Mozart: A Life in Letters: A Life in Letters (42 page)

My dear Wolfgang, your
I’m bearing up, praise and thanks be to God, though often enough there’s neither rhyme nor reason for what I do
– I feel neither hot nor cold – I take little pleasure in things shows me
that you’re
dissatisfied
, that something has annoyed you and that you wrote this in a bad mood. – I don’t like this. I can’t say anything as I don’t know the cause of this ill humour. Having to earn one’s own living is very different, of course, from living a life free from such concerns and leaving someone else to see to it.
Experience alone makes us wiser!
You can now appreciate all the work, the effort and the daily cares that I’ve had to endure in the
30 years
that I’ve been married in order to support a family,
worries
that will continue to plague me until my dying day. You’ve no reason to be unhappy. God has given you great talents. – You could scarcely wait to leave Salzb. – you’ve now discovered that much is as I predicted; otherwise you seem to think that I should long ago have left Salzb., taking my handful of belongings with me. – But you’ve finally reached a place where, even though things are exceptionally expensive, a lot of money can be made. Yes! It needs toil and hard work! – Nothing can be done without toil! You’re young! – Whereas I have to torment myself with
5 pupils
in my
59th year
for a
mere pittance
! If some things don’t turn out as you want, hope or imagine – if you have enemies – if you’re persecuted– in a word, if things don’t work out as you supposed in your thoughts that they would, remember that it has always been like this in the world and will always be so, a circumstance to which everyone, from king to beggar, must submit. – So, wasn’t your
sinfonia concertante
performed
at all
? Were you paid for it? – – And didn’t you get your score back? – – You didn’t say a word about the French opera – no word about your
composition pupil
¹⁷
etc. In short, you only ever tell me about the latest things that are happening at the time you’re writing the letter, and on this occasion you must have been particularly absent-minded as you even wrote par
Augsburg
,
Strasbourg
at the top, as though the letter had to go to
Augsb
first and then to
Strasb
. etc. etc. You can see that I always tell you both a whole series of things and never forget anything: but I’d no doubt not remember many things if I didn’t have a sheet of paper in front of me on which I note everything down in a few words as soon as it occurs to me and then quickly cross it off as I’m writing to you. As
for the post of organist at Versailles, I replied to this recently, namely, in my letter of
28 May
. I consider the whole affair to be a
pious wish
on the part of Herr Rodolphe. But it has given rise to the following incident here: a few days ago I happened to be passing the countess
¹⁸
on the stairs when, as she often does, she asked me how you both were and whether I had any news. I told her very drily and rather hastily (I was hurrying back for lunch) that you were both very well and that, if you’d wanted, you could have had one of the 2 posts of royal organist and so on – in short, exactly what you told me in your letter. So yesterday Herr Bullinger comes to see us at his usual hour, bursting with the news that Abbé Henri
¹⁹
had gone specially to see him and told him what I’d told her. She told him that she was very sorry that she had been away when this business blew up; she wanted to know whether I’d like to have you back here; she could assure me
that in time to come you’d definitely be appointed Kapellmeister
but that for the sake of the prince’s reputation this was at present impossible as you’d resigned from his service; and for the present you’d be returning as concert master and organist (which would only mean performing on the big organ and accompanying at court) for 50 florins a month. She asked Abbé Henri to speak to Herr Bullinger and find out if he could give him any information (concerning my opinion and intentions). Bullinger replied that I would of course be delighted to have my wife and son living with me again but that he could assure him that when I told them the story about the organist’s post at Versailles I had no such intention and that Monsieur Henri should just discuss the matter very frankly with me and that as an honest man I’d speak quite openly to him and the countess. I’ve been keeping an eye on this bit of nonsense for some time, but I didn’t want people to notice, and although we need another organist, I said nothing but let them get on with it in order not to give the impression that I had any ulterior motive. You can imagine how bad things have become as Lipp has been accompanying at court since Adlgasser’s death. And
whenever Ceccarelli has sung, he’s cursed loudly and publicly. I’m in no hurry to speak to Abbé Henri, as that would show them that I’m not particularly keen on their proposal: but as soon as I’ve spoken to him, I’ll write and let you know what’s going on. The archbishop has been firing off letters all over Italy but still can’t find a Kapellmeister, – he’s written to Vienna and Prague and K×niggrätz
²⁰
but can’t find a decent organist and keyboard player. – Among the Kapellmeisters nothing can be done with Bertoni – and – you’ll laugh at this! –
Luigi Gatti from Mantua
,
²¹
whom the archb. of Olmütz
²²
has recommended as a distinguished keyboard player and whom you’ll remember as having written out your mass
²³
in Mantua and to whom the prince of Olmütz had to write, refuses to leave Mantua for more than 2 or 3 months. Ceccarelli, too, has been commissioned to find a Kapellmeister and a tenor. I should add that Meissner hasn’t sung for the last 3 months – he’s finished! – Among keyboard players Hasse won’t leave KÖniggrätz, not that anyone would ask him any longer, now that our canoness Theresia Arco has been telling everyone that he’s one of the most infamous drunkards and jokers.
²⁴
– Haydn’s promotion is no longer up for discussion, the whole business has taken on a quite sordid aspect since little Judith
²⁵
gave birth to Brunetti’s child on the eve of St Joseph’s Day and the child was baptized in the cathedral at half past 6 in the evening and christened Josepha Antonia. The wench was always at Haydn’s, with the result
that before her confinement he had to send her home to her father’s, otherwise the abbot at St Peter’s would have given Haydn notice to quit. Everyone has gone very quiet – why? Because this is Brunetti’s 2nd lapse, and people are now waiting for the 3rd in order to report him to the privy council and have his contract annulled, as happened with
Marini
.
²⁶
If Count Czernin leaves, Brunetti will go too! Now for my
violin tutor
. –
If my name’s on it, try to buy a copy and send it to me by mail coach
, I already have the Dutch translation, so I’d like to have the French one too;
²⁷
I told you recently that if you can find
some decent keyboard pieces suitable for students
, you might send them to me when you have an opportunity. – You could do so when you send me the French translation: but there’s no great hurry, we can easily wait till Wolfg. sends us something of his own, even if it’s only keyboard
caprices
²⁸
for his sister – and only if he has time. –
Vogler
in Mannheim is said to have brought out a book that the government of the Palatinate has prescribed for the use of
all the country’s teachers of the keyboard, singing
and
composition
.
²⁹
I shall have to see this book and have already given instructions to be sent a copy. It’s bound to contain some good things as he was able to copy the
keyboard method
from
Bach’s
book, while instructions for a
method of singing
come from
Tosi
and
Agricola
and the instructions for composition and harmony from Fux, Riepel, Marpurg, MAt theson, Spiess, Scheibe, D’Alembert, Rameau and a whole host of others;
³⁰
these have been reduced to a shorter system of a kind that I’ve long had in mind; I’m
curious to know whether his ideas agree with mine. You should get hold of this book – these things are a great help when you’re
giving lessons
, it’s only through experience that you’re alerted to certain benefits when giving lessons and learn how to tackle this or that problem, and these benefits don’t always occur to you at once. You know very well –
but that reminds me
! It’s
St Anthony’s Day
the day after tomorrow, and you’re not here! Who’ll do the serenade for the countess?
³¹
– Who? –
La Compagnie des Amateurs
, Count
Czernin
and
Kolb
are the
2 principal violins
with amazing solos, the work is made up of the
allegro
and
adagio
by Hafeneder and the
menuetto
with 3 trios by
Czernin
, all of them – mark you –
newly written
. The march is by Hafeneder, but it’s all inferior produce, stolen from others, an absolute
ragbag
! And as false as the world in general! I should add that Gussetti is playing the horn, the courtiers and privy councillors will all accompany the march (
the only exception is me
), as I’ve
unfortunately lost the ability to learn things by heart
. We had the most pitiful rehearsal
here
yesterday. The first piece will be played at Countess Lützow’s, the second one – an old cassation by Hafeneder – not until they reach Countess Lodron’s, ouch, ouch, that’ll do! –
Something important!
In her next letter Mama should tell me
what I should pay Tresel
. She’s received nothing since you left: and we don’t
even know when we last paid her. Mama will no doubt remember, all we can find is a note dating from February 1777, according to which she was paid 15 florins and 20 kreuzers for 5 quarters. There are some actors at the tavern, as the theatre is being renovated, but there are only 9 or 10 of them. I hear they’re not very good; they’re giving some short plays and singspiels. Today is Grétry’s
Das Milchmädchen
.
³²
Everyone asks to be remembered to you, especially Bullinger and Sallerl, who are always thinking of you and talking about you, Mitzerl, Tresel, dear Pimperl, – Antretter, Hagenauer etc. etc. and we kiss you millions of times. I am your old

Mzt

Nannerl gets up at half past 5 every day and attends Mass at half past 6, and then her work proceeds smoothly for the whole of the rest of the day.

My Dear Husband,

Your letter of 28 May arrived safely on 9 June and we were pleased to see from it that you’re both well, Wolfgang and I are well, thank God, I was bled yesterday, so I shan’t be able to write much today, Wolfgang isn’t at home, he’s lunching with Monsieur Raaff at Count Sickingen’s, where they meet at least once a week as he’s immensely fond of Wolfgang and is himself a great connoisseur of music and a composer in his own right, Herr Raaff comes here nearly every day, he calls me ‘Mother’ and is very fond of us, often staying for 2 or 3 hours, he’s come to see me specially to sing for me and sang me 3 arias that I enjoyed a lot, every time he comes he always sings me something, I’m completely bowled over by his singing, he’s a decent,
honest man and sincerity itself, if you knew him you’d really like him. You want to know where we’re staying, first find the Rue Montmartre and then the Rue Cléry, it’s the first street on the left as you enter the Rue Cléry from the Rue Montmartre, it’s a beautiful street, almost entirely inhabited by the gentry, very clean, not far from the Boulevard Montmartre, and the air is good, the owners of the house are very kind and honest, not self-interested, which is rare in Paris. The day before yesterday I had lunch with Herr Heina and afterwards went for a walk in the Luxembourg Gardens, then to the palace to see the beautiful picture gallery and was astonishingly tired when I got home, I was alone as Wolfgang was having lunch with Raaff at Monsieur Grimm’s, Herr Heina saw me home, he often comes to see us, and his wife has also visited us on 2 occasions, together with their daughter, who is already married. You don’t say how the serenata
¹
went, whether it was beautiful and whether the archbishop liked it. Which Colloredo is the bishop of Olmütz? Is he a brother or a cousin of our prince?
²

By the way, what’s Lenerl Martinelli up to? Where’s she gone? To her cousins or to the Guards Lieutenant, as for the lightning conductor, I can’t discuss it here as I don’t know the language, but I’ve not seen any, but in Mannheim there was once talk of one, they don’t think it’s a good thing there, they say they attract storms where there’d otherwise be none and that if there are lots of rods the storm remains where it is until everything’s broken and all the crops in the fields destroyed, it’s better to let nature take its course rather than force it, for God can find people out and no lightning conductor will help them.
³
When the Kapuzinerberg collapsed, I’m sure many people were lucky, it could have been a disaster, it’s really not good to build houses so close to mountains, the Neutor
⁴
may also collapse one day. We’re having the most glorious summer here, very pleasant, thank God, and no storms yet. When Wolfgang eats at home, he and I pay
15 sous for our lunch. For our evening meal we get 4 wafer cakes for 4 sous, so that you know what these are in German, they’re
Hohlhippen
, in French they’re called
plaisirs
. Please give our best wishes to all our good friends, we talk about our friends in Salzburg almost every day and wish they were here, many of them would stare and gape in astonishment if they saw the things that are to be seen here.
Addio
, keep well, I kiss you both many 1000 times and remain your faithful wife Frau Mozart I must stop now as my arm and eyes are hurting.