Topic: Mozart

[Brian]

So, Süssmayr really wrote the whole of the Requiem, didn't he?

Or was it Walsegg?

Van Swieten?

Salieri, of course. By Mozart's bedside.

[karlhenning]

I still have to finish 6 Trios—which will bring me good money—and I still have to get my money from Le Gros and Duc de Guines—and, finally, the Mannheim court will be moving to Munich at the end of the month, and I would like to get there at the same time so that I can personally present my sonatas to the Electress. . . . I will also sell my 3 Concertos, the "Jeunehomme" and the "Litzau," as well as the one in B Minor, in cash to the engraver who did my sonatas.  I'll do the same with my 6 difficult sonatas if I can;  I won't get much, but it's better than nothing.  One needs money on a trip.  As far as my Sinfonias are concerned—most of them are not in the taste of the Parisians;  if I have time I'll rearrange the violin Concertos—that is, I'll shorten them—because in Germany the taste is for longer concerts, but, in fact, short and good quality is better. . . .

— from Paris, a letter to his father in Salzburg, dated 11 September 1778

[DavidRoss]

Thanks for the excerpt from Mozart's letter to his father, Karl.  I particularly enjoyed the last statement:

if I have time I'll rearrange the violin Concertos—that is, I'll shorten them—because in Germany the taste is for longer concerts, but, in fact, short and good quality is better. . . .

Some things never change.

[karlhenning]

Mon trés cher Pére! [sic]

I beg you not to be angry with me for not having written for such a long time;—surely you know how busy I am these days!—I have gained much honor for myself with my 3 subscription concerts.—The concert I gave at the Theater was very successful as well.—I composed two grand Concertos and then a quintet which was extraordinarily well received;—I myself think it’s the best I’ve written in my entire life.—It is written for 1 oboe, 1 Clarinetto, 1 Corno, 1 fagotto, and the Piano forte;—I so wished you could have heard it!—and how beautifully they played it! . . .

— from Vienna, a letter to his father in Salzburg, dated 10 April 1784

(I'm guessing that the erroneous diacritics are from the source, and are not editorial errors on Speathling's part . . . in both cases, they should be accents graves, and not aigus.)

[ChamberNut]

— from Vienna, a letter to his father in Salzburg, dated 10 April 1784

(I'm guessing that the erroneous diacritics are from the source, and are not editorial errors on Speathling's part . . . in both cases, they should be accents graves, and not aigus.)

Well, then this clearly means Wolfie did not compose it.   

[DavidRoss]

Who was it used to post things like,

"Mozart was an overrated transitional figure between Haydn & Beethoven."  Discuss.

?

[Gurn Blanston]

Well, then this clearly means Wolfie did not compose it.   

Quite the antithesis, my dear Ray. Mozart's spelling in French was nearly as bad as it was in German. Leopold's was worse, pretty much phonetic. So the fact that he got an accent at all is a breakthrough!    (if they were perfect, I would be very suspicious!)

That said, how can we trust anything involving the alleged Mozart allegedly putting pen to paper? Maybe Haydn did it for him?

[Brian]

Who was it used to post things like,

"Mozart was an overrated transitional figure between Haydn & Beethoven."  Discuss.

?

I don't know, but I think Beethoven was an overrated transitional figure between Ernst Wilhelm Wolf and Joseph Joachim Raff.  

[Gurn Blanston]

Who was it used to post things like,

"Mozart was an overrated transitional figure between Haydn & Beethoven."  Discuss.

?

Ah, the lovely and talented Michel. Splendid young man! 

[karlhenning]

Quite the antithesis, my dear Ray. Mozart's spelling in French was nearly as bad as it was in German. Leopold's was worse, pretty much phonetic. So the fact that he got an accent at all is a breakthrough!    (if they were perfect, I would be very suspicious!)

There are plenty of dubious spellings in the letters . . . chap was schooled at home (and, as you note, dad wasn't the most punctilious orthographer in the tray).  Getting an accent of any sort (just the wrong direction, after all) on the correct vowels . . . well, he did go to Paris with his maman.

So much more interesting to read the letters, than to read bloviatory reviews of the letters, wot? 

[Gurn Blanston]

There are plenty of dubious spellings in the letters . . . chap was schooled at home (and, as you note, dad wasn't the most punctilious orthographer in the tray).  Getting an accent of any sort (just the wrong direction, after all) on the correct vowels . . . well, he did go to Paris with his maman.

So much more interesting to read the letters, than to read bloviatory reviews of the letters, wot? 

Absolutely. I have 1 volume of Andersen, but I would really like to get Späthling, he did it right, no whitewash on the fence there. Nor should there be.

[DavidRoss]

Ah, the lovely and talented Michel. Splendid young man! 

Gone but not missed forgotten.

[Opus106]

While we are on the topic of books filled with letters written by Mozart, I'd like to know if anyone has read this? If you have, I'd be grateful if you could post a brief review.

[karlhenning]

Gone but not missed forgotten.

Who could forget the fellow who really wrote Mozart's "Symphony № 37"?

[karlhenning]

While we are on the topic of books filled with letters written by Mozart, I'd like to know if anyone has read this? If you have, I'd be grateful if you could post a brief review.

Looks very good, and includes correspondence from those near & dear to Wolferl.

[karlhenning]

In this apartment [in the Rauhensteingasse] took place a legendary reading of Mozart’s string quintet in D, K.593, of December 1790, with, tradition represents, Haydn and Mozart on the violas.  Johann Tost, once a violinist in the Esterházy orchestra and, thanks to an inheritance, become a factory owner, commissioned the work, perhaps at Haydn’s suggestion.  A refined and intricate contrapuntal masterpiece, K.593 reflects Haydn-like material and devices to the point of constituting a homage to him (no less the case with regard to Mozart’s next string quintet, the superb K.614 in E-flat, to be completed the following April).

(Gutman, Mozart: A Cultural Biography, pp.716-717)

[Gurn Blanston]

(Gutman, Mozart: A Cultural Biography, pp.716-717)

A book that I heartily recommend, BTW. It will edify you and keep you amused. What more can one ask of a book?

[karlhenning]

A book that I heartily recommend, BTW.

Moi, aussi. It's right here on the shelf 

[snyprrr]

I still can't find the "real" Mozart thread on the search engine. Anyone?

I have just started listening to Mozart's late SQs, many for the first time, but ALL for the first time as a serious study mode. Haydn I can follow, but I was blown away by Mozart's "too many notes" florid style and really got the sense that I need to be told HOW to listen to them studiously. Is it me, or does he have LOTS of little quirks that keep things intersting? He just seems to pack so much stuff into 6-7 mins. What's the secret of listening to these SQs? I still can't tell them apart, mostly (my un-classical bias shows ), and I'm having trouble picking up that Mozartean happy melancoly. You can get technical with me, I'll pick it up. My set (ABQ) starts with K387, the "Sunrise."

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

[snyprrr]

oy...I posted my inquiry in the "hated" Mozart thread. umm, it's kind of long (I just don't want to write it again). If you could read it there and answer here, that would be nice! Thanks. Otherwise, I'll reiterate.

It's fixed now, snipper, no problem.   GB