Mozart: A Life in Letters: A Life in Letters (20 page)

Write regularly every Friday and, as before, send all letters to Herr Troger until I instruct you otherwise.

I’d love to know when His Grace, our most gracious lord, will celebrate the 50th anniversary of his entry into the priesthood. If you discover when it is, write and tell me: I need to know for several reasons.

I’m enclosing the local newspapers,
⁴
which I’ve just received. You’ll find the opera right at the end.

Best wishes to the whole of Salzb. We kiss you 1, 000, 000 times. I am your old

Mozart

Please send these newspapers to His Grace, you need give them only to His Excellency the Chief Steward.

Mozart and his father left Milan on 4 February and by the beginning of March were in Venice, where Wolfgang gave a concert on 5 March. From Venice they travelled to Padua, where on 13 March Mozart received a contract for the composition of the oratorio
La Betulia liberata.
From here they at last turned north, arriving backat Salzburg on 28 March; at the end of that month Wolfgang was commissioned by Empress Maria Theresa to compose a two-act serenata
, Ascanio in Alba
K111
,
for the forthcoming marriage of her fourth son Archduke Ferdinand to Beatrice d’Este, the heiress of Ercole III d’Este, Duke of Modena. Father and son set out again on 13 August for Milan, where they arrived on 21 August. By the middle of September Wolfgang had composed the recitatives and choruses for
Ascanio in Alba.

The first orchestral rehearsal of Sgr Hasse’s opera
¹
will take place today after the
Angelus
. He is well, thank God. The serenata will be put into rehearsal at the end of next week; the first rehearsal of the recitatives is on Monday, and on the other days the choruses will be rehearsed.

Wolfg. will have finished by Monday or Tuesday at the latest. Sgr Manzuoli often calls on us, but we’ve been to his place only once. Sgr Tibaldi calls on us almost every day at 11 and sits at the table till around 1, while Wolfg. composes.
²
They’re all uncommonly kind and have the greatest respect for Wolfg., indeed, we’ve not had the least trouble as we’re dealing only with good and famous singers and with sensible people. The serenata is really a short opera; the actual music in the opera is just as short but is prolonged by the 2 grand ballets that are performed after the 1st and 2nd acts, each of which is likely to last 3 quarters of an hour.

I don’t have enough space to describe all the preparations for these celebrations. The whole of Milan is astir, not least because many, if not most, of the preparations were postponed till the last moment, with the result that everyone is now at work, some at the theatre, others for His Highness’s reception – for the apartment and rooms etc. – for fencing off and lighting the cathedral – for clothes – – the servants’ liveries – – – carriages – horses etc. balls etc., painting and renovating the whole theatre etc. etc. – – in short, a hundred things that don’t occur to me. – – Everyone, everyone is on the move!

Miss Davies arrived here a few days ago; she drove past our lodgings in the mail coach. I recognized her, and she recognized us, just as we were standing on the balcony. A few hours later I went to call on her at the Three Kings, as I imagined that she’d be staying there, because it’s the most respectable inn and not far from us. She, her sister, father and mother could hardly express their delight: I showed her servant Herr Hasse’s lodgings, and a moment later Herr Hasse’s daughter appeared, incapable of expressing her delight, as they’ve been close friends since Vienna. They all asked after you and send you their best wishes. I expect you remember Miss Davies and her glass harmonica?
³
– – –

Did you see the tightrope walkers when they were in Salzb? – They’re now on their way to Milan; people are busy building an extraordinarily large tent for them. The Italian plays finished 2 days ago as the theatre is needed for the rehearsals and to allow the painters to work day and night. These players were exceptionally good, especially in character parts and tragedies.

Anyone coming to Milan for these wedding celebrations is bound to see some wonderful things. A carriage for 4 persons travelling together wouldn’t cost much. The biggest problem would be finding a room. But I could help out here and take you in myself. We’d have to live like soldiers for a short time and make savings by having our meals cooked at home.

I’ve just received your letter of the 13th. I hope that
the violinist de Hey
isn’t that joker who’s the brother of the businesswoman in
Amsterdam
– the one who absconded? I’m sure you’ll remember who I mean. He too was called de Haie or La Haie. He wasn’t very old. Count Castelbarco still hadn’t arrived by yesterday. He’ll have broken his journey in Innsbruck and then on his estates at Ala and Rovereto.

In your last letter you said that
many people had gone mad
, and now you say that many are dying from
bloody flux
.
⁴
That’s very bad, for if it affects people in the head and the arse, it certainly looks dangerous. I must have brought quite a dose of it with me from Salz. as I still have frequent fits of dizziness. But it’s hardly surprising – – where the air is already infected – – you can easily catch something.

That’s why I wrote to you about the pills. I want my arse to cure my head.

Best wishes to all our good friends. We kiss you both 10, 000, 000 times. I am your old

Lp Mozart

[
Wolfgang’s postscript to his sister
]

I’m well, all praise and thanks be to God. I can’t write much: first, because I don’t know what to say: second, my fingers are hurting so much from writing. Farewell. I kiss Mama’s hands. I often whistle my tune but not a soul answers. I’m now missing 2 arias from the serenata and then I’ll be finished. Best wishes to all our good friends. I no longer feel like returning to Salzburg, I’m frightened that I too could go mad.

Wolfgang

[
Leopold Mozart’s postscript on the inside of the envelope
]

You need to be careful when putting together the books. I’ve brought with me the two half-bound copies that were lying in the cabinet and discovered that in one of them
the whole sheet, or K k
was bound in twice.

This was an act of idiocy on the part of the bookbinder, who
should have noticed. From now on address all your letters to Herr Troger.

The royal wedding tookplace on 15 October. Hasse’s
Ruggiero
was performed the next day and Mozart’s
Ascanio in Alba
on 17 October.

Herr Marcabruni sends his best wishes, he’s here now, we’re just leaving for the theatre, the opera was on the 16th, and on the 17th was the serenata, which went down so amazingly well that it’s having to be repeated today. The archduke recently ordered 2 copies. All the courtiers and other people keep stopping us in the street to congratulate Wolfg. In short,
I’m sorry
that Wolfg.’s serenata has knocked Hasse’s opera into a cocked hat, so much so that I can’t even begin to describe it. I’ll answer your last letter and Nannerl’s postscript as soon as I can. You’ll see Italy in more enjoyable conditions than would have been the case amidst the present terrible din.
Addio
. We kiss you 10, 000 times. I am your old

Mzt

Pray! And thank God!

Best wishes to all our friends.

Herr von Troger sends his good wishes, especially to you and Nannerl, who is sighing so much for Milan.

Before leaving Italy, Leopold applied to Archduke Ferdinand for a position at the Milanese court for Wolfgang. However, when the archduke advised Maria Theresa of this, she wrote to him: ‘You askfor my permission to take the young Salzburger into your service. I do not know why, not
believing that you have need of a composer or of useless people. If however it would give you pleasure, I have no wish to hinder you. What I say is intended only to prevent your burdening yourself with useless people and giving titles to people of that sort. In addition it lowers the standing of your court when these people go about the world like beggars.’ The reasons for her animosity are not clear. Mozart and his father left Milan on 5 December, arriving home on 15 December. The next day, Archbishop Siegmund von Schrattenbach died.

Honourable and Most Respected Sir,

You will, I trust, permit me to have recourse to the expedient of writing to you on a certain matter. I have to order some wind instruments for our court and have come to trust in the work of a certain
Herr Grenser of Dresden
,
¹
whom I know only from his name, which I have found on a number of flutes and oboes. It is a matter of some concern to me and my honour that I should obtain a couple of well-tuned oboes and two bassoons as soon as possible, as a new prince will be elected on 9 March
²
and I am concerned that, because of the absence of the necessary address, the enclosed letter may arrive late or may not reach Herr Grenser at all: and so I would ask you as a matter of the utmost urgency to forward this letter to him as quickly as possible and, if it is not inconvenient, to include with the letter a short letter of recommendation of your own, but do let me know the cost of sending the letter.

We returned from Milan on 15 Decemb. and as my son again added to his reputation by writing the serenata for the theatre, he has again been asked to compose the first opera for next year’s carnival in
Milan
³
and, immediately afterwards, the 2nd opera for the same carnival at the Teatro San Benedetto in Venice.
⁴
And so we’ll be staying in Salzburg until the end of this coming September, before setting off for Italy – the third time we’ll have been there.

If you wanted to print anything by my son, the best time would be between now and then: you’ve only got to say what you consider most appropriate. It could be
keyboard pieces
or a
trio
for 2 violins and cello, or
quartets
, that is, with 2 violins, a viola and cello; or
symphonies
for 2 violins, viola, 2 horns, 2 oboes or flutes, and bass. In short, it could be any sort of piece that you think will make a profit, he’ll write anything as long as you can let us know soon. In the meantime my wife received the 78 fl. 30 kr. while I was away: I remain in great deference

Your Worship’s

Most Obedient Servant
Leopold Mozart

Have you had any more news of our friend Herr Grimm? – Have any of the portraits and sonatas been sold?
⁵

On 14 March, Hieronymus Joseph Franz de Paula, Count Colloredo, prince-bishop of Gurk, was elected archbishop of Salzburg, a position he would hold until 1803. Mozart’s serenata
Il sogno di Scipione
was performed as part of the celebrations celebrating his accession. Originally composed for the 50th anniversary of Siegmund von Schrattenbach’s ordination (but never performed due to his death), the serenata was reworked by Mozart to reflect the very different occasion on which it was to be performed. On 21 August
,
Colloredo converted Mozart’s appointment as third concertmaster in the Salzburg court music to a paid position and on 27 October, Leopold and Wolfgang set out again for Italy, arriving at Milan on 4 November, where preparations for his opera
Lucio Silla
were underway.

Don’t be alarmed at finding my own handwriting rather than Papa’s; the reasons are as follows: Ist, we’re at Herr von Asti’s, and Baron Cristani is here and they’ve so much to talk about that he doesn’t have time to write. And, 2nd, he’s too – – – lazy. We arrived here safely at noon on the 4th; we’re well. All our good friends are in the country and at Mantua, except for Herr von Taste
¹
and his wife, who have asked me to give you and my sister their best wishes. Herr Myslivecek is still here. There is no absolutely no truth in the reports of an Italian war about which people are talking so much in Germany or about any fortifications to the castles here. Sorry my handwriting is so bad. If you write, just write straight to us, as it’s not the custom here, as it is in Germany, for people to carry letters around, but they have to be collected from the post, and so we go and collect them every post day. There’s nothing to report from here, we await news from Salzburg. We hope you’ll have received the letter from Bozen. I can’t think of anything else, so I’ll close. Best wishes to all our good friends. We kiss Mama 100, 000 times – I didn’t bring any more noughts with me – and I kiss Mama’s hands, and prefer to embrace my sister in person rather than in my imagination.

[
Wolfgang’s postscript to his sister; entirely in Italian
]

Dearest Sister,

I hope you’ve called on the woman you know who I mean. Could I ask you if you see her to give her my best wishes. I hope and do not doubt that you are in good health. I forgot to tell you that we met
the dancer Sgr Bellardo here, whom we knew from The Hague and Amsterdam and who attacked the dancer Sgr Nieri with his sword because he thought it was because of him that he’d not been allowed to dance in the theatre.
Addio
. Don’t forget me. I am always your faithful brother