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(_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 *** |