -called forth the reply: "Exactly as many notes, -your Majesty, as are needful." -</p> - -<p> -The success of the work was immediate and -complete. Here Mozart was virtually on new -ground. Excepting the operetta <i>Bastien und -Bastienne</i> and the <i>Zaide</i> above-mentioned, all -Mozart's preceding operas had been written to -Italian words; and though in <i>Idomeneo</i> a fusion -of Italian and German styles is to be seen, it is -not till <i>Die Entführung</i> that we find an -important work genuinely German in character. Of -Italian influence there is but little trace except -in some parts of the music allotted to -Constanze. This role was undertaken by Madame -Cavalieri, a great bravura singer, but little -more; and many of the florid passages in her -songs remind one of the popular ornate style of -the day. It is difficult to speak too highly of -the wealth of melodic invention, the truth of -expression, or the skill shown in differentiating -the various characters of the drama to be found -in this work, while the picturesqueness of the -orchestration is perhaps even superior to that -of <i>Idomeneo</i>, and certainly far surpasses that of -any of the early operas. -</p> - -<p> -At this time Mozart's old friends, the Webers, -had removed to Vienna, and the composer had -resumed his intercourse with them. A mutual -attachment had grown up between him and -Constanze, a younger sister of Aloysia, who -had jilted him. He wrote to his father asking -his consent to his marriage; but Leopold, -knowing that his son had no regular -appointment, and that his income was precarious, -strongly opposed the step, and for some time -the course of true love by no means ran -smooth. -</p> - -<p> -Through the influence of a patroness of -Mozart, the Baroness von Waldstadten, the -obstacles were ultimately surmounted, and the -marriage was celebrated at the Baroness's house -on August 4, 1782. Though the union was, -from one point of view, very happy, owing to -the true affection that existed between husband -and wife, it cannot be doubted that it was, to a -great extent, the cause of much of Mozart's -later troubles. Constanze, though endowed -with many excellent qualities, was a bad -housekeeper, while Mozart, besides being -generous to a fault, had not the least capacity -for business, nor even any idea of economy. -No wonder, then, that when to the care and -expense of a young family was added a long -and severe illness of the wife, they were often -in sore pecuniary difficulties. Jahn says that if -Mozart had been as good a man of business as -his father, he would have done very well in -Vienna, for he earned a very good income. As -a matter of fact, from this time to the end of -his career, his life was one long struggle, and -not always a successful one, to keep his head -above water. -</p> - -<p> -Mozart's chief source of income at this time -seems to have been derived from his playing, -for he was in great demand, not only at concerts, -but in the houses of the nobility. According to -the unanimous verdict of his contemporaries, -he was the greatest pianist and (in the best -sense of the term) virtuoso of his day. After -his death, Joseph Haydn is reported to have -said, with tears in his eyes: "I can never forget -Mozart's playing; it came from the heart." The -Emperor also highly appreciated the -composer's genius, and it is probably only owing to -the intrigues of the Italian musicians by whom -he was surrounded that he did not confer some -adequately paid appointment upon Mozart. -</p> - -<p> -In July, 1783, shortly after the birth of his -first child, Mozart took his wife to Salzburg to -introduce her to his father and sister. He had, -before his marriage, made a vow that, if ever -Constanze became his wife, he would compose -a new Mass for performance at Salzburg. The -work was not quite completed, but he supplied -the missing numbers from one of his earlier -Masses. As the Archbishop of Salzburg -refused permission for the Mass to be performed -in the cathedral, it was given in St. Peter's -Church, Constanze singing the principal soprano -part. The Mass, which is in C minor, is laid -out on a much larger scale than those which -Mozart wrote for Salzburg, the "Gloria" being -in seven movements, while two of the choruses -are in five and one in eight parts. The work -is a curious mixture; many of the choruses are -quite elevated in style, and not unworthy of -the "Requiem" itself. The solos are much -lighter, and of a florid character. Mozart -never finished the Mass, but he used the -music two years later for his cantata, <i>Davide -Penitente</i>. -</p> - -<p> -During his visit to Salzburg Mozart began -work on two new buffo operas, <i>L'Oca del Cairo</i>, -the libretto by Varesco, who had written the -text of <i>Idomeneo</i>, and <i>Lo Sposo Deluso</i>, by an -unknown poet. Neither work, however, was -completed. -</p> - -<p> -After his return to Vienna in October, 1783, -Mozart's time was fully occupied with concerts -and composition. The year 1784 saw the birth -of many of his finest works, which at this time -were exclusively instrumental. Among them -are several of his best piano concertos, which -he wrote for his own performance at concerts -in which he took part. The list also includes -the great sonata in C minor for the piano, -a work not without influence on Beethoven, -and the beautiful sonata in B flat for -piano and violin, composed for Mdlle. Strinasacchi, -a young violinist for whose benefit -concert, Mozart had promised to write a new -work. Being pressed for time, Mozart had -deferred writing the sonata till the day before -the concert, when the young lady, with much -trouble, obtained from him the violin part only. -She practised it the next morning, and in the -evening played it with the composer without -any rehearsal. The Emperor was present at -the concert, and, looking through his opera-glass, -noticed that Mozart had a blank sheet of -music-paper before him. After the sonata was -finished, the Emperor sent a message that he -wished to see the manuscript. The composer -brought the blank sheet. "What, Mozart!" -said Joseph, "at your tricks again?" "Please -your Majesty," was the reply, "there was not -a note lost." Only musicians will be able fully -to appreciate the wonderful feat of memory -which such a performance involved. -</p> - -<p> -In 1785 Leopold Mozart returned his son's -visit, and it was at this time that he made the -acquaintance of Joseph Haydn, with whom -Wolfgang was on intimate terms. Leopold -met Haydn for the first time at a party at his -son's house, where three of Mozart's recently -composed quartetts were played. It was on -that occasion that Haydn said to the proud -father: "I declare to you before God, and as a -man of honour, that your son is the greatest -composer that I know; he has taste, and beyond -that the most consummate knowledge of the -art of composition." -</p> - -<p> -In February, 1786, was produced the music -to <i>Der Schauspieldirector</i>, a German comedy -in one act, for some festivities given by the -Emperor at Schönbrunn. Mozart's share of -the work consisted merely of an overture and -four vocal numbers. Though the music is -extremely melodious, it adds nothing to the -composer's fame. Far more interesting and -important were the two piano concertos in -A major and C minor, both written in March -of the same year. But all other compositions -of this time sink into insignificance by the side -of the opera <i>Le Nozze di Figaro</i>, which was -produced in Vienna on May 1, 1786. The -libretto was adapted by Lorenzo da Ponte, a -theatrical poet who was a favourite with the -Emperor, from Beaumarchais' comedy, "Le -Mariage de Figaro." The subject was suggested -by the composer himself. As on so many -previous occasions, there were violent intrigues -against the piece; but, thanks probably in a -great measure to the support of the Emperor, -these were unsuccessful, and the Irish singer, -Michael Kelly, who took the part of Basilio at -the first performance, says in his "Reminiscences": -"Never was anything more complete -than the triumph of Mozart and his <i>Nozze di -Figaro</i>, to which numerous overflowing -audiences bore witness." Almost more enthusiasm -was shown at Prague, where the opera was -given a few months later. At the invitation of -some of his friends, Mozart went to Prague to -witness the success of his work. His -reception there was overwhelming. Two concerts -which he gave in the city realized a profit -of 1,000 florins. At the first of these was -produced the fine symphony in D known as -the "Prague Symphony." At the same concert -he extemporized, in his own masterly manner, -for half an hour, after which, in reply to a call -for "something from <i>Figaro</i>," he improvised -variations on "Non più andrai." This visit -had an important result. Mozart remarked to -Bondini, the manager of the theatre, that, as -the people of Prague appreciated him so much, -he should like to write an opera for them, -whereupon the manager took him at his word, -and commissioned an opera from him for the -following season. -</p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-040"></a> -<br> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-040.jpg" alt="MOZART IN 1791. (<i>From an original at Salzburg.</i>)"> -<br> -MOZART IN 1791.<br> -(<i>From an original at Salzburg.</i>) -</p> - -<p> -As the libretto of <i>Figaro</i> had suited him so -well, it was only natural that Mozart should -again apply to Da Ponte for a book for the -new work. The subject chosen was the old -legend of <i>Don Giovanni</i>, and in September, -1787, Mozart and his wife went to Prague in -order that he might, as was his custom, be -near the artists who were to sing in the work. -Meanwhile his pen had been by no means idle. -From the autograph catalogue of his works, -which he began to keep in 1784 and continued -till his last illness, we find that between <i>Figaro</i> -and <i>Don Giovanni</i> he wrote thirty works, -including some of the more important of his -compositions in the domain of chamber music. -Among these maybe specially named the string -quintetts in C major and G minor, the two -great pianoforte duet sonatas in F and C, the -charming trio in E flat for piano, clarinet, -and viola, and the sonata in A for piano and -violin. -</p> - -<p> -Arrived in Prague, Mozart first lodged at an -inn, but later removed to the house of his friend -Duschek, in the suburbs of the city. Here a -great part of the opera was written, each -number being sent to the singers as soon as it -was completed. Visitors to Prague are still -shown the summer-house with a stone table -in the garden of Duschek's house, at which -Mozart used to work at his opera while his -friends were playing at bowls. It is said that -he would leave his work from time to time to -take his part in the game, and then resume it -without having lost the thread of his ideas. -The story has often been told how, on the -night before the production of the opera, the -overture was still unwritten. Mozart had -parted late in the evening from his friends, and -his wife mixed him a glass of punch and sat -up with him while he wrote, telling him fairy -tales to keep him awake. At last sleep -overpowered him, and she persuaded him to lie -down for an hour or two. At five she woke -him, and when at seven the copyist came for -the score the overture was ready. There was -barely time to get the parts copied before the -evening, and the excellent orchestra played it -at sight without rehearsal. Mozart, who was -conducting, said to the players near him: "A -good many notes fell under the desks, but it -went very well." -</p> - -<p> -The first performance of <i>Don Giovanni</i> took -place on October 29, 1787, and excited the -utmost enthusiasm. Unfortunately, the -composer's father was not able to witness his son's -triumph, as he had died in the preceding May, -after a long illness. Mozart returned to Vienna -shortly after the production of his opera, but -his success brought about but little improvement -in his pecuniary circumstances. True, -the Emperor appointed him "kammermusikus" -in December, but the salary attached to the -post—800 florins—was ridiculously small. His -only duty was to write dance music for the -masked balls of the Imperial Court; this -caused him to make the bitter remark that his -salary was too much for what he did, and too -little for what he could do. -</p> - -<p> -On May 7, 1788, <i>Don Giovanni</i> was given at -Vienna. For this performance the composer -had written three additional numbers, two of -which were Don Ottavio's air, "Dalla sua pace," -and Elvira's "Mi tradi quell' alma ingrata." The -work, nevertheless, proved a failure; the -style was too novel for the taste of the audience. -The Emperor, after hearing it, said: "The -opera is divine—perhaps even more beautiful -than <i>Figaro</i>—but it is no food for the teeth of -my Viennese." When this was repeated to -Mozart, he said: "Let us give them time to -chew it, then!" and, by his advice, the opera -was repeated at short intervals until the public -became accustomed to its beauties. The -applause increased at each fresh performance. -</p> - -<p> -The most important works composed in the -year 1788 were the three great symphonies in -E flat, G minor, and C major (generally known -as the "Jupiter"), the last of forty-nine which -Mozart wrote. In these he rises to a height -which in his previous instrumental works -he had seldom attained. The symphony in -G minor, unquestionably the finest work ever -written for a small orchestra, has never been -surpassed in its combination of passion and pathos; -while the finale of the "Jupiter" symphony,; -with its elaborate fugal counterpoint, still -remains without a rival in its combination of the -most consummate learning with the utmost -profusion of melodic invention. -</p> - -<p> -It was toward the close of this year that the -Baron van Swieten, an enthusiastic lover of -Handel's music, commissioned Mozart to -arrange <i>Acis and Galatea</i> for performance at -some concerts with which the Baron was -connected, and of which he superintended the -preparation. In Mozart's autograph catalogue, -already spoken of, we find that the arrangement -was made in November, 1788. In the -course of the following year he made a similar -arrangement of the <i>Messiah</i>, and, in 1790, -of <i>Alexander's Feast</i> and the <i>Ode for St. Cecilia's -Day</i>. Space will not allow a detailed criticism -of these arrangements; it must suffice to say -that, while often extremely beautiful, they are -not always in accordance with Handel's spirit -or intentions, the probable explanation being -that Mozart, as we learn from Otto Jahn, knew -but little of Handel's music till introduced to -it by Baron van Swieten. -</p> - -<p> -In 1789 Mozart accepted an invitation from -his pupil and patron, Prince Karl Lichnowsky, -to accompany him on a visit to Berlin. The -composer, whose pecuniary position was still -very precarious, no doubt hoped that he might -find some post in the North of Germany which -would be worthy of his acceptance and relieve -him from his pressing embarrassments. Leaving -Vienna on April 8, he arrived four days later -at Dresden, where he played before the Court, -receiving for his performance the sum of 100 -ducats. Thence he proceeded to Leipzig, -where he made the acquaintance of Rochlitz, -who, in his "Für Freunde der Tonkunst," has -preserved some interesting reminiscences of -his visit. It was here also that, through Doles, -the cantor of the Thomas-Schule, he learned -to know the great motetts of Sebastian Bach, -for which he expressed the highest admiration. -</p> - -<p> -On his arrival at Berlin, Mozart was at once -conducted by Prince Lichnowsky to Potsdam, -to be presented to the King, Frederick -William II., who was a great lover of music -and a good performer on the violoncello. The -King received him very warmly, and took -special pleasure in hearing him improvise. -Mozart, however, derived but little pecuniary -advantage from his visit. The King, it is true, -offered him the post of kapellmeister at his -Court with a salary of 3,000 thalers, but -the composer, with whom worldly considerations -had little weight, declined the offer, -saying: "Can I leave my good Emperor?" The -only profit made by the tour was a present -from the King of 100 friedrichs d'or, which -was accompanied by a wish that Mozart -should write some quartetts for him. Three -string quartetts (in D, B flat, and F), in all of -which the part for the violoncello is of more -than usual prominence, were written for and -dedicated to the King. -</p> - -<p> -After his return to Vienna Mozart's -embarrassments became more pressing than ever. -The ill-health of his wife involved him in -constant expense, and his income was at all times -precarious. By the advice of his friends he -informed the Emperor of the offer that had -been made him by the King of Prussia. The -Emperor asked if he were really going to leave -him, and Mozart replied: "Your Majesty, I -throw myself upon your kindness; I remain." No -improvement, however, resulted in his -position, though it was at the suggestion of the -Emperor that he was commissioned to write a -new opera for Vienna. This was the two-act -opera buffa <i>Cosi fan tutte</i>, the libretto of which -was again from the pen of Da Ponte, and -which was produced on January 26, 1790. -The first performances appear to have been -successful; but the death of the Emperor in -the following month caused the theatre to be -closed for some time; in all it was given ten -times, and then fell out of the repertoire. The -plot of the opera is weak and improbable, and -the indifferent quality of the libretto is without -doubt the chief reason why the music is as a -whole inferior to that of <i>Don Giovanni</i> and -<i>Figaro</i>. <i>Cosi fan tutte</i>, nevertheless, contains -some of its composer's best work, especially in -the concerted movements, such as the trio -"Soave sia il vento," the quintett and sextett in -the first act, and the two finales. The -orchestral colouring also is almost richer and more -varied than in any of Mozart's preceding -operas. -</p> - -<p> -The accession of Leopold II. to the throne -of Austria brought no improvement in the -composer's circumstances, for the new -Emperor's tastes differed widely from those of -Joseph, and it soon became evident that those -who had enjoyed the favour of the latter had -but little to hope from his successor. Mozart -applied for the post of second kapellmeister, -and also asked to be allowed to teach -the young Princes; but both requests were -refused. Thinking that the coronation of the -Emperor at Frankfort might afford him a -favourable opportunity for an artistic tour, -Mozart, who was obliged to pawn his plate in -order to procure the necessary funds, started -for that city on September 26, and gave a -concert of his own compositions in the -Stadt-Theatre on October 14. But neither here nor -at Mannheim and Munich, which he visited on -his return journey, did he make much profit, -and he returned to Vienna with little or no -improvement in his circumstances. Here he had -the pain of parting with one of his dearest -friends, Joseph Haydn, who was just leaving -for London with Salomon, who had engaged -him for a series of concerts.* Salomon also -entered into negotiations with Mozart for a -similar series in the following year, but before -that time the composer was no more. He and -Haydn never met again. -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p class="footnote"> -* It was for these concerts that Haydn composed his -best-known and finest symphonies—those called in this -country the "Salomon Set." -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p> -In May, 1791, an old acquaintance of -Mozart's, Emanuel Schickaneder, the manager -of a small theatre at Vienna, being in -embarrassed circumstances, proposed to Mozart to -write an opera on a magic subject, of which he, -Schickaneder, would prepare the libretto. -Mozart, always ready to help a friend, agreed, -though with some little hesitation, saying that -he had never written a magic opera. The -work was <i>Die Zauberflöte</i>, and Mozart began its -composition at once. Various causes interfered -with its rapid progress. It was while working -at it that the first signs of the breaking up of -his vital powers showed themselves. He -suffered from fainting fits, and in June he was -obliged to suspend work on the opera and go to -Baden, a suburb of Vienna, to recruit his -health. -</p> - -<p> -It was while engaged on the composition of -<i>Die Zauberflöte</i> that Mozart received from a -mysterious stranger the commission to write a -<i>Requiem</i> Mass. He was asked to name his own -terms, but was enjoined to make no effort to -discover who it was that had ordered the work. -Mozart, who had written no church music -since his Mass in C minor eight years before, -eagerly accepted the commission, and began -work at once. It is now ascertained beyond a -doubt that the individual who visited Mozart -was the steward of a certain Count Walsegg, -an amateur musician who desired to be thought -a great composer, and who actually copied the -score of the <i>Requiem</i> and had it performed as -his own work. -</p> - -<p> -Mozart's work on the <i>Zauberflöte</i> and the -Requiem were alike interrupted in August by a -commission which it was needful to execute at -once. This was the composition of an opera -for Prague, to be performed there on the -occasion of the coronation of the Emperor -Leopold II. as King of Bohemia. The libretto -selected was Metastasio's <i>La Clemenza di Tito</i>, -which had been already set to music by several -eminent composers. As the coronation was -to take place in the following month, Mozart -had but little time for composition; -according to Jahn, the opera was completed in -eighteen days. Its first performance took -place on September 6, and was not a success. -Mozart, who was in bad health when he -arrived in Prague, and who had become still -worse through his arduous exertions in getting -the work ready in time for the performance, -was greatly depressed at its failure. -</p> - -<p> -Returning to Vienna in September, with -health and spirits alike failing him, Mozart -resumed work on <i>Die Zauberflöte</i>, which was -produced on the 30th of the same month, the -composition of the overture and the march -which opens the second act having been only -completed two days previously. Though the -success of the first performance was less than -had been anticipated, the public soon began to -appreciate its beauties; it was given twenty-four -times in the following month and reached -its hundredth performance in a little more than -a year. -</p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-050"></a> -<br> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-050.jpg" alt="PART OF THE SCORE OF THE "DE PROFUNDIS." (<i>British Museum.</i>)"> -<br> -PART OF THE SCORE OF THE "DE PROFUNDIS." (<i>British Museum.</i>) -</p> - -<p> -As soon as the opera was off his mind, -Mozart returned to his still incomplete <i>Requiem</i>, -a work which now engrossed all his attention -and energy. In his enfeebled and depressed -state he formed the idea that he was writing -the <i>Requiem</i> for himself, and had a firm -conviction that he had been poisoned. By the advice -of his doctor his wife took away the score -from him, and a temporary improvement -resulted, which enabled him to write a small -cantata for a masonic festival—the last work -which he entered in the thematic catalogue -already mentioned. At his request his wife -returned him the score of the <i>Requiem</i>, but as -soon as he resumed work upon it all the -unfavourable symptoms returned with increased -violence, and partial paralysis set in. In the -latter part of November he took to his bed, -from which he was never to rise again. By a -sad irony of fate, it was during his last illness -that fortune smiled upon him for the first time: -some of the Hungarian nobility joined to assure -him of an annual income of 1,000 florins, while -music publishers at Amsterdam gave him -commissions for compositions which would have -insured him against want for the future. But -all came too late for the dying composer, and -his last hours were embittered by the thought -of leaving his wife and children unprovided for -at the very time when he would have been able -to support them in comfort. To the last his -mind was full of his unfinished <i>Requiem</i>, and on -the afternoon before his death, he had the score -laid on his bed, and the music sung by his -friends, he himself taking the alto part. When -they reached the opening bars of the "Lacrymosa," -Mozart burst into a violent fit of weeping, -and the score was laid aside. In the evening the -physician told Mozart's pupil, Süssmayr, in -confidence that there was nothing more to be -done; but he ordered cold bandages to be -applied to the head, which brought on such -convulsions that Mozart lost consciousness; he -never recovered it, but died at one o'clock on -the morning of December 5, 1791. He was -buried the next day in the churchyard of -St. Marx in so violent a storm that the -mourners all turned back before reaching the -graveyard, where the great composer was laid, -not in a grave of his own, but in that allotted -to paupers. When the widow was sufficiently -recovered from the first shock to be able to go -to the burial-ground to look for the grave, a new -sexton was there who knew nothing about the -matter, and the exact spot under which Mozart's -remains rest has never been identified with -certainty. -</p> - -<p><br><br><br></p> - -<p><a id="chap05"></a></p> - -<h3> -THE ART OF MOZART -</h3> - -<p> -In surveying Mozart's art work as a whole, -one of the first things to strike the -student is the comprehensiveness of his -genius. There is hardly another of the great -composers who has produced so many masterpieces -in so many different styles. It may -be at once conceded that in certain directions -he has been surpassed by one or other of -those who have succeeded him. Very few -musicians will be found who will place him, -either as a symphonist or as a writer for the -piano, by the side of Beethoven; but, on the -other hand, the latter is far inferior to Mozart -in his treatment of the voice. Again, Mozart's -songs, taken as a whole, will not compare with -those of Schubert, but as an operatic composer -Schubert has written nothing to approach, still -less to equal, <i>Figaro</i> or <i>Don Giovanni</i>. There -is hardly one department of musical composition -on which the genius of Mozart has not left -its mark. From this point of view, it will be -scarcely too much to call him the most -wonderful "all-round" musician that the world -has ever yet seen. -</p> - -<p> -Without underestimating his remarkable -natural gifts, it can hardly be doubted that -Mozart's surroundings conduced not a little to -the versatility of his genius. Both in Salzburg -and in Vienna Italian music was in the ascendant; -and in this the vocal element was of far -more importance than the instrumental. With -his extraordinary power of assimilating all that -was best in whatever he heard, and the almost -supernatural facility in composition which -seems to have come to him instinctively, it is -not surprising that his earliest works show -strong traces of Italian influence. This was no -doubt to some extent modified by the journeys -which, as a child, he made with his father to -Paris and London, in which cities he learned to -know much of both French and German music; -but nearly to the end of his life his style, -especially in his vocal music, was rather Italian than -distinctively German. -</p> - -<p> -One of the most striking features of Mozart's -music is the perfect command of form seen in -even his earliest works. He was never a great -innovator in the sense in which that word may -be applied to Haydn, Beethoven, or Schumann; -he worked on lines that had been already laid -down by others, contenting himself with -improving as far as possible on his models. If -his earlier operas be compared with the works -of his Italian contemporaries, it will be found -that the form of the songs and concerted pieces -differs in no material respect from that to be -seen in the operas of Cimarosa, Paisiello, or -Sarti; that which distinguishes Mozart's work -is its wonderful flow of melody, its perfect -feeling for euphony, and the true dramatic instinct -displayed wherever the libretto affords an -opportunity. But his later operas, beginning -with <i>Idomeneo</i>, stand upon an altogether higher -footing. Mozart had at this time come under -the influence of Gluck, whose works he had -learned to know in Paris. -</p> - -<p> -If we compare the score of <i>Idomeneo</i> with that -of Gluck's <i>Alceste</i>, we cannot but see the -similarity of style. True, Mozart's flow of -melody is more abundant—we might even say -more spontaneous; it is in the more dramatic -treatment of the orchestra, and especially in the -large amount of accompanied recitative (as -distinguished from <i>recitativo secco</i>) that we -note the resemblance. Yet while the influence -of the older master is clearly to be traced, there -is an essential difference in the method of the -two composers. Gluck sometimes sacrifices -his musical forms for dramatic effect; Mozart -treats the accepted forms in such a way as to -make them capable of expressing the emotions -of the drama. -</p> - -<p> -An important point, in which Mozart surpassed -not only Gluck, but all other composers -of his day, was his treatment of the orchestra. -In his earlier works his employment of the -instruments was somewhat conventional; but -he soon freed himself from the trammels of -tradition, and tried experiments in tone -combination that were as new as they were striking. -These novelties are to be seen less in his operas -and symphonies than in his serenades and -divertimenti.* It was not till his visit to -Paris in 1779 that his command of orchestration -reached its highest development. In -his works from this time forward, whether -purely instrumental, or vocal with orchestral -accompaniment, are seen a richness and a -feeling for beauty of colouring in advance of -anything previously heard. It was the elaborate -accompaniments of his operas, as compared -with those of other composers of his day, that -caused Gretry to reproach him with having -placed the pedestal on the stage and the -statue in the orchestra. At the present time -we are so accustomed to the rich instrumentation -of the modern school that Mozart's scores -seem comparatively thin. -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p class="footnote"> -* As examples, may be named the serenade for two -orchestras, one consisting of two violins, viola, and -double-bass, and the other of string quartett and -kettle-drums, and the very curious little pieces for two flutes, -five trumpets, and four drums. -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p> -If we compare Mozart's instrumental works -with those of Haydn, it will be seen that the -difference between them is one of spirit rather -than of form. Haydn's music flows on in a -clear stream, of no great depth in general, but -always pleasing, always intelligible, and most -logical and coherent in its thematic developments. -In Mozart's music the lyrical element -predominates. His slow movements are in -general more emotional than those of Haydn, -both melody and harmony are richer, and the -workmanship more finished. This statement -must be taken only as a generalization, for in -the later years of Haydn's life the influence of -Mozart on his style is clearly to be seen, and -some of the slow movements in the Salomon -symphonies or the later quartetts are not -unworthy to be placed by the side of Mozart's -best. On the other hand, we find in Haydn's -minuets and finales an element of humour, -sometimes even of broad fun, which is rarely -seen in Mozart's instrumental music, though -abundant enough in the lighter scenes of his -operas. -</p> - -<p> -With a few important exceptions, Mozart's -pianoforte works do not rank among his greatest -achievements. Many of his sonatas, variations, -etc., were written for his pupils, and possess -little more than historical interest. Mozart -lived at the transitional period in which the -harpsichord was giving place to the piano, and -in his earlier sonatas, etc., the style of -harpsichord music is often to be seen. Yet some of -his later works for the piano, such as the two -fantasias in C minor, the sonatas in B flat and -C minor, the rondo in A minor, and the -adagio in B minor, though now, owing to the -changes in popular taste, seldom heard, are far -from deserving the neglect into which they -have fallen. The same may be said of the best -sonatas for piano and violin, and of many of -the concertos. It is hardly a generation since -the latter were often to be heard in public; the -modern love of sensationalism and of display for -its own sake seems to have banished them—it -is to be hoped not permanently—from the -concert room. -</p> - -<p> -In estimating Mozart's Church music, it is -needful to bear in mind that much of it, more -especially the Masses composed at Salzburg, -was written under special and in some respects -arbitrary restrictions. -</p> - -<p> -In a letter written in 1776 to Padre Martini, -Mozart tells him that a Mass, including the -regular five sections, besides an offertory or -motett and a sonata at the epistle, was not -allowed to last longer than three-quarters of an -hour; for this reason most of his Masses are -very concise in their form as compared with -the later masses of Haydn or with Beethoven's -Mass in C. Besides this, the Archbishop of -Salzburg loved a showy and brilliant style of -music, and Mozart was bound, to some extent, -to make concessions to his taste. Yet it is -going too far to say, as some German critics -have done, that these masses are their composer's -weakest works. Some of them, especially those -in F and D major, both of which were written -at Salzburg in 1774, are in every way worthy -of Mozart, while there are but few of the -others which do not contain movements of the -greatest beauty. The same may be said of his -litanies, vespers, and smaller sacred works. -But his power as a composer of Church music -is best shown in portions of the great Mass in -C minor, which he began at Vienna in 1783, -but never completed, and most of all in the -<i>Requiem</i>, in which his genius rises to a greater -height than in any of his other sacred compositions. -There is little reason to doubt that, had -he been allowed free scope, his works in this -field of art would have been little, if at all, -inferior to those on which his fame most -securely rests. -</p> - -<p> -As a contrapuntist Mozart undoubtedly ranks -second only to J. Sebastian Bach, of whom, -indeed, his astounding facility in solving the -most complex musical problems at times -reminds us. Nowhere is the <i>ars celare artem</i> -more perfectly exemplified than in the best -specimens of Mozart's fugal and canonic writing. -The example most frequently referred to as an -illustration is the finale of the "Jupiter" -symphony, but such pieces as the "Rex tremendæ" -of the <i>Requiem</i>, with its quadruple canon, the final -fugue in the <i>Davidde penitente</i>, or the "Laudate -pueri" of the second Vespers, are scarcely -less remarkable. The large number of canons -for unaccompanied voices which he wrote show -his preference, no less than his aptitude, for the -stricter forms; yet, however elaborate, in his -hands they never become dry, but are always -full of melodic beauty. With Mozart technique -is always the means, never the end. -</p> - -<p> -The influence of Mozart on the music of the -first half of the last century can hardly be fully -estimated. It is clearly to be seen in the earlier -works of Beethoven. By this it is not meant -that the younger master borrowed, or even -imitated, the actual themes of his predecessor; -his individuality was from the first too strongly -marked. But many of the works of what is -known as Beethoven's "first manner" are -clearly modelled upon corresponding works by -Mozart. Thus, his trio for strings in E flat, -Op. 3, was evidently suggested by Mozart's -trio in the same key, while the septett and the -quintett for piano and wind instruments clearly -show traces of Mozart's manner. The same -may be said of the adagio of the first piano -sonata, and of the whole of the sonata in D for -piano and violin—to name but a few examples -of many. Not the least disparagement of -Beethoven is intended in saying this: every -great composer has begun his career by -imitating more or less closely the works of his -predecessors, and it was inevitable that Mozart -should have influenced one who had so many -points of affinity with him. In Beethoven's -later works the similarity of style is no longer -to be noticed. -</p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-060"></a> -<br> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-060.jpg" alt="MOZART. (<i>From a portrait by Jäger.</i>)"> -<br> -MOZART.<br> -(<i>From a portrait by Jäger.</i>) -</p> - -<p> -Passing over with a mere word of mention -such composers of the second rank as Andreas -Romberg and Hummel, we find two composers -of marked individuality—Schubert and -Mendelssohn—in whose earlier works the influence -of Mozart is more or less traceable. As a -song-writer, Schubert was original from the -first; even in his instrumental works it is only -occasionally that one is reminded of other -composers. The suggestions of Mozart are chiefly -to be found in Schubert's earlier symphonies. -The variations which form the slow movement -of the symphony in B flat might be inserted in -one of Mozart's serenades without seeming out -of place. In the works of Mendelssohn's youth -the Mozart influence is more distinct,* though, -like Schubert, he soon emancipated himself. -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p class="footnote"> -* The first subject of the finale of Mendelssohn's first -piano quartett is a very close, though probably -unconscious, imitation of the opening bars of the finale of -Mozart's sonata in C minor. -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p> -Among composers of the present day one -would seek in vain for any traces of Mozart's -influence. Times have changed, and the -classical style has been supplanted by the -romantic. Whether this is altogether to the -advantage of modern music is a question which -cannot be discussed here; but an energetic -protest may at least be entered against the -superficial criticism sometimes to be heard that -Mozart's works are weak and old-fashioned. -That music has made much progress since -Mozart's days nobody will deny; the operatic -reforms of Wagner are far-reaching, while -Schumann, Chopin, and Brahms—not to -mention more recent composers—have enlarged -the harmonic resources of the art. But on all -those whose musical palates have not been -vitiated by the highly-spiced viands of the -ultra-modern school, Mozart's pure, natural, -soulful music can never cease to exert its -charm. "A thing of beauty is a joy for ever," -and, in spite of the proverbial danger of prophesying, -it is hardly rash to predict that Mozart's -best symphonies will outlive those of Berlioz -or Tschaïkowsky, and that his <i>Don Giovanni</i> -and <i>Figaro</i> will continue to be the delight and -admiration of true musicians, even though -changes in the popular taste should banish -them from the stage. Mozart's place among -the immortals is as secure as that of Bach or -Beethoven. -</p> - -<p><br><br><br></p> - -<p><a id="chap06"></a></p> - -<h3> -LIST OF WORKS. -</h3> - -<p> -Of all the great composers, Mozart was one -of the most prolific. The chronological -thematic catalogue of his works, by Kochel, -published at Leipzig in 1862, contains 626 numbers, -varying in length from short pieces of only a -few bars to operas, the manuscripts of which -fill hundreds of pages. Even a clearer idea of -the enormous quantity of music written by -Mozart in his short life of thirty-six years will -be gained when it is said that the complete -collection of his works, published by Breitkopf -and Hartel, of Leipzig, fills nearly 13,000 folio -pages. The following list, compiled from -Kochel's catalogue, will show not only the -extent, but the variety of the ground covered -by the composer. A few of the works mentioned -by Kochel have been lost, and are therefore -not included in Breitkopf's edition. -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p class="t3"> -1. VOCAL MUSIC. -</p> - -<p> -1. Nineteen Masses, and the <i>Requiem</i>. Of -the Masses three are incomplete, and the -genuineness of one is doubtful. -</p> - -<p> -2. Four Litanies and three Vespers. -</p> - -<p> -3. Forty short pieces of sacred music (offertories, -motetts, etc.). -</p> - -<p> -4. Two oratorios (<i>La Betulia Liberata</i> and -<i>Davide Penitente</i>) and four cantatas. -</p> - -<p> -5. Twenty-three operas and other dramatic -works. This list includes the incidental music -to the play <i>König Thamos</i>, and the two unfinished -operas, <i>L'Oca del Cairo</i> and <i>Lo Sposo Deluso</i>. -</p> - -<p> -6. Sixty-six concert arias, trios, etc., with -orchestral accompaniment. Many of these were -written by Mozart for his personal friends; -others were intended to be introduced, according -to the custom of the time, into operas by -other composers. -</p> - -<p> -7. Forty songs, with accompaniment for the -piano. -</p> - -<p> -8. Twenty-two canons for voices without -accompaniment. Of these one is for two voices, -eight are for three, ten for four, two for six, -and one for three four-part choirs. -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p class="t3"> -2. INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC. -</p> - -<p> -9. Forty-nine symphonies for orchestra. -</p> - -<p> -10. Thirty-three serenades and divertimenti -for various combinations of instruments. -</p> - -<p> -11. Twenty-seven miscellaneous instrumental -works of various kinds—symphony movements, -minuets, marches, etc. -</p> - -<p> -12. Thirty-nine collections of dances, -containing 194 separate numbers. -</p> - -<p> -13. Six concertos for violin, one for two -violins, and one for violin and viola; also four -single movements for a solo violin with -orchestra. -</p> - -<p> -14. Twelve concertos, or single movements, -for various wind instruments with orchestra. -</p> - -<p> -15. Nine string quintetts, of which one is -with horn and another with clarinet. -</p> - -<p> -16. Twenty-seven quartetts for strings, two -for strings with flute, and one for strings with -oboe. -</p> - -<p> -17. One trio and three duets for strings. -</p> - -<p> -18. Twenty-seven pianoforte concertos, -including one for two and another for three -pianos; also two rondos for piano and -orchestra. -</p> - -<p> -19. A quintett for piano and wind instruments; -two quartetts and seven trios for piano -and strings, and one trio for piano, clarinet, and -viola. -</p> - -<p> -20. Forty-three sonatas, and two sets of -variations for piano and violin. -</p> - -<p> -21. A fugue and a sonata for two pianos; -five sonatas and a set of variations for piano -duet. -</p> - -<p> -22. Seventeen sonatas for piano solo. -</p> - -<p> -23. Four fantasias, fifteen sets of variations, -and twenty various pieces for piano solo. -</p> - -<p> -24. Seventeen sonatas for organ, with other -instruments, written for Salzburg. -</p> - -<p><br></p> - -<p> -In addition to the above works, Kochel's -catalogue gives a list of ninety-eight works -which Mozart began, but, for some unknown -reason, never completed. -</p> - -<p><br><br><br><br></p> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MOZART ***</div> -<div style='text-align:left'> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will -be renamed. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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