• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

=**«^ THE • MA.S T BR. •*. ,:/v :.. >x .i*^. c^a^ CpcceLctcaoo or Pae^ejBCHo op iiX3 Wire. jtDfiJi.rifimitJcm. /^ ^ XX 'jlQ^.^c^J^-^^'^ C ^?^T~' Z^c ^deter (Qtueiciane Edited by FREDERICK J. CROWEST All rights reservec K Mozart By Eustace J. Break speare Author of Essays on "Musical Esthetics" With Illustrations and Portraits Lx)ndon: J. M. Dent & Co, New York : E. P. Dutton & Co. 1902 Preface aesthetic " views " and " sentiments," general or particular, here pronounced, I may accept the full responsibility. It is by special permission of the administration of the Salzburg Mozart Museum (who reserve all rights of repro- duction) that the six pictures referred thereto in the list of illustrations have been allowed to be reproduced for this work. Br. Birmingham, July 1902. VI Contents PAGE BIOGRAPHICAL I MOZART : THE MUSICIAN 91 MOZART: THE MAN 228 Appendix I. List of Illustrations Salzburg, Birthplace of Mozart, from the Kreuzberg {Photogravure) . Frontispiece Portrait of Mozart at Six Years of Age, in a Gala Dress given him by the Empress Maria Theresa {Photogravure) . facing 8 By permission of the Salzburg Mozart Museum Portrait of Mozart at the Age of Fourteen {from a7i engraving by H. Adlard of a painting by Battoni) ..... facing 36 By permission of the Executors of the late Professor John Ella Facsimile of a Portion of a Letter written by Mozart on the Death of his Mother . 53 Mozart's "Zauberflote" Cottage . faci7ig 84 By permission of the Salzburg Mozart Museum Portrait of Mozart {from aji engraving in 1793 by C. Kohl) ..... facing 148 ix Illustrations PAGE Room in which Mozart was born . facitig 176 By permission of the Salzburg Mozart Museum Portrait of Mozart, painted at Vienna, 1770, WHEN ABOUT FOURTEEN YEARS OF AOE facing 2 JO By permission of the Salzburg Mozart Museum Facsimile of First Page of "Das Veilchen" . 226 Portrait of Mozart at the Age of Eleven {from the origifial by T. Helblmg) . facing 234 By permission of the Salzburg Mozart Museum Portrait of Constance Mozart 7iee Weber {from a paintings in 1802, by Hans Ha?zsen) . faci?tg 238 By permission of the Salzburg Mozart Museum Biographical It was in the old, picturesquely situated city of Salz- burg, snugly esconced by the flowing Salzach, with the twin heights of the Monchsberg and the Capuzinerberg guarding the valley between, that first saw the light, on the 27th January, of the year 1756, an infant who had bestowed upon him, the day following, the rather pedantic, unwieldy string of baptismal names,—Johannes- Chrysostomus-Wolfgangus-Theophilus. The parents of this child were Johannes Georg Leopold Mozart, and his wife Anna Maria {nee Pertl, or Pertlin) ; the said Mozart being one of the musicians in the service of the ruling prince-archbishop of Salzburg and its province. The Mozart family, so far back as can be traced, belonged to 1 Augsburg ; and J. G. Leopold's father (Johann Georg, the elder) was a bookbinder—the family trade it would seem —of that city. But Leopold had early to shift for himself; and his two younger brothers appear to have come off much the best—if there was no actual defraud- ing of the elder—in the settlement of family affairs, upon the old bookbinder's death. ^ In which place they appear to have settled at the end of the sixteenth century. One, Anton Mozart, artist, is mentioned by P. V. Stetten. See "Genealogical Table of the Mozart Family," Appendix I. — Mozart Leopold, who had early displayed a quick intelligence, along with a special aptitude for music, had fortunately attracted the notice of the Benedictine fathers of St Ulrich, in Augsburg. The kindly monks had Mozar given him much valuable instruction and ^^^^ help; so that when, eventually, he betook himself to Salzburg, in order to study jurisprudence, at the University of that city, it was with a good endow- ment — in at least mental, moral, and artistic respects. But music seems very soon to have ousted law in the affections and life plans of Leopold Mozart. Compelled, in the first instance, to seek some practical means of sub- sisting, he becomes valet to count Thurn (who was also a canon of the Cathedral). All the time assiduously prosecuting his musical studies, he is at length offered a permanent post in the capella (or private orchestra) of the prince-archbishop. He was an admirable violinist, and in course of time he was made orchestral director. As a composer he was most industrious, among his numerous works figuring six trios, thirty serenades, three masses, symphonies for orchestra, and a variety of pieces for harpsichord, organ, etc. An orchestral piece, of what would now be called the "descriptive" kind " Musikalische Schlittenfahrt " (or Musical sledge-drive) became especially popular. But Leopold Mozart's mag- num opus was his "Violin School" (" Versuch einer grundlichen Violinschule ")—a very sound, thorough book of its kind, and which, for many years, was esteemed as the classic manual for violin students — a forerunner, indeed, of the more modern "Spohr." In the year 1747 (21st November) Leopold—now established for good in the household of the priestly His Precocity sovereign of Salzburg—^ took home his newly -wedded wife to their modest apartments in the old town. Their first child was a girl whom they named (transposingly) after the mother, Maria Anna, but more commonly called "Nannerl" Five other children they had that died in infancy. The Httle girl, Maria Anna (or Marianne, as her name became more often written) showed a re- markable inclination for music, and she would naturally hear much of it from her father and his musicianly colleagues. So that when her infant brother appeared upon the scene — half-way in her fifth year, she had already made much progress at the harpsichord, under the father's enthusiastic and loving tuition. In this musical atmosphere the inborn talent of an eager, impressionable child, would naturally become quickly aroused. The minuets which father and sister play together have an especial charm for this open infantine ear; and it is not long ere we find little Wolfgang — with possibly some slight promptings by papa, in respect of formal treatment—making an inde- pendent essay at the composition of such agreeable little pieces. It had not, of course, required much time for the zealous father to note the musical aptitude of his Httle son the latter has barely ; and turned j^. his third year when the already wonder- /"^ precoci ing papa takes him into charge, and super- y ^ It was in 1278 that the ruling archbishops of Salzburg had become elevated to the rank of imperial princes, by Rudolph of Hapzburg. The archiepiscopal see was, however, secularised in 1802, at the Peace of Luneville ; and, at the present day, the old archbishopric (the city of Salzburg with its surrounding domain) has become an Austrian "crownland." Mozart intends carefully Wolfgang's fingering of these minuets, with whatever other necessary musical gymnastic, upon the harpsichord. In the " Mozart Museum " at Salzburg, among the relics there preserved, is the identical book containing the minuets in question, and in which same book we have certain notes made by the proud parental " tutor ; such as (at end of the 8th minuet) : The pre- ceding minuets were learnt by Wolfgangerl in his fourth year"; and, further on, "This minuet and trio W. learned in half an hour, on 26th January, 1761, the day before his fifth birthday, at half-past nine at night." And, at length, papa writes down the little musician's own original attempts, as before mentioned, and appends the following certificate to No. i of such compositions : "By Wolfgang Mozart, nth May, 1762." (And it is in this same book that the youthful Mozart pens his first more important compositions, the Sonatas, published in 1763.) The child Mozart was of an exceedingly affectionate, tender disposition, full of love and respect for his parents and sister. " Next to God comes papa," he would often say. He was of a cheerful nature, easily impressed, how- ever, and by turns very serious and reflective. At one time it almost seemed as if Nature had intended him for a mathematician. We read of him covering walls, tables, etc., with figures and numerals ; but once the musical art exerts its fascination, we hear little or nothing more of these early excursions into the drier domains of absolute science. As court-trumpeter Schachtner testified (in a letter addressed to Marianne, after her brother's death), replying to a question raised as to the young Mozart's favourite amusement in childhood, apart from " this point," re- music : Nothing can be stated on he First Public Appearance marks, " for as soon as he began to occupy himself with music, all inclination for other things was as dead in him." Along with his study of the harpsichord, young Mozart had also busied himself with the violin. An instrument (a "kit," as we at times dub these fiddles en petit) had been early presented to him ; and he appears to have occupied himself therewith, more or less secretly, until a considerable proficiency is attained, and he is able still further to astonish the home circle. Upon a memorable visit made by Wentzl, skilled violinist, with one or two other musical friends, for the purpose of rehearsing certain pieces, the juvenile Wolfgang presses his father earnestly to be allowed to take part therein, and it is only upon his persistent demand that papa Leopold accords permission for him "to play very softly with Herr Schachtner," otherwise to be expelled the room. To the company's great surprise, it is dis- covered that the young fiddler can perfectly render, at sight, not only a second (and subordinate) part, but can also achieve the music for the leading instrument.

Load more

  336

Copy Link