Part 13 (1/2)
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Mannheiht that you would disapprove of my journey with the Webers, but I never had any such intention--I ave them my word of honor to write to you to that effect Herr Weber does not knoe stand, and I certainly shall tell it to no one I wish my position had been such that I had no cause to consider any one else, and that ere all independent; but in the intoxication of the ot the present impossibility of the affair, and also to tell you what I had done The reasons ofnow in Paris must be evident to you froun on the subject, I certainly would have gone with an to dislike it also When people lose confidence in me, I a on a stool, I sang Oragna fiaguta fa, [Footnote: Words sounding like Italian, but devoid of ives it in his Life of Mozart, p 35] and at the end kissed the tip of your nose, are indeed gone by; but still, have my reverence, love, and obedience towards yourself ever failed on that account? I say no er in Munich [see No 62], I must confess that I was an ass to write such a co means It was true that, for a person who had only learned ly; and, besides, she has a pleasing pure voice The reason why I praised her so ht, ”There is no better singer in all Europe; those who have not heard her have heard nothing” I did not venture to disagree with them, partly because I wished to acquire friends, and partly because I had co, where we are not in the habit of contradicting any one; but as soon as I was alone I never could help laughing Why, then, did I not laugh at her in my letter to you? I really cannot tell
The bitter way in which you write about hter, nant; but as it is not as you think, I require to give you no answer on the subject I don't knohat to say about Wallerstein; I was very grave and reserved with Becke, and at the officers' table also I had a very serious de one word to anybody But let this all pass; you only wrote it in a moment of irritation [see No 74] Your remarks about Madlle
Weber are just; but at the time I wrote to you I knew quite as well as you that she is still too young, and ht how to act, and e But with soood people are as tired of being here as--you know WHO and WHERE, [,] and they think everything feasible I pro to , I constantly told her that she must have a little patience, for she was still rather too young, &c They take in all I say in good part, for they have a high opinion of ed Madlle Toscani (an actress) to give his daughter lessons in acting All you write of Madlle Weber is true, except, that she sings like a Gabrielli, [see Nos 10, 37,] for I should not at all like her to sing in that style Those who have heard Gabrielli say, and must say, that she was only an adept in runs and roulades; but as she adopted so uncoained ad her four ti run, for roulades soon beco able to sing She was not capable of sustaining a breve properly, and having no messa di voce, she could not dwell on her notes; in short, she sang with skill, but devoid of intelligence
Madlle Weber's singing, on the contrary, goes to the heart, and she prefers a cantabile I have lately es in the Grand Aria, because, if she goes to Italy, it is necessary that she should sing bravuras The cantabile she certainly will never forget, being her natural bent Raaff (who is no flatterer), when asked to give his sincere opinion, said, ”She does not sing like a scholar, but like a professor”
So now you know everything I do still reco you will not forget about the arias, cadenzas, &c I can scarcely write froer My e ly She is not to lament about every trifle, or I will never come back to her
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Mannheim, Feb 22, 1778
I HAVE been noo days confined to the house, and taking antispasmodics, black powders, and elderflower tea as a sudorific, because I have had a catarrh, a cold in my head, sore throat, headache, pains in my eyes, and earache; but, thank God, I a Sunday I got your letter of the 16th and the two unsealed letters of introduction for Paris I rejoice that iveing back my headache, and, besides, I feel no inclination to write to-day
It is impossible to write all we think--at least, I find it to be so I would rather say it than write it My last letter told you the whole thing just as it stands Believe what you please ofbad There are people who think no one can love a poor girl without evil designs But I a], no Misliweczeck I ah-principled Mozart Pardon erness, I becoh I reat deal on this subject, but I cannot--I feel it to be ithat those friends who know hly Then many words are not necessary; and if they do not know h to employ words and letters for such a purpose This, however, is not at all meant to apply to you, dearest papa No! You understand me too well, and you are too kind to try to deprive any one of his good nauess to who
I have resolved to stay in the house to-day, although Sunday, as it is snowing heavily To-o out, for our ”house- nyhly esteemed pupil, who has usually a French concert every Monday, intends to scrarafliche Litzau concerto I alsoto hack away at, and show that I can do soreenhorn, and all I can do is to stru et the cadenzas and the cantabile Many thanks for having had the arias written out so quickly, for it shows that you place confidence ina favor of you
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Mannheim, Feb 28, 1778
I HOPE to receive the arias next Friday or Saturday, although in your last letter you made no further mention of them, so I don't knohether you sent thee I hope so, for I should like to play and sing them to Madlle
Weber I was yesterday at Raafl's to take him an aria that I lately wrote for him [Kochel, No 295] The words are--”Se al labbro mio non credi, nemica mia” I don't think they are by Metastasio The aria pleased him beyond all measure It is necessary to be very particular with a man of this kind I chose these words expressly, because he had already coreater facility, and reeably to himself I told him to say honestly if it did not suit his voice or please him, for I would alter it if he wished, or write another ”Heaven forbid!” said he; ”itcan be more beautiful I only wish you to curtail it a little, for I a a piece” ”Most gladly,” I answered, ”as , for it is always easy to shorten, but not so easy to lengthen” After he had sung the second part, he took off his spectacles, and, looking at me deliberately, said, ”Beautiful!
beautiful! This second part is quite char it three times When I went away he cordially thanked e the aria that he would certainly like to sing it I think an aria should fit a singer as accurately as a well-ed the air ”Non so d' onde viene” which has been so charly composed by Bach Just because I know that of Bach so well, and it pleases me and haunts my ear, I wished to try if, in spite of all this, I could succeed in writing an aria totally unlike the other And, indeed, it does not in the very least reseinning seeh for Raaff's voice, but it pleased me so much that I would not alter it; and froht it better suited to a soprano I therefore resolved to write it for Madlle Weber I laid it aside, and took the words ”Se al labbro” for Raaff But all in vain, for I could write nothing else, as the first air always came back intoit exactly in accordance with Madlle Weber's voice It is andante sostenuto, (preceded by a short recitative,) then follows the other part, Nel seno destarain When it was finished, I said to Madlle Weber, ”Learn the air by yourself, sing it according to your own taste, then let me hear it, and I will afterwards tell you candidly what pleases and what displeases me”
In the course of a couple of days I went to see her, when she sang it for ed to confess that she had sung it precisely as I could have wished, and as I would have taught it to her myself This is now the best aria that she has, and will insure her success whereever she goes [Footnote: This wonderfully beautiful aria is appended to art, Bruck's I sketched the aria I proer], with a short recitative The words were chosen by hihter quite rave about this air I prohter also soan to-day
I think with delight of the Concert Spirituel in Paris, for probably I shall be desired to coood and nuiven there--I lad to hear that the French place so much value on this class of music The only fault found with Piccini's [Gluck's well-known rival] new opera ”Roland” is that the choruses are too re and weak, and the music also a little monotonous; otherwise it was universally liked In Paris they are accusto but Gluck's choruses Only place confidence in ht to do honor to the name of Mozart I have no fears at all on the subject
My last letters must have shown you HOW THINGS ARE, and WHAT I REALLY MEANT I do entreat of you never to allow the thought to cross your et you, for I cannot bear such an idea My chief aim is, and alill be, to endeavor that we may meet soon and happily, but we s often take a perverse turn, but they will one day go straight--only patience! Let us place our trust in God, ill never forsake us I shall not be found wanting; how can you possibly doubt th, that I may have the pleasure and the happiness (the sooner the better, too) of e from my heartin this world is wholly free from interested motives If war should break out in Bavaria, I do hope you will come and join me at once I place faith in three friends--and they are powerful and invincible ones--namely, God, and your head and mine Our heads are, indeed, very different, but each in its oay is good, serviceable, and useful; and in tirees equal yours in that class of knowledge in which you at present surpass ood cheer!
Remember that you have a son who never intentionally failed in his filial duty towards you, and ill strive to becoood a father
After these frank confessions, which would, he knew, restore the previous good understanding between hiood heart was so relieved and lightened, that the natural balance of his mind, which had for some weeks past been entirely destroyed, was speedily restored, and his usual lively huerel rhyes fully in these in a letter to his Basle (cousin), which is undoubtedly written just after the previous one
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