Mozart: The Man and the Artist, as Revealed in his own Words
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Friedrich Kerst and Henry Edward Krehbiel >> Mozart: The Man and the Artist, as Revealed in his own Words
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(St. Germain, August 27, 1778, to his father. Johann Christian
Bach was the second son of Johann Sebastian, and born in 1735. He
lived in London where little Wolfgang learned to know him in
1764. Bach took the precocious boy on his knee and the two played
on the harpsichord. [Bach was Music Master to the Queen. "He
liked to play with the boy," says Jahn; "took him upon his knee
and went through a sonata with him, each in turn playing a
measure with such precision that no one would have suspected two
performers. He began a fugue, which Wolfgang took up and
completed when Bach broke off." H.E.K.]) 96. "Bach is the father,
we are the youngsters. Those of us who can do a decent thing
learned how from him; and whoever will not admit it is a..."
(A remark made at a gathering in Leipsic. The Bach referred to is
Phillip Emanuel Bach, who died in 1788.)
97. "Here, at last, is something from which one can learn!"
(Mozart's ejaculation when he heard Bach's motet for double
chorus, "Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied," at Leipsic in 1789.
Rochlitz relates: "Scarcely had the choir sung a couple of
measures when Mozart started. After a few more measures he cried
out: 'What is that?' and now his whole soul seemed to be in his
ears.")
98. "Melt us two together, and we will fall far short of making a
Haydn."
(Said to the pianist Leopold Kozeluch who had triumphantly
pointed out a few slips due to carelessness in Haydn's
compositions.)
99. "It was a duty that I owed to Haydn to dedicate my quartets
to him; for it was from him that I learned how to write
quartets."
(Reported by Nissen. Joseph Haydn once said, when the worth of
"Don Giovanni" was under discussion: "This I do know, that Mozart
is the greatest composer in the world today.")
100. (Nobody can do everything,--jest and terrify, cause laughter
or move profoundly,--like Joseph Haydn."
(Reported by Nissen [the biographer who married Mozart's widow.
H.E.K.].)
101. "Keep your eyes on him; he'll make the world talk of himself
some day!"
(A remark made by Mozart in reference to Beethoven in the spring
of 1787. It was the only meeting between the two composers. [The
prophetic observation was called out by Beethoven's improvisation
on a theme from "Le Nozze di Figaro." H.E.K.])
102. "Attwood is a young man for whom I have a sincere affection
and esteem; he conducts himself with great propriety, and I feel
much pleasure in telling you that he partakes more of my style
than any scholar I ever had, and I predict that he will prove a
sound musician."
(Remarked in 1786 to Michael Kelly, who was a friend of Attwood
and a pupil of Mozart at the time. [Thomas Attwood was an English
musician, born in 1765. He was chorister of the Chapel Royal at
the age of nine, and at sixteen attracted the attention of the
Prince of Wales, afterward George IV., who sent him to Italy to
study. He studied two years in Naples and one year in Vienna with
Mozart. Returned to London he first composed for the theatre and
afterward largely for the church. He and Mendelssohn were devoted
friends. H.E.K.])
103. "If the oboist Fischer did not play better when we heard him
in Holland (1766) than he plays now, he certainly does not
deserve the reputation which he has. Yet, between ourselves, I
was too young at the time to pronounce a judgment; I remember
that he pleased me exceedingly, and the whole world. It is
explained easily enough if one but realizes that tastes have
changed mightily since then. You would think that he plays
according to the old school; but no! he plays like a wretched
pupil....And then his concertos, his compositions! Every
ritornello lasts a quarter of an hour; then the hero appears,
lifts one leaden foot after the other and plumps them down
alternately. His tone is all nasal, and his tenuto sounds like an
organ tremulant."
(Vienna, April 4, 1787, to his father. Johann Christian Fischer--
1733-180O--was a famous oboist and composer for his instrument.
[Fischer was probably the original of the many artists of whom
the story is told that, having been invited by a nobleman to
dinner, he was asked if he had brought his instrument with him,
replied that he had not, for that his instrument never ate. Kelly
tells the story in his "Reminiscences" and makes Fischer the
hero. H.E.K.])
104. "I know nothing new except that Gellert has died in Leipsic
and since then has written no more poetry."
(Milan, January 26, 1770. Wolfgang was on a concert tour with his
father who admired Gellert's writings and had once exchanged
letters with him. The lad seems to have felt ironical.)
105. "Now I am also acquainted with Herr Wieland; but he doesn't
know me as well as I know him, for he has not heard anything of
mine. I never imagined him to be as he is. He seems to me to be a
little affected in speech, has a rather childish voice, a fixed
stare, a certain learned rudeness, yet, at times, a stupid
condescension. I am not surprised that he behaves as he does here
(and as he would not dare do in Weimar or elsewhere), for the
people look at him as if he had fallen direct from heaven. All
stand in awe, no one talks, everyone is silent, every word is
listened to when he speaks. It is a pity that he keeps people in
suspense so long, for he has a defect of speech which compels him
to speak very slowly and pause after every six words. Otherwise
his is, as we all know, an admirable brain. His face is very
ugly, pockmarked, and his nose rather long. He is a little taller
than papa."
(Mannheim, December 27, 1777, to his father. On November 22,
Mozart had reported: "In the coming carnival 'Rosamunde' will be
performed--new poetry by Herr Wieland, new music by Herr
Schweitzer." On January 10, 1778, he writes: "'Rosamunde' was
rehearsed in the theatre today; it is--good, but nothing more. If
it were bad you could not perform it at all; just as you can't
sleep without going to bed!")
106. "Now that Herr Wieland has seen me twice he is entirely
enchanted. The last time we met, after lauding me as highly as
possible, he said, "It is truly a piece of good fortune for me to
have met you here," and pressed my hand."
(Mannheim, January 10, 1778.)
107. "Now I give you a piece of news which perhaps you know
already; that godless fellow and arch-rascal, Voltaire, is dead--
died like a dog, like a beast. That is his reward!"
(Paris, July 3, 1778, to his father, who, like the son, was a man
of sincere piety and abhorred Voltaire's atheism.)
108. "When God gives a man an office he also gives him sense;
that's the case with the Archduke. Before he was a priest he was
much wittier and intelligent; spoke less but more sensibly. You
ought to see him now! Stupidity looks out of his eyes, he talks
and chatters eternally and always in falsetto. His neck is
swollen,--in short he has been completely transformed."
(Vienna, November 17, 1781, to his father. The person spoken of
was Archduke Maximilian, who afterward became Archbishop of
Cologne, and was the patron of Beethoven. [The ambiguity of the
opening statement is probably due to carelessness in writing, or
Mozart's habit of using double negatives. H.E.K.])
WOLFGANG, THE GERMAN
Mozart's Germanism is a matter of pride to the German people. To
him "German" was no empty concept, as it was to the majority of
his contemporaries. He is therefore honored as a champion of
German character and German art, worthy as such to stand beside
Richard Wagner. Properly to appreciate his patriotism it is
necessary to hear in mind that in Mozart's day Germany was a
figment of the imagination, the French language, French manners
and Italian music being everywhere dominant. Wagner, on the
contrary, was privileged to see the promise of the fulfillment of
his strivings in the light of the German victories of 1870-1871.
When the genius of Germany soared aloft she carried Wagner with
her; Wagner's days of glory in August, 1876, were conditioned by
the great war with France. How insignificant must the patronage
of Joseph II, scantily enough bestowed on Mozart in comparison
with that showered on Salieri, appear, when we recall the
Maecenas Ludwig II.
109. "Frequently I fall into a mood of complete listlessness and
indifference; nothing gives me great pleasure. The most
stimulating and encouraging thought is that you, dearest father,
and my dear sister, are well, that I am an honest German, and
that if I am not always permitted to talk I can think what I
please; but that is all."
(Paris, May 29, 1778, to his father.)
110. "The Duke de Guines was utterly without a sense of honor and
thought that here was a young fellow, and a stupid German to
boot,--as all Frenchmen think of the Germans,--he'll be glad to
take it. But the stupid German was not glad and refused to take
the money. For two lessons he wanted to pay me the fee of one."
(Paris, July 31, 1778, to his father. Mozart had given lessons in
composition to the Duke's daughter. See No. 51.)
111. "An Italian ape, such as he is, who has lived in German
countries and eaten German bread for years, ought to speak
German, or mangle it, as well or ill as his French mouth will
permit."
(Said of the violoncellist Duport, the favorite of King William
I, of Prussia, in 1789, when Mozart was in Berlin and Duport
asked him to speak French.)
112. "I pray God every day to give me grace to remain steadfast
here, that I may do honor to myself and the entire German nation,
to His greater honor and glory, and that He permit me to make my
fortune so that I may help you out of your sorry condition, and
bring it to pass that we soon meet again and live together in
happiness and joy. But His will be done on earth as in heaven.
(Paris, May 1, 1778, to his father who had plunged himself in
debt and was giving lessons in order to promote the career of his
son. His sister also helped nobly.)
113. "If this were a place where the people had ears, hearts to
feel, and a modicum of musical understanding and taste, I should
laugh heartily at all these things; as it is I am among nothing
but cattle and brutes (so far as music is concerned). How should
it be otherwise since they are the same in all their acts and
passions? There is no place like Paris. You must not think that I
exaggerate when I talk thus of music. Turn to whom you please,--
except to a born Frenchman,--you shall hear the same thing,
provided you can find some one to turn to. Now that I am here I
must endure out of regard for you. I shall thank God Almighty if
I get out of here with a sound taste."
(Paris, May 1, 1778.)
114. "How popular I would be if I were to lift the national
German stage to recognition in music! And this would surely
happen for I was already full of desire to write when I heard the
German Singspiel."
(Munich, October 2, 1777. [A Singspiel is a German opera with
spoken dialogue. H.E.K.])
115. "If there were but a single patriot on the boards with me, a
different face would be put on the matter. Then, mayhap, the
budding National Theatre would blossom, and that would be an
eternal disgrace to Germany,--if we Germans should once begin to
think German, act German, speak German, and--even sing German!!!"
(Vienna, March 21, 1785, to the playwright Anton Klein of
Mannheim. It was purposed to open the Singspiel theatre in
October.)
116. "The German Opera is to be opened in October. For my part I
am not promising it much luck. From the doings so far it looks as
if an effort were making thoroughly to destroy the German opera
which had suspended, perhaps only for a while, rather than to
help it up again and preserve it. Only my sister-in-law Lange has
been engaged for the German Singspiel. Cavalieri, Adamberger,
Teyber, all Germans, of whom Germany can be proud, must remain
with the Italian opera, must make war against their countrymen!"
(Vienna, March 21, 1785, to Anton Klein. Madame Lange was Aloysia
Weber, with whom he was in love before he married her sister
Constanze.)
117. "The gentlemen of Vienna (including most particularly the
Emperor) must not be permitted to believe that I live only for
the sake of Vienna. There is no monarch on the face of the earth
whom I would rather serve than the Emperor, but I shall not beg
service. I believe that I am capable of doing honor to any court.
If Germany, my beloved fatherland, of whom you know I am proud,
will not accept me, then must I, in the name of God, again make
France or England richer by one capable German;--and to the shame
of the German nation. You know full well that in nearly all the
arts those who excelled have nearly always been Germans. But
where did they find fortune, where fame? Certainly not in
Germany. Even Gluck;--did Germany make him a great man? Alas,
no!"
(Vienna, August 17, 1782, to his father. Mozart's answer in 1789,
when King Frederick William II of Prussia said to him: "Stay with
me; I offer you a salary of 3,000 thalers," was touching in the
extreme: "Shall I leave my good Emperor?" Thereupon the king
said: "Think it over. I'll keep my word even if you should come
after a year and a day!" In spite of his financial difficulties,
Mozart never gave serious consideration to the offer. When his
father advised him against some of his foreign plans he answered:
"So far as France and England are concerned you are wholly right;
this opening will never be closed to me; it will be better if I
wait a while longer. Meanwhile it is possible that conditions may
change in those countries." In a preceding letter he had written:
"For some time I have been practicing myself daily in the French
language, and I have also taken three lessons in English. In
three months I hope to be able to read and understand English
books fairly well.")
118. "The two of us played a sonata that I had composed for the
occasion, and which had a success. This sonata I shall send you
by Herr von Daubrawaick, who said that he would feel proud to
have it in his trunk; his son, who is a Salzburger, told me this.
When the father went he said, quite loud, "I am proud to be your
countryman. You are doing great honor to Salzburg; I hope that
times will so change that we can have you amongst us, and then do
not forget me." I answered: "My fatherland has always the first
claim on me.""
(Vienna, November 24, 1781, to his father. Mozart is speaking of
a concert which he had given. The sonata is the small one in D
major (Kochel, No. 381). Mozart often made merry over the
Salzburgians; he called them stupid and envious.]
119. "Thoroughly convinced that I was talking to a German, I gave
free rein to my tongue,--a thing which one is so seldom permitted
to do that after such an outpouring of the heart it would be
allowable to get a bit fuddled without risk of hurting one's
health."
(Vienna, March 21, 1785, to Anton Klein.)
SELF-RESPECT AND HONOR
Beethoven is said to have been the first musician who compelled
respect for his craft,--he who, prouder than Goethe, associated
with royalties, and said of himself, "I, too, am a king!" Mozart
rose from a dependent position which brought him most grievous
humiliations; he was looked upon as a servant of the Archbishop
of Salzburg, and treated accordingly. At the time composers and
musicians had no higher standing. Mozart feels the
intolerableness of his position and protests against it on every
opportunity; he is conscious of his worth and intellectual
superiority. When he endures the grossest indignities from his
tormentor, Archbishop Hieronymus, it is for the sake of his
father whom he would save from annoyance. In all things else he
follows the example of his father, but in the matter of self-
respect he admonishes and encourages his parent. Although
Beethoven rudely rejected the condescending good will of the
great which would have made Mozart happy, and demanded respect as
an equal, it must be confessed that the generally manly conduct
of Mozart was an excellent preparation of the Viennese soil.
120. "I only wish that the Elector were here; he might hear
something to his advantage. He knows nothing about me, knows
nothing about my ability. What a pity that these grand gentlemen
take everybody's word and are unwilling to investigate for
themselves! It's always the way. I am willing to make a test; let
him summon all the composers in Munich, and even invite a few
from Italy, Germany, England and Spain; I will trust myself in a
competition with them all."
(Munich, October 2, 1777, to his father. Mozart had hoped to
secure an appointment in Munich, but was disappointed.)
121. "I could scarcely refrain from laughing when I was
introduced to the people. A few, who knew me par renommee, were
very polite and respectful; others who know nothing about me
stared at me as if they were a bit amused. They think that
because I am small and young that there can be nothing great and
old in me. But they shall soon find out."
(Mannheim, October 31, 1777, to his father.)
122. "We poor, common folk must not only take wives whom we love
and who love us, but we may, can and want to take such because we
are neither noble, well-born nor rich, but lowly, mean and poor.
Hence we do not need rich wives because our wealth dies with us,
being in our heads. Of this wealth no man can rob us unless he
cuts off our heads, in which case we should have need of nothing
more."
(Mannheim, February 7, 1778, to his father. Mozart had fallen in
love with Aloysia, daughter of the poor musician Weber.)
123. "I will gladly give lessons to oblige, particularly if I see
that a person has talent and a joyous desire to learn. But to go
to a house at a fixed hour, or wait at home for the arrival of
some one, that I can not do, no matter how much it might yield
me; I leave that to others who can do nothing else than play the
clavier,--for me it is impossible. I am a composer and was born
to be a chapelmaster. I dare not thus bury the talent for
composition which a kind God gave me in such generous measure (I
may say this without pride for I feel it now more than ever
before), and that is what I should do had I many pupils. Teaching
is a restless occupation and I would rather neglect clavier
playing than composition; the clavier is a side issue, though,
thank God, a strong one."
(Mannheim, February 7, 1778, to his father, who must have read
the words with sorrow, since he and his daughter Nannerl were
laboriously giving lessons and practicing economy to make
Mozart's journey possible and had to advance money to him.)
124. "I know of a certainty that the Emperor intends to establish
a German opera in Vienna, and is earnestly seeking a young
conductor who understands the German language, has genius and is
capable of giving the world something new. Benda of Gotha is
seeking the place and Schweitzer is also an applicant. I believe
this would be a good thing for me,--but with good pay, as a
matter of course. If the Emperor will give me a thousand florins,
I will write a German opera for him, and if then he does not wish
to retain me, all right. I beg of you, write to all the good
friends in Vienna whom you can think of that I would do honor to
the Emperor. If there is no other way let him try me with an
opera."
(Mannheim, January 10, 1778, to his father.)
125. "The greatest favor that Herr Grimm showed me was to lend me
15 Louis d'Or in driblets at the (life and) death of my blessed
mother. Is he fearful that the loan will not be returned? If so
he truly deserves a kick--for he shows distrust of my honesty
(the only thing that can throw me into a rage), and also of my
talent....In a word he belongs to the Italian party, is deceitful
and is seeking to oppress me."
(Paris, September 11, 1778, to his father, who was on a friendly
footing with the French encyclopaedist Grimm since the first
artistic tour made with little Wolfgang in 1763, when he owed
many favors to Grimm. Apparently Mozart here does an injustice to
his patron, who, it is true, thought highly of the Italian
Piccini.)
126. "On my honor, I can't help it; it's the kind of man I am.
Lately when he spoke to me rudely, foolishly and stupidly, I did
not dare to say to him that he need not worry about the 15 Louis
d'Or for fear that I might offend him. I did nothing but endure
and ask if he were ready; and then--your obedient servant."
(Paris, September 11, 1778, to his father, at whose request Baron
Grimm had received the young artist in Paris, but at the same
time had exercised a sort of artistic guardianship over him.
Wolfgang had written to his father as early as August 27: "If you
write to him do not be too humble in your thanks;--there are
reasons." On another occasion: "Grimm is able to assist children,
but not adults. Do not imagine that he is the man he was.")
127. "You know that I want nothing more than good employment,--
good in character and good in recompense, let it be where it will
if the place be but Catholic...; but if the Salzburgians want me
they must satisfy my desires or they will certainly not get me."
(Paris, July 3, 1778, to his father, who wished to see his son in
the service of the archiepiscopal court at Salzburg.)
128. "The Prince must have confidence either in you or me, and
give us complete control of everything relating to music;
otherwise all will be in vain. For in Salzburg everybody or
nobody has to do with music. If I were to undertake it I should
demand free hands. In matters musical the Head Court Chamberlain
should have nothing to say; a cavalier can not be a conductor,
but a conductor can well be a cavalier."
(Paris, July 9, 1778.)
129. "If the Archbishop were to entrust it to me I would soon
make his music famous, that's sure....But I have one request to
make at Salzburg, and that is that I shall not be placed among
the violins where I used to be; I'll never make a fiddler. I will
conduct at the clavier and accompany the arias. It would have
been a good thing if I had secured a written assurance of the
conductorship."
(Paris, September 11, 1778, to his father who had urged him to
return to Salzburg to receive an appointment to the
conductorship. Mozart seems to have a premonition of the
treatment which he received later from the Archbishop.)
130. "I must admit that I should reach Salzburg with a lighter
heart if I were not aware that I have taken service there; it is
only this thought that is intolerable. Put yourself in my place
and think it over. At Salzburg I do not know who or what I am; I
am everything and at times nothing. I do not demand too much or
too little;--only something, if I am something."
(Strassburg, October 15, 1778, to his father, while returning
from Paris filled with repugnance to the Archbishop. "For aside
from obeying a praiseworthy and beautiful motive" (he means
filial affection), "I am really committing the greatest folly in
the world," he writes in the same letter.)
131. "The Archbishop can not recompense me for the slavery in
Salzburg! As I have said I experience great pleasure when I think
of visiting you again, but nothing but vexation and fear at the
thought of seeing myself at that beggarly court again. The
Archbishop must not attempt to put on grand airs with me as he
used to; it is not impossible, it is even likely that I would put
my fingers to my nose,--and I know full well that you would enjoy
it as much as I."
(Mannheim, November 12, 1778, to his father.)
132. "At 11 o'clock in the forenoon, a little too early for me,
unfortunately, we already go to table; we dine together,--the two
temporal and spiritual valets, Mr. the Controller, Mr. Zetti, the
Confectioner, Messrs. the two cooks, Ceccarelli, Brunetti and my
insignificance. N.B. The two valets sit at the head of the table;
I have at least the honor of sitting above the cooks. Well, I
simply think I am at Salzburg. At dinner a great many coarse and
silly jokes are cracked, but not at me, because I do not speak a
word unless of necessity and then always with the utmost
seriousness. As soon as I have dined I go my way."
(Vienna, March 17, 1781, to his father. The Archbishop was
visiting Vienna and had brought with him his best musicians whom,
however, he treated shabbily. At length the rupture came; Mozart
was dismissed--literally with a kick.)
133. "Believe me, best of fathers, that I must summon all my
manhood to write to you what reason commands. God knows how hard
it is for me to leave you; but if beggary were my lot I would no
longer serve such a master; for that I shall never forget as long
as I live,--and I beg of you, I beg of you for the sake of
everything in the world, encourage me in my determination instead
of trying to dissuade me. That would unfit me for what I must do.
For it is my desire and hope to win honor, fame and money, and I
hope to be of greater service to you in Vienna than in Salzburg."
(Vienna, May 12, 1781, to his father.)
134. "I did not know that I was a valet de chambre, and that
broke my neck. I ought to have wasted a few hours every forenoon
in the antechamber. I was often told that I should let myself be
seen, but I could not recall that this was my duty and came
punctually only when the Archbishop summoned me."
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